Sometime in the next couple of days I have to sit down and write two paragraphs about my generation of women in preparation for a panel at the 92nd Street Y on June 8.  The other people on the panel (Patricia Bosworth, Judith Warner, Sheila Weller, and Joanna Smith Rakoff) are also writing two paragraphs [...]

“I don’t think you ought to do that. I don’t think you ought to describe the place.”

Henrietta gazed at her as usual.  “Why, it’s just what the people want, and it’s a lovely place.”

“It’s too lovely to be put in the newspapers, and it’s not what my uncle wants.”

“Don’t you believe that!” cried Henrietta. “They’re [...]

I met a girl at a party the other night who’s an actress with a stultifying day job, and she was telling me about how she sits at her desk and reads Gawker all day because “there is nothing else to do.”  She was I think a little shocked at the vehemence of my response [...]

If you’re in New York please come to the New Museum’s panel about the 90s on the 15th.  I’m on it and so are Michael Azerrad, Mark Greif, A.S. Hamrah, Marisa Meltzer, and Aaron Lake Smith.  We will supposedly answer the question “If we are nostalgic for the era, what are we nostalgic for?” so, [...]

I deleted my Twitter. I don’t think Twitters in general are evil or anything but I do think that for a person like me (impulsive, given to over-disclosure) they are poison.  The brand called me can do without my <140 character deep thoughts, probably, and I can do without having another medium for obsessing about [...]