To: The Evil Baton Passer Yes, I’m borrowing the idea that evil is a relay race from Fiona Apple again; it’s too brilliant an observation to highlight in just one letter. I definitely think that good can also be passed from one to the next in relay race fashion – think “pay it forward” – … Continue reading A toxic, evil swirl
Paying it Forward
Harriet Hosmer ~ marble maker and trailblazer
President* Trump, Yesterday’s letter meandered quite a bit more than I anticipated and so I decided to hold off on telling you about Harriet Hosmer (b. 1830, d. 1908), whose design for the Emancipation Memorial was strongly considered but in the end lost out to Thomas Ball, he of the towering Lincoln over the kneeling … Continue reading Harriet Hosmer ~ marble maker and trailblazer
Signs of inclusivity and generosity
Dear President Trump, We decided to mix things up this morning and instead of Laura coming out to the market on her own, the dogs and I piled in with her and I’m sitting in the car with them while she does the shopping (she’s older but my heart condition puts me at higher risk … Continue reading Signs of inclusivity and generosity
Sunday snippets
Dear President Trump, A less than 2 minute scan over the WP headlines tonight suggests there are any number of heavy, hard, actually shitty, things that I could choose to write to you about – the heaviest, hardest, and shittiest of which is the headline “’For black folks, it’s like a set-up: Are you trying … Continue reading Sunday snippets
Sign makers and receivers
Dear President Trump, The other day something new appeared down at the corner by the bus stop where the tulips were recently planted and the bus driver, Lynn from Lynnwood, left the sweet note I told you about the other day. North of the note, on the other side of the bus shelter, someone affixed … Continue reading Sign makers and receivers
Voluntary and involuntary social distancing
Dear President Trump, I’m hanging out upstairs semi out of earshot of Laura as she conducts her review session via Zoom with her class ahead of their online final tomorrow. I don’t know how many of her 83 students have joined, but when I was still downstairs I heard quite a few of them exclaiming … Continue reading Voluntary and involuntary social distancing
What did you do? What will you do?
Dear President Trump, Well, today marks the 1,000th consecutive day that your inbox has received a letter from me. Next Saturday will mark the 1,000th consecutive day that I kept copies of the letters, but I think today is the real anniversary. Would I have taken on this daily correspondence to you if I’d known … Continue reading What did you do? What will you do?
Frailties, possibilities, and getting down to work
Dear President Trump, I’m not sure whether I’m really fighting a cold or am just tired, but yesterday morning I felt pretty awful and decided to take today as a sick day preemptively. It wasn’t really necessary since I seemed to have bounced back, but it was nice to be able to sleep in and … Continue reading Frailties, possibilities, and getting down to work
Elijah Cummings ~ one of our truest lights
Dear President Trump, One of our steadiest, truest little lights, one that never, ever hid under a bushel, went out last night when Elijah Cummings passed away. I wanted to yell “NO” when I saw the headline this morning, and I definitely did in my head. And if my heart could talk, it would have … Continue reading Elijah Cummings ~ one of our truest lights
May we put the data we have gathered to beneficial use
Dear President Trump, My talk earlier today went well and the symposium I was a part of was pretty much a hit. It was kind of amazing since we ranged from an overview of animal models of trauma and alcohol consumption to the epidemiology of trauma, PTSD, and alcohol use disorders among Mexican Americans and … Continue reading May we put the data we have gathered to beneficial use
Daily Trump Letters 