Cat psychosis

I’m in love. His name is Igor. Igor is a cat, a five-month-old Cornish Rex—and he’s not even mine; he belongs to my son. But he lets me take care of Igor. Not enough, though, which is why I now have Taika, a Cornish Rex of my own. Igor has short, silky hair that becomes curlier the longer it grows. I have become an obsessed grandmother. I take pictures of Igor all the time and share them with everyone. Continue >>

Bossing around

I’ve never had a boss. I’m my own boss, and not always a nice one, but at least I know what is going on in my mind. As an actor, directors can be seen as my bosses, and I have encountered a few horror cases, but I have usually contented myself with listening to others’ horror boss stories. Grant committee members can be seen as writers’ bosses. If one of them decides to abuse their position, the author is in trouble. Continue >>

Moments in the sun

I’m a travel addict who likes to play it safe. A few weeks ago, I returned home from Italy, the land of lovers. In terms of age, I’m old enough to be a grandmother, but in Italy I felt like a young donna. “Buongiorno, signora!” men of all ages kept shouting to me on the streets. When did I turn from a signorina into a signora? Twenty years ago? When I still was a signorina, the attention felt annoying. That was no longer the case. Continue >>

Mending the mind

I used to watch In Treatment, a show starring Gabriel Byrne as a psychiatrist. The show was broadcast daily, and I grew fond of the sympathetic therapist.

Whenever I was feeling edgy, I imagined myself sitting on his sofa. Was this therapist able to help people? Sometimes. In couples therapy, he was careful not to take sides, but little gestures and expressions revealed what he really thought. Continue >>