Author Archives: Carol-Ann Farkas

“Thus conscience does make cowards of us all…” (Shakespeare, Hamlet, III.i) “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds” (Emerson, “Self-Reliance”) “Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.” (H.L. Mencken) “But people don’t do such things!” … Continue reading →

“She would of been a good woman,” The Misfit said, “if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.” (“A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” Flannery O’Connor) “Depend upon it, sir, when a man … Continue reading →

Things that don’t conduce to getting writing done: emergencies; interruptions; personal failings; hobbies; other people’s good writing; other people’s intimidatingly- better writing; good tv; dirty bathrooms and dirtier laundry; baking bread; running; ballet; ecstatic dance; lyrical dance; naked dance; snowshoeing; … Continue reading →

  “After adolescence, human empathy matures, and adults might cry in reaction to the suffering of others…Strong positive emotions from a reunion, team victory or moving artistic performance might cause adults to cry, too….[But] there are two major consistent triggers for … Continue reading →

I guess it was inevitable, something we all knew was going to happen. Can’t stop the march of time and all of that. I’ve crossed some kind of boundary, passed a marker on the path, and the days of naive … Continue reading →

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory … Continue reading →

Today, I’ll be walking, chanting, listening, and generally being with thousands of people like myself—that is, humans who care about one another’s wellbeing—at the Women’s March on Washington.  In preparation for this demonstration—and for the sister marches taking place throughout … Continue reading →

The Rio Olympics have been underway for less than a week, and already, a few notable trends have emerged: those athletes who happen to be women are kicking ass; and many of those involved in reporting on the Games just can’t … Continue reading →

I worry about loneliness. During those times times in my life (the literal and figurative Februaries) when I’ve been very lonely, I try very hard NOT to think about loneliness—that just compounds the misery. But because loneliness is horrible—and because … Continue reading →

Apparently, a key indicator of how well- (or how poorly-) controlled my anxiety is, is how much I’m meditating. As in, I tend to wander from the mat when I feel like my life is unfolding in a more or … Continue reading →