Big Cat’s favorite dreams are the ones where Human-Mom grows an extra lap so he doesn’t have to fight with his siblings for his favorite seat. Little Cat’s favorite dreams are the ones where he goes on an epic quest. Although he was also partial to that one where he started a restaurant called “Mice…
Tag: Writing
Writer’s Block: Bangalore Edition
I often find that when I am feeling numb and don’t want to write, the reason for it is simple. I am afraid of what I will write. All of this falls under the deceptively simple name “writer’s block.” But why would I be afraid; that is, what would I be afraid of? There are…
Gifted and Talented (Caturday Questions)
Teachers assigned us labels when we were younger, like “gifted” or “gifted and talented.” Or, in rare cases, “prodigy.” What do these labels mean? Do they help us or hurt us? Can we change them? Can we own them? Some people discover their labels as adults. And then there are those labels on your writing….
Autobiography
When I worked on my exams for high school,my grandmother died —And I thought that was hard. When I prepared for my college entrance,my teacher intoned, “Thy path to paradise begins in hell”.And I thought that was hard. When I started my first job,running around, feeling like a clown,thinking “this is damn hard.” Then in another…
Editor, Writer, Thrower of Wet Spaghetti
Throw a bunch of wet spaghetti at the wall. See what sticks. Who knew that the thing your parents told you not to do as a kid would be vital to your mental stability as an adult? And would be vital to my job as an editor. I have been editing this website for about…
Pride and Prejudice and Plagiarism (Caturday Questions)
Little Cat was reading his favorite book the other day (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), and couldn’t help but notice that it was a bit… derivative. It felt somehow as though Little Cat had read this book before. Which of course he had. You reread your favorites all the time, no? But that wasn’t it….
The “Nice Guy” Fallacy
Massive content warning: If you yourself are a survivor of sexual assault, you have our permission to skip this piece. It’s up to you. But please pass it along. The essay that follows contains descriptions of sexual assault. Rape and sexual assault can happen to anyone regardless of gender identity or gender presentation. Likewise, issues…
Passover (Caturday Questions)
It’s Passover, and Human-Mom is praying to God that how some day she will be set free from the tyranny of her feline tormentors always sitting on her forearms and swishing her face with their tails while she’s trying to write. They’re cute, though, so she has mixed feelings. Passover as Twice-Told Tale Little Cat…
Another Thor Story
It’s been less than a week since I returned from India. In five days, I should have been accosted at least three times by a tiny person with huge dark eyes. He should have hit me with his tiny fists and insisted: “Tell one Thor story!” I am referring of course to my nephew, Dr….
Kissing Rosalyn
When I was a teenager, I spent several summers at a Montessori-inspired hippie socialist utopian creative-and-performing arts camp. The eight weeks I spent at camp were a respite from trying to contort myself to fit in enough during the rest of the school year. Camp was a place to be myself. It was a place…