Nietzsche on Believing in Oneself
I came across the following quote in Sue Prideaux’s wonderful new Nietzsche biography, I am Dynamite! It’s a selection from Nietzsche’s Daybreak, which Prideaux presents as the beginning of his …
Knausgård: “The easy life is nothing to aspire to.”
Two companionable quotes from Karl Ove Knausgård’s excellent book, Spring, which I’ve read three times this summer–twice in succession, and one more time a month later. I’m only now emerging from …
The “Perfect” Diet
In America, views on healthful eating fall on a spectrum defined by two opposing ideologies. On one side, people like Dr. Mercola, Sally Fallon (founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation) …
The Art of Not Eating
A few years ago, my good friend Kevin started a cleanse. He bought a cleansing kit. He took the cleansing pills and fiber for ten days. He refined his diet. For breakfast, …
Trust Thy Gut: Healing in the Age of the Microbiome
I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in May, 2002. On the day of my diagnosis, I refused my doctor’s prognosis, as well as the drugs, and commenced a journey to …
“Look at me, Dad. Look who I’ve become.”
The Fort Washington Elementary School “Spring Fair” is one of a handful of banal events a parent is obliged to attend throughout the school year. I try not to hate …
Ella Loves Kindergarten
Ella has no talent for evasion. She reveals her emotions without the slightest artifice. Her happiness is so obvious, so transparent. She smiles, laughs, and skips–actually skips–across the room. When …
Thirteen-years Married
Thirteen-years-ago I married my high school sweetheart. Unreliable online data suggests high school sweethearts account for only 2% of all marriages. And less than 2% of people who marry their …
On the GOP’s New “Healthcare” Plan
Of my various pre-existing conditions, type-1 diabetes is the most cost-intensive. In the GOP’s new plan, my state can either continue the Obama-era protections for pre-existing conditions or place me …