This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. My summer started out with grand plans: cross country travel for a book tour, and a chance to catch up with family and friends in the Midwest and West. But life throws you curveballs, doesn’t it? And my shocker was a big fat COVID-19 infection that occurred when … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Once the pandemic is a memory, what image will you remember? The tired mask on a hook by the door, or it a dear friend’s face trapped behind an oxygen mask—a sight you’re only privy to because the shot was beamed into Facebook? Coronavirus pictures have been dismal … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Have you ever frequented a bookstore so often it became a second home? From the moment in childhood that my parents permitted me to walk to our neighborhood bookstore, I’ve engaged in this kind of squatting. From Micawber’s Books in St. Paul, to long-gone independents in Baltimore and … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. This is not a post about death. It is about the phenomenon of Pandemic Bucket Lists. In the Before Times, my family and I commuted to work and spent long hours on errands and other activities outside our house. When our state locked down in April, I was … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. A few weeks into the pandemic, a big bang broke this stillness of a stay-at-home Saturday afternoon. An electric fuse had blown, which meant the third floor had no lights, and the wi-fi was down as well. When I say a fuse was blown, I don’t mean a … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. People around the world are saying, when? Over eight weeks ago, business as usual stopped for most of us. Not just working: but shopping, learning, socializing, being out in society. Some are saying enough already! and demanding that their states’ governors reopen all non-essential businesses and get children back to school. … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Scents that jolt our memories are important because we rarely smell them anymore. Think about that for a moment. I can still summon the soothing aroma of the Nivea lotion I used during my sixteenth summer. And the piquantly fruity smell of Haribo Gummi Bears, my favorite snack … Read more
This post originally appeared on Murder Is Everywhere. Okay, I realize there have already been a few MIE posts about this. But when Donald Trump posted a meme of himself fiddling while Rome burns, I could not refrain from comment. Not only were Trump’s words and image in bad taste, but his comment appeared to mocking … Read more