Author: joanna

How I Became an American Citizen 15 Years Ago Today

– Eleven Days before the Twin Towers Fell

 Twin Towers In SunsetThey were there from the moment I stepped off the plane from London in October 1978. For so long as I lived and worked in New York City, the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre were the most identifiable, visible points on the skyline: Larger than life. In your face. Like the city itself.

And, for sure, they were standing tall, glinting in the sun, the last time I saw them — 15 years ago, on August 31, 2001, the day I became an American citizen. Continue reading “How I Became an American Citizen 15 Years Ago Today”

Trying for a Third (Behind the Scenes #1)

Behind the Scenes is a series of occasional posts about my efforts to write a new thriller (working title, Book 3)  and about the challenges, setbacks — and perks — of returning to a writing life. (Note: I’m not always sitting at my laptop.)   

 

Crumple Paper, Notebook And Pen With Cup Of CoffeeIt’s been about twenty years since my first two. Now, I’m at a time in my life when I could be enjoying leisurely days of playing tennis and golf, reading and relaxing in the sun, and taking long vacations.  But, I’ve decided to try for a third.

No, obviously, not a baby. I mean a third book. Continue reading “Trying for a Third (Behind the Scenes #1)”

Trump, Brexit & the Politics of Hate

 

Candidate Donald Trump speaks at press conferenceDonald Trump applauded the vote for Brexit when he landed in Scotland the day after the UK voted to leave the European Union.  By now, he knows, or should know, just how ugly things got for minorities in the UK after the vote. And how hate crimes surged 42%. Continue reading “Trump, Brexit & the Politics of Hate”

Snowball in a Blizzard: A Review

51riWuvb81L._SX329_BO1,204,203,200_Why I Love This Book — but can’t recommend it to my women friends.

 

I would like to know where Dr. Steven Hatch hangs out so that I could go there and kiss the ground he walks on.

Dr. Hatch is the author of Snowball in a Blizzard (Basic Books),  a book which addresses the problem of “uncertainty” and “haziness” in medicine. He writes that despite the great advances in science and technology, and even with access to the most complex diagnostic tools, medicine can still be a bit hit-and–miss because “a diagnosis is, much more often than not, a conjecture, and a prognosis is typically less certain than that.” Continue reading “Snowball in a Blizzard: A Review”