Marriage, in my culture, has nothing to do with romance. It's a matter of logic. If Mr. and Mrs. Ahmadi like Mr. and Mrs. Nejari, then their children should get married. On the other hand, if the parents don't like each other, but the children do, well, this is where sad poetry comes from.

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.

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

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

Elinor Lipman is to tweets what Shakespeare is to sonnets.

Marriage, in my culture, has nothing to do with romance. It's a matter of logic. If Mr. and Mrs. Ahmadi like Mr. and Mrs. Nejari, then their children should get married. On the other hand, if the parents don't like each other, but the children do, well, this is where sad poetry comes from.

Most fruits, if left alone on a tree, eventually do ripen, especially if they're not being yelled at.