books and reading · hair · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism

All about Hair

Whoa, lots of posts about hair this week. If you enjoyed them, you can check out 51 other fun posts on hair by clicking on the “Hair” label at the bottom of this blog. Do you think I’ve got enough for a whole memoir on hair? It’s an idea. It does seem like people are… Continue reading All about Hair

books and reading · culture/multiculturalism · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · religion

Hilarious New Blog to Follow!

On a day-to-day basis, I am ALWAYS behind on my reading. I’m inundated by news articles, magazines, newsletters so it’s hard to keep up with blogs. Thankfully, Twitter followers also tip me off when there’s something I just HAVE TO read. @MaNishtana is new to Twittering and blogging he’s making quite a splash. The self-described… Continue reading Hilarious New Blog to Follow!

books and reading · Hispanics/Latinos · Junot Diaz · writing

My Favorite Dominican (After my little sisters, of course)

Can I tell you how much I love Junot Diaz? I never would have thought a book about a Dominican-American geek (“The Brief & Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”) win the Pulitzer Prize. It wasn’t even until college that I knew there were Hispanic American authors writing stories that felt like they could have been… Continue reading My Favorite Dominican (After my little sisters, of course)

books and reading · culture/multiculturalism · food · Hispanics/Latinos · prayer

Plantain Party

Growing up, I ate pretty much the same thing every day without deviation: eggs (or eggplant) with mangu (mashed green plantains) for breakfast and/or lunch and chicken, rice, beans (my favorite were red but my husband loves then black) and plantains on the side (tostones or maduros). If my mother served anything else, I said… Continue reading Plantain Party

books and reading · television

Snorting Books

Because some people’s lives are better than soap operas! I am absolutely obsessed with Philippa Gregory novels. My sister gave me a copy of “The Queen’s Fool,” about a Spanish Jewess escaping the Inquisition in Queen Mary I’s England, and then my mother-in-law lent me her copy of “The Other Boleyn Girl,” about those infamous… Continue reading Snorting Books

books and reading · culture/multiculturalism · Hispanics/Latinos

Welcome to Insomnia

It’s the middle of the night, 2am when I’m writing this blog though you’ll see it posted around 12am on a different day. I ended up making a list of stupid questions people ask me now that I’m a Jewminicana. I’m thinking “Are you Jewish?” and the rest of the countless, mind-numbing, repetitious, interrogations, Q and A, could… Continue reading Welcome to Insomnia

books and reading

Father’s Day Without Dad

When I called T-Mobile on Monday to let them know that my Blackberry was on life support, the nice guy on the other end of the line asked me what I had done for Father’s Day. I responded that I do not celebrate Father’s Day. I don’t. I don’t call my father on Father’s Day… Continue reading Father’s Day Without Dad

books and reading · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism · religion · writing

Patheos will blow your mind…

And yet again, another reprint for “From Ghetto Girl to Rabbi’s Wife”, this time on Patheos. Patheos is a fascinating new website that hopes to help people understand the origins, history, and beliefs of the world’s religions. Patheos was recently featured in a Time magazine article, “What Do Other Religions Believe? A Website With Answers”.

books and reading · culture/multiculturalism · Hispanics/Latinos · jews of color · Jews/Jewish/Judaism/Orthodox Judaism

I AM LATINO!

The picture book, “I am Latino” is a celebration of Latino children everywhere and their various shades, cultures, and customs that define them. While the book is for ages 4-8, it would surely serve adults as well, especially the kind who like to remind me rather often that I do not look 1) Dominican and… Continue reading I AM LATINO!

books and reading

Reading as a writer is damn annoying!

It is getting harder and harder for me to read books for pleasure. It used to be the one certifiable way I could get away from things. But now, as I’m paging through page by page, I find myself critiquing the sentence structure and plot development. No matter what I do, I am reading as… Continue reading Reading as a writer is damn annoying!