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 [...]

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 [...]

This afternoon I discovered Tomme Crayeuse cheese at Del Ray, Alexandria’s Cheesetique, my favorite cheese shop on this coast, where staff apparently refers to this thing of beauty as “Tom Cruise.” My friend Laura texted earlier from North Carolina, her current location on a roadtrip across these Unites States, and as she unapologetically perseveres in [...]

My sister Kat and I are reading one book together each month in 2009. This is February’s book; please join us below and in March for Love is a Mixtape by Rob Sheffield. Last night, I sat with vintage dresses draped across my lap, remembering the moment the bottom seam came loose on the brown [...]