The best Christmas song out there is Brenda Lee's I'm Gonna Lasso Santa Claus, and I know just why, because: This song is a social justice anthem. Think about: it's pretty much impossible to escape Christmas music around the holidays, whether or not you celebrate. From old classics like The Christmas Song to newer ones—Mariah … Continue reading Have yourself a merry little everything
Every year, it's my job to pick the perfect Christmas tree. And every year for the past fifteen or more, we go to the Red Shed, a family-owned outdoor tree lot that pops up around Thanksgiving at 18th and Burnside, in the heart of the inner east side. Some years we take the kids; some … Continue reading The perfect tree
I left my phone on a shuttle bus in Denver, Colorado, after a conference, and I didn't get it back for a full week. I spent eight days without the constant reassurance of my phone, and it was— Let me cut in: this is not the essay you think it is. You're expecting an essay … Continue reading Disconnecting to reconnect
i. I see myself in the stumps and pits where trees used to grow in the absence of the white pine where I measured myself against the height of green branches that slowly overtook the front yard and cast shadows that frightened me as a girl I see myself in the cracks between the flagstones … Continue reading Elegy for a small town childhood
My mom wasn’t on board with the whole gay thing at first. I never even had to tell her; she overheard me talking to my girlfriend on the phone, and recognized the tone of my voice. “I’m going to consider it a phase,” she told me to my face. “You’ll get over it. Oh, and … Continue reading Shadows wane
Christine Hanolsy 