My father's motto has always been 'Room in the heart, room in the house.' As charming as this sounds, it translates into a long line for the bathroom and extra loads of laundry for my mother.

Everyone except gamblers knows that gambling never pays. ... Losing, like winning, only increased his determination to play.

Elinor Lipman is to tweets what Shakespeare is to sonnets.

Writing is such a powerful tool. I believe everyone should be writing.

In America, Christmas is the king of all holidays. To be left out of Christmas is the ultimate minority experience.

For me, writing clarifies things. It gives meaning, and it makes me see the connections.

My parents are highly evolved worriers. ... If worrying were an Olympic sport, my parents' faces would have graced the Wheaties box a long time ago.