Rest In Power, Caesar
Caesar Hu-Stiles, born July 2004 in South Carolina, died this morning in his sleep in Southern California. He was gentle giant with the loudest purr. Caesar was my very first cat — I only had dogs growing up. He came to me as a soft, black kitten with soft medium-length hair and a long poof … Continue reading Rest In Power, Caesar →
Exiting the Pandemic
There was a fleeting moment in the middle of the first lockdowns, when everyone nurtured sourdough starters and kitchen gardens, when I thought we’d emerge from the pandemic more human, more connected with nature, more deeply connected with one another. Instead, as my kids returned to school in real life this week (first time in … Continue reading Exiting the Pandemic →
The Sexual, Submissive Asian Woman Trope Didn’t Come Out of Nowhere
Following the Atlanta tragedy, so many stronger writers than me took on the exhausting task of making visible some of the previously invisible traumas of living as an Asian woman in America. But I wanted to do something, contribute something useful to help better explain this moment. Since I’m in LA, I did a Hollywood-related … Continue reading The Sexual, Submissive Asian Woman Trope Didn’t Come Out of Nowhere →
#StopAAPIHate: Recommended Reading
We are at a moment in our national reckoning over race in which racism against Asians is finally in the spotlight, despite having existed for ages. I am so devastated by the thousands of racist attacks on Asians in the past year and grief-stricken over the killings of eight people at spas in Atlanta on … Continue reading #StopAAPIHate: Recommended Reading →
Paddle Prattle
Long curious about stand-up paddleboarding, I waited until my late 30’s to finally give it a try. And only with the prodding of my Canadian-Californian friend, Janet, who decided to take me for my birthday. (Janet’s daughter: “But Auntie Elise’s birthday was last month! And we already got her a cake!”) Things that happened: Serious … Continue reading Paddle Prattle →
The Best Pandemic Birthday
Hopefully this will be the only pandemic birthday. Seriously. But damn, I feel so overwhelmed by the birthday love. I have made no secret of my despair and how excruciating I’ve found the past year to be. Knowing this, despite the distance, my dearest loved ones showed up in ways they could. My friends proved … Continue reading The Best Pandemic Birthday →
Kato Brought It
Y’all know I’m obsessed with the OJ Simpson story and trial and believe it is America in microcosm. So when Friend Liz surprised me with a personalized video message from KATO KAELIN you can bet I totally lost my mind, collapsed into a heap of laughter, tears and delight on the sidewalk, and made so … Continue reading Kato Brought It →
Free Time With A Shrink
Psychiatrist Dr. Mark Goulston asked me to be a guest on his show, and I never turn down time with therapists. So we ended up having a wide-ranging (and rather discursive) conversation about this once-in-a-century global pandemic we’re all enduring, the roots of my identity, how to pay better attention and deepen our relationships and … Continue reading Free Time With A Shrink →
My 40 Books of 2020, A Look Back
After Trump was elected, I made it a goal to spend more time reading books, as an escape from the ephemeral headlines that were zapping my brain and frying my soul. In 2017, 2018 and 2019 I read at a pace of a book a week. This year I signed a deal with Dutton, a … Continue reading My 40 Books of 2020, A Look Back →
The Videos That Brought Me Joy In 2020
It goes without saying 2020 was a Vegas buffet of awfulness and suffering. But damn, there were a few video snippets that brought me such joy when I saw them that I made a note to round them up at the end of the year. Herewith: The moment these two kids discovered the drum solo … Continue reading The Videos That Brought Me Joy In 2020 →
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