I’m fundamentally uncoordinated. It’s kind of remarkable, really. On a typical day, I’ll discover at least four ways to slam, bruise, slice, maim, gash, break or flambé myself on a wide array of inanimate objects. Once in a while I’ll bust out with some feat of grace, often involving contact sports with countless opportunities for […]

Thanks to everyone who came out last night for yet another fun and exciting evening of Blogstravaganza For Beginners — you were a fabulous group, particularly since you didn’t band together and mutiny in the blistering sauna of our non-air-conditioned lecture room. All future classes will come complete with climate control, or I will personally […]

I’m packed into the Friday night Metroliner, a travel artery for upwardly mobile professionals hitting weekend destinations along the Eastern Seaboard. A man claims the seat next to me, nodding a stiff greeting before retreating into his Blackberry. He’s in his forties, trim, with a full head of hair and a caramel tan. He wears […]

I’ve posted about it before, but now it’s actually materialized and is getting ready for release: The Best Creative Nonfiction, Vol. 1, coming to bookstores in July and available for pre-order on Amazon. From what I’ve seem (which admittedly isn’t a ton) there are some amazing pieces in there by a diverse and talented group […]

Parents are funny. It’s as if, at the moment they first lay eyes on their offspring, their brains get affixed with an “Obsessive Worry” mechanism that kicks into overdrive every time the child approaches physical danger. Yes, I know — I haven’t experienced the existential joys that are procreation and child-raising, so there’s no way […]

As reported by my former cohorts at the Huffington Post, I’ve been hired by the uber-smart authors of Freakonomics to be the editor of their soon-to-be-upgraded website, Freakonomics.com. I’ll be writing and editing posts, working on video content, recruiting other uber-smart economists, authors and journalists to guest blog, and just generally handling any and all […]

Another cloudy spring night, another in the seeming endless line of shmoozy Manhattan parties. (”But we have to keep going to them!” New Yorkers always say. “That’s why we live here, right?”) Spotting a few familiar faces, I head for a nearby banquette, where S and T lounge in front of half-empty martinis, looking bored […]

In an unexpected departure from my mental image (which involved me droning on Ben Stein-style in front of a 3/4 empty classrom complete with snoring teens and cricket sound effects), around fifty people have registered so far for tonight’s class on blogging. While I’ll admit I’m surprised, the sheer numbers mean this could actually be […]

“So how’s that book coming?” an old friend asks, choosing her words carefully.
“Oh, it’s fine. You know, plugging away.” I opt for cryptic, visibly uncomfortable with this line of questioning - she’s always been the superior writer, composing prose that pours on the page like top shelf scotch into a crystal tumbler. Meanwhile I’m […]

There’s nothing quite as scrumptious as the juicy neurosis of a brand new job. In an exciting (for me, anyway) turn, I’ve bade a fond farewell to the Huffington Post and taken a new position. And, in the true New York media spirit of assuming that every minute detail about your life is deeply newsworthy, […]