I suppose a child's first obligation is to become a stranger to his parents.

I suppose a child's first obligation is to become a stranger to his parents.

It's a dirty little secret that most New Yorkers are pleasant, thoughtful, patient, and polite. The Chamber of Commerce must work overtime to maintain the surly, off-putting image that is widely believed to define the city. In truth, niceness is nearly epidemic in this town.

Writing is the perfect balance between self-confidence and self-doubt, with a bit of self-delusion thrown in.

My sister and I may have been crafted of the same genetic clay, baked in the same uterine kiln, but we were disparate species, doomed never to love each other except blindly.

A mother never fully delivers.

Behind the lens, I found refuge and freedom, distance and connection, an intoxicating way to tame the huge, chaotic world.