Queen of the Prom
Girl in a Party Hat by Amy Silverman
by Amysilverman
2y ago
  “Well, genetics strike again,” I told Ray yesterday morning as I stepped over a hefty percentage of my shoe collection, finding the one empty square foot of floorspace in our tiny, cluttered bedroom. He looked up from a giant pile of laundry, eyebrows raised. “Sophie’s not going to her senior prom.” For once, my genetic reference was not to our daughter’s extra 21st chromosome, but, rather, the rest of her DNA — the stuff we gave both our daughters that makes them short and lovingly slovenly. Apparently our gifts extend to school dances. Neither Ray nor I went to prom. It’s safe to say ..read more
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Roots
Girl in a Party Hat by Amy Silverman
by Amysilverman
2y ago
  The other day, I was passing through Annabelle’s bedroom when a painting taped to the wall caught my eye. It’s a watercolor, one of dozens posted all over the walls and doors of the tiny room, mixed in with Polaroid photos and letters from friends,  a small blue structure with a terracotta roof, hovering above a field of green trees, held up with four purple roots. But not just roots to the ground. Two strong roots pop from the side, as well, stretching toward — something. My older daughter builds houses from watercolors, fabric, felt, clay and ink. I think it started wh ..read more
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Lemon Season
Girl in a Party Hat by Amy Silverman
by Amysilverman
2y ago
  I’m really not one for physical pain, but there’s something almost satisfying about the sting of lemon juice on my fingers, a reminder that I really need to leave my cuticles alone. I’ve accidentally run the grater over my hand a couple of times. There’s nothing pleasant about that. And yet, I’ve addressed the overwhelming bounty from my one lemon tree with a singlemindedness usually reserved for thrifting or bingeing Gilmore Girls. Even picking the lemons hurts — I’m sure it’s something I did wrong that caused the tree to sprout giant thorns. In any case, I spent much of January ..read more
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Happy Birthday Dear Sophie! Time to Raise the World.
Girl in a Party Hat by Amy Silverman
by Amysilverman
3y ago
Dear Sophie, I’m sitting at the kitchen table on the day before your 18th birthday. No one else is home. The dogs are asleep, the cat’s outside and I can hear myself think – not necessarily a good thing. In a lot of ways, I’m ready for your birthday. I can smell the chocolate bundt cake cooling on the counter and a box of gifts is waiting to be wrapped. Spoiler: You’re getting a bikini — and sippy cups to hold your beloved cranberry juice. I found a sushi restaurant with a patio for dinner tomorrow night so you can order as much sticky white rice as you like, and we’ll spend the day at t ..read more
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Growing Up
Girl in a Party Hat by Amy Silverman
by Amysilverman
3y ago
        Facebook memories, you’re killing me. I brace myself each morning, reminded of how it feels on the rare occasions I leave the house, driving past coffee shops, boutiques and other favorite spots that are currently things of the past. This week it’s all the back to school photos from previous years, my girls grinning with excitement, anxiety or a mix depending on the year — but always on their way out the door, something I no longer take for granted. I’m okay if I don’t look back, but I’m also not comfortable looking forward, particularly this week. This w ..read more
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Dance with Sophie!
Girl in a Party Hat by Amy Silverman
by Amysilverman
4y ago
  Desperate times mean it’s time to dance — at least, that’s how it’s been in our house this spring. Sophie’s working toward her goal of becoming a dance teacher by offering her first-ever dance class! On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 3:30 pm PST, you can join her virtual class via Zoom. No experience is required, and she will cover ballet and contemporary dance. Wear comfy clothes and feel free to drop in — you don’t have to come to every session. There is no fee. Email me for the Zoom link: amy_silverman@yahoo.com Stay safe and healthy, and keep dancing ..read more
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The Law of Words
Girl in a Party Hat by Amy Silverman
by Amysilverman
4y ago
I’m proud of my girls every day — that should go without saying — but Sophie really blew me away this weekend with her performance at Shoo Flies. Shoo Flies is the little sister of Bar Flies, a live reading series I co-produce featuring “true stories — and drinks” held monthly at a bar in downtown Phoenix. Shoo Flies is Bar Flies minus the drinks, plus a group of teens writing and performing their stories. The prompt for our first-ever boot camp was “stranger,” and Sophie was the first to sign up. I’m not typically into poetry, but that’s what she wrote for her true story, and like I said, I ..read more
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Holiday Letter
Girl in a Party Hat by Amy Silverman
by Amysilverman
4y ago
  Greetings friends and family! I’m getting this one in just under the wire, as 2019 slows to a halt. It’s extra chilly here in the Arizona desert, and we are enjoying rare views of snow on far away mountains and treasured time with cousins. I had every intention this year of sending a real letter, the kind that falls out of the holiday card envelope, full of news and snapshots. I even commissioned a family portrait — not a photo, since Annabelle has been off at college — by one of my favorite illustrators, David Quan (aka Luster Kaboom) and I must say, my boobs have never looked better. Than ..read more
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Retail Therapy
Girl in a Party Hat by Amy Silverman
by Amysilverman
5y ago
  If you ask the thermometer on my car dashboard, summer is in full swing. But Sophie goes back to school next week so we’ve been washing backpacks, shopping for highlighters and generally returning to reality after several weeks of travel. Last week the girls and I dragged ourselves away from the beach, moving slowly to the already-packed car. “One sec!” Sophie called, stopping in front of the hotel gift shop. “I have to say good bye.” I was confused — I hadn’t bought her anything all week, we hadn’t even browsed together in the shop. But sure enough, the young woman behind the counter greet ..read more
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“Forever Intertwined”
Girl in a Party Hat by Amy Silverman
by Amysilverman
5y ago
Today we have a guest post from one of my favorite writing students, Anita Whitely. For her final project in “Mapping Your Memoir,” a class I teach at Phoenix College, Anita wrote a letter. I won’t say anything more — except thank you, Anita. I have learned so much from you.   I am a recipient of your loved one’s kidney. More than anything I want you to know that I think of you often. I know that it is because of your generosity and honoring the one you lost that I have a life. I want to tell you what it is like being on dialysis. I feel that this is best said in something I wrote for a crea ..read more
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