February 2014 – Maura Elizabeth Cunningham

Into the Groove

On Saturday afternoon, I sat down at my desk with a cup of coffee, intending to open up the file containing Chapter 1 of my dissertation, make a few adjustments to what I’d already written, add a conclusion, and send it off to my advisor (just under three weeks later than promised, which is practicallyContinue reading “Into the Groove”

Bookshelf: Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing

The seventy-something guy seated next to me on my flight from Philadelphia to Fort Myers, Florida last month peered at the spine of my book and guffawed at the title. “Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking?” he snorted. “I didn’t know they had any food to cook over there!” It’s an easy, obvious joke toContinue reading “Bookshelf: Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing“

The Circle of Mercy Is Timeless

I have not worn my high-school ring in close to fourteen years. There was a time when I never took it off: from the day I received it in March 1999, through the summer after graduation the following year, I wore it every single day, the thick gold band on my finger a weighty, comfortingContinue reading “The Circle of Mercy Is Timeless”

A Deluxe Apartment in the Sky

I loved a lot of things about the apartment I found on Changle Road in October 2012. It was in the heart of the French Concession, surrounded by excellent restaurants and lovely tree-lined streets. It got a ton of sunlight (too much, sometimes!) and had the biggest closets of anywhere I’ve ever lived. The couchContinue reading “A Deluxe Apartment in the Sky”