An ancient bottle of Cholula hidesin the cargo hold of my galley’scold shelves. I dump it overboardinto the sink, survey limp celeryand carrots in the hydrator, noticetheir leaves, slimy as seaweed,then settle down to make coffee—I tip in the last dredges of plant-based milk.From the bridge of my porch, I chartthe stars adrift on a... Continue Reading →

Peppy the Poodle’s dark nails clatterbetween the white carpet and whitesatin plastic-covered couch.In the kitchen, Barbie shows me how to sprinklepaprika on a bowl of cottage cheese, savor it,then quietly open the freezer loadedwith bars of chocolate-covered halva,taking one for herself, one for me.Her mother brings us with her to the salon—acetone-heavy rows of metal... Continue Reading →