My book turned one on Saturday. — My book turned one on Saturday. Now, I don’t have any kids — a fact my students remind me of frequently — but this feels significant. Or, actually, it feels like it should feel significant. …

October 11, 2014 | 3:13 am A mouse trumps almost any other problem. — October 11, 2014 | 3:13 am A mouse trumps almost any other problem. Any and all thoughts or prayers I have about my writing or relationships or lack there of either: gone. I am only worried about a mouse tracking me, finding me, transforming into some kind of amazon anaconda…

Hey Dad, — Hey Dad, So listen. I was going to surprise you and fly to Lafayette, but Ashlie beat me to it. And what’s worse, she brought an adorable grandkid. I can’t top that. (Although, if I came home with a grandkid, you would be surprised.) Then I thought I’d make you…

Brat the Cat — We met at opposite ends of life — I was an infant; he was an almost-dead cat — but he’s a Junot legend, and so I must begin here. He was an orange tabby that my toddler sister called Bwat because her tongue lived in her mouth all wrong. …

My birthday is kind of a big deal. I’m obnoxious about it, really. — My birthday is kind of a big deal. I’m obnoxious about it, really. When I was four, my parents made the mistake of bringing an almost-five-year-old to the happiest place on earth: Disney World. I spent the entire trip asking about my birthday party that would take place back in…