Generations
My Father, the High Line: A Fish Story
My father never shared with his family the story of the time he reeled in a 457-pound tuna.
You Will Be With Me in Paradise
“Femur, pelvis, flecks of skull—father’s remains are served in a silver tray.”
Messages for a Balloon: On Relocation and Families
We had other places we called home, other cities and countries and people who weren’t present that we loved.
At the Grounds: On Fatherhood and Grief
“My father was still making plans, and little plans were one way he expressed his love of life.”
When Cancer Runs in Your Family
In my frightened mind, so many people in my family had been reduced to that one word.
The Kitchen Drawer: On Black Families and Suicide
What I learned from her was that if you wanted to kill yourself, do it with no one around.
Saving Chickens, Saving Myself
“I know that it is scary to say something. That it is easier to think it is none of your business.”
Under the Stars: Remaking a Family
“Perhaps the four of us, our family, is the only good thing left after all the destruction.”
What If: On Black Lives and Mental Health
“What if Granny had grabbed a weapon to protect herself from the invisible people?”
A Separate Dream: Faith, Family, and Knowing When to Let Go
When a hard line on intermarriage leads to exclusion.