Category Archives: growing up

Mattie looked down at the elf quizzically. “Your majesty?” she asked, and again, he took a deep bow. “We’ve been awaiting your arrival for a generation,” he told her. A thousand questions filled Mattie’s head, but for a moment, she … Continue reading →

Mattie cowered as the knife of suffering roared. Its voice boomed in her ears. It looked as big as her – bigger! – and it gleamed as if someone had spent hours polishing it. The sparkling jewels on its hilt … Continue reading →

Ejected from the mossy depths of the well, Mattie lay gasping, curled up in a ball, terrified of even the sunlight in this strange place. A soreness blossomed in her middle, just at the place where her lower ribs curved … Continue reading →

There once was a little girl named Mattie who lived alone with her mother in a small house at the edge of the woods. Her father was long gone, perhaps dead. Her mother was ailing, and so Mattie did much … Continue reading →

I got to spend Saturday night with my nieces, ages nine and seven, always a treat because they are funny, bright, polite, and always present in the moment. At least when I’m around. I remember the first time I worked … Continue reading →

Over the weekend I saw “It’s Kind of a Funny Story,” a sweet and humane little film directed by Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck. It’s the story of a 16-year-old kid who commits himself to the psych ward. He’s depressed … Continue reading →