On Friday night, my charming and witty friend John drove with me from Brooklyn into The Great Snowpocalypse of Charlottesville. Other areas lay claim to the storm, but I think with around twenty-four inches of snow, the title belongs to that beautiful area of Virginia where I lived for five years. As soon as we [...]

High noon on Thursday, I began the Northward drive from Miami. Passing power lines, cows, and little else, I fell asleep that night listening to crickets by the lake behind my parents’ house in Atlanta. The next morning, my beautiful sister Kassandra woke early to breakfeast with me the Flying Biscuit—where the grits really are [...]

I spent Saturday afternoon reading in the sun in Charlottesville, Virginia, the way I spent many weekends when I lived in this little town. Dar Williams refrains filled the cul-de-sac, and the wireless networks were named “TJistheman”, “PabstBlueNetwork”, and “moonbaker” (the last, perhaps belonging to a baker at Mellow Mushroom pizza near campus). I thought [...]

Every time I return to Charlottesville, I remember the reasons I can breathe deeply here. I pause for the train: And I drive with friends out to the country. On Saturday night, we drove to Will’s place to cook together in his apartment inside the post office. In the sleepy town of Esmont, we toasted [...]

I think chestnuts look tribal in their protective cupule. Walking the Chicago Green City Market on Saturday, I saw chestnuts, striped turkish eggplants, and the elusive famed yellow beets. Passing up crêpes (skillyfully made below), I opted for plummy bread pudding and butternut squash pie (both good Thanksgiving dessert ideas). The fractal cauliflower seemed to [...]