About

Currently, my messy desk resides under Brooklyn skies. It moved here in 2008 from Washington, DC.  Before that, it took up space in India, Croatia, and Belgium, where I worked various jobs, including political reporting for the US Consulate in Zagreb, writing for UCAN out of Chennai, and freelancing for a variety of publications.

Ah, well, now, instead of my trying to answer the mother of all koans, let me tell you instead about my enduring love of fountain pens.  First off, I learned to write under the strict tutelage of Catholic nuns in Spain, dipping pen into inkwell --  yes, I'm either that old or the school was that archaic.  I then discovered Sheaffer fountain pens at the Five & Dime near my grandparents' home in Atlanta and never looked back. Fountain pens are pretty much all I ever use, be it interviewing people for a documentary or feature article, taking notes at an art show or compiling a grocery list.  But I'm not a collector, more of an accumulator.  My current favorites include a 1950s Sheaffer snorkel pen my brother, Dixon, found in a grandparent's desk in my parents basement; a retractable-nib Pilot my husband, Bill, surprised me with for a birthday; and a slim Muji that granddaughter, Olivia, put me on to.  Another thing: I don't fret about dangling participles.