“Innocent until proven guilty,” a fundamental constitutional right. We all know it, we’ve all heard it. If not in actual legal scenarios, then on one of the endless TV dramas featuring lawyers, cops, and legal proceedings. Even those who doubt the effectiveness of our legal system and law enforcement likely assume and take for granted Read More …
Since my (thankfully short) foray into the online dating world, I’ve been a bit obsessed with understanding how people navigate relationships, not only in the dating world, but also in terms of committed partnerships. Call it an academic (but also personal and emotional) obsession. Let me begin by putting all my cards on the table Read More …
Continued from Part 1 and Part 2… During those three months in Haiti, I never experienced physical or verbal threats. I even pushed the limits. I took risks I probably shouldn’t have, especially walking the streets alone at night. One night, I returned home alone just after 10pm, almost four hours after the sun had Read More …
“Don’t talk to me EITHER!” screamed my 3-year-old in retaliation. Seated in her car seat as we pulled away from the store and headed home, she struggled to express her emotions and gain some control over the situation: “I’m not going to be happy anymore!” With such a catchy name, most people think of the Read More …
Continued from Part 1… Haiti, and more specifically the capital of Port-au-Prince, is a place where blan, as well as milat (mulattos) are rarely seen walking the streets or taking public transportation, especially by themselves. The reason – as most anthropologists would say – is complicated. Many cite the threat of violence as reason enough Read More …
Waiting at the terminal gate, I was surrounded by Haitians and Haitian diasporans. I was one of only a handful of blan (white/foreigners) waiting for the plane to arrive, the one that would take us directly to Port-au-Prince. Despite quiet attempts to avoid bringing attention to myself – a tactic employed for as long as Read More …
I’m a writer. There. I said it. The truth is I’ve been in denial of that for a very long time. It hadn’t even occurred to me to call myself a writer. Looking back, however, it seems so obvious. How can I not consider myself a writer? I spend the majority of my time writing Read More …