Recent Work
Selected Writing and Miscellany:
Pilgrimage an essay about my mother, Jean Valentine, Basho, Japan, and grief in The New England Review and re-published in LitHub
"Obit" Play is selected as Runner-Up by Tennessee Williams Literary Festival
Everything Turns Away Quite Leisurely, an essay about teaching in Palestine for Two Coats of Paint
Outside the Frame, an interview with artist Massinissa Selmani for Two Coats of Paint
Books and Maps and Getting Lost, an art review and essay for Two Coats of Paint
We are Committing Suicide as a Species, a conversation with Ariel Dorfman for the L.A. Review of Books
A House Made of Books, the books my parents left behind, for Bookpost
The Leopard, by Giuseppe di Lampedusa, a reflection on the classic novel on Bookpost USA
The Vixen, by Francine Prose, my review of the novel for Bookpost
And Finally I'll Say Goodbye remembering my mother, Jean Valentine, for the Yale Review
Two Coats of Paint interview with artist Julie Heffernan.
The City We Became A review of the novel by N.K. Jemisin for Bookpost
#Campus Clear A short essay on teaching in the time of Covid from Scoundrel Time Magazine
Writing the Virus: an anthology of writings in the time of Covid from StatORec Magazine
An interview with editors of StatORec Magazine in the Brooklyn Rail
"The View from My Bed" A meditative essay on life in the time of Covid for Scoundrel Time magazine
"Mask and Gloves" a consideration of the present moment, Spring 2020, for StatORec
Reflections on Wyoming and Gretel Ehrlich for Bookpost USA
The legendary downtown performer, Edgar Oliver, for The Los Angeles Review of Books
“Looking for Katalin Street" on Magda Szabo’s novel for Guernica Magazine
“Regarding the Pain of Trump” On Susan Sontag and Donald Trump The Los Angeles Review of Books
“Why Three Generations of My Family Are Marching in Washington,” in LitHub
“Looking for Robinson Crusoe,” memoir, The Literary Review
“Three Books Explore the Minds Behind Movie Magic” on NPR’s All Things Considered
“The Scale of the Beast” an essay which grew out of my research on taxidermy and dioramas for The Los Angeles Review of Books
“Mapping the Belly of the Whale” an essay on teaching creative writing in prison for The Common Magazine
New York Times Obituaries: