First off, I’d like to thank Tod Kelly and Erik Kain for inviting me to join this esteemed group of bloggers. I’m beyond thrilled to be here. As the price of admission, they’ve asked me to write a brief introductory piece, so, while autobiography is not normally my forte, here goes.
As you might guess from the accompanying picture, I heart cats. My husband and I have four of them, plus an elderly pug and a feisty cockatiel that we found on a trail in Bellevue, Washington back when we lived there. The cat in the picture is Diesel, named after Vin Diesel, and he’s a Highland Lynx. Our other three cats are (of course) just as cute but lack the curly ears.
My husband (The Russian) and I currently live in Greensboro, North Carolina. We’ve been together for a bit more than fifteen years and, in that time, have lived in five quite different metro areas: Chicago, Los Angeles, Seattle, Philadelphia, and now Greensboro (where hopefully we’ll be staying for quite a while). We never intended to become middle-aged gypsies–well, at least I didn’t–but it seems to have worked out that way. While Greensboro is small compared to the other places we’ve lived, its charms make up for the fact that its downtown skyline is dominated by two large buildings and not much else. There’s much to be said for living in a place where you can usually get where you want to go in ten minutes or less (take it from someone who’s lived in L.A.). Besides, Greensboro offers Jews, yoga, and Whole Foods. What more could anyone want?
By default, I vote Democratic. My parents, both conservative, Fox-watching Republicans, have never quite figured out what they did wrong to produce two left-leaning daughters. Perhaps it was all that time they spent stressing to my sister and me that we needed to learn how to think for ourselves. Or perhaps we were indoctrinated during too many years spent at liberal universities. Whatever the cause, we usually avoid talking politics at family gatherings. Yet, while I may vote Democratic (because, really, what choice is there given what modern Republicans are offering up), my politics, like most people’s, don’t fit neatly into any predefined boxes. I tend toward cultural conservatism on some issues, anti-corporatism most of the time, and Ron Paulish views on foreign policy.
My training is in history and law. Over the years I’ve worked as an adjunct professor of American history, an editor and writer of instructor-lead computer software training, an administrative law clerk, and an attorney at a small firm (think dog bites and divorces). Eons ago, I studied under Christopher Lasch at the University of Rochester. My dissertation focused on the life and work of Robert Maynard Hutchins. Hutchins became president of the University of Chicago at the age of 29 and, along with Mortimer Adler and others, created the Great Books program. Later, Hutchins went on to found the Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in a suburb of Santa Barbara, California and endeavored to foster “the civilization of the dialogue.” It seems like that’s what the creators of the League are also endeavoring to create, at least in their little space on the Internets. The intelligence and civility of the writers and commenters certainly attracted and kept me here. At some point, I’ll likely write a more detailed post about Hutchins’ efforts to create dialogue at the Center because it seems somehow relevant.
Other topics that engage me include what I call the “re-righting” of history, the concept of home and place, the antics of the right-wing media, Judaism, constitutional law, and politics in general. And, if all else fails, there’s always cats.
Welcome! Yay!Report
I know you’ve been around quite a while, but Welcome!Report
Your excellent comments give me good reason to look forward to your posts, Michelle.Report
Except for the fact that I am absolutely allergic to cats and prefer dogs. We seem to have a lot in common.
I’m still curious about how your parents feel about being among the 20 percent of Jews who are Republican. Minority-in-minority groups fascinate me.Report
My father thinks Jewish liberals are deluded, particularly those who don’t understand that Obama is going to throw Israel under the bus. My mother grew up in a small town outside of Sacramento and registered Republican the moment she could vote. She was raised as some kind of Protestant and converted when she married my father.
They haven’t been active in the Jewish community for ages and, near as I can tell, most of their friends are pretty Republican and not Jewish. So, they live in something of a bubble made worse by their excessive consumption of Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, and the National Review. I pretty much bite hard on my tongue when either of them talks politics anymore because failure to do so ends up in a nasty argument. My father and I once got into a two-hour screaming match over the topic of Sarah Palin. We pretty much live in two very different political realities.Report
Once again confirming my theory that liberals and conservatives exist in two different realities that somehow exist on the same planet.Report
Welcome, Michelle!
Diesel? Not so much.Report
From one cat lover to another, welcome to the FP.Report
Orange cats rock. We have an orange girl and used to have a big old lovey orange male.Report
Orange cats emphatically rock. I had an orange cat as a teenager and she will always be the (feline) love of my life.Report
Welcome aboard! If you’re ever interested, a Lasch symposium here would make my month!Report
I’d certainly be interested.Report
I would absolutely LOVE to read those posts, fwiw.Report
Welcome! It is most awesome to have you on board.Report
WelcomeReport
Hurray! (Cecilia, Tiger, and Angel are delighted as well.)Report
Actually, while at least one additional member of the household (me) is also delighted, the cats are quite ambivalent. You see, they think the job of humans is to feed them and pet them (and in Jaybird’s case, to sit on the couch, playing video games, as pictured in the gravatar above). The job of humans is most definitely NOT to shut themselves into the computer room, or fill up their lap with a laptop, while reading this “League” business. Thus, the addition of even the most pro-cat blogger to the rostrum is a matter of grave doubt, as far as the cats are concerned.
[I think this may be the most twee paragraph I have ever written. OH WELL. Welcome to the front page, Michelle! I’m looking forward to your posts.]Report
Welcome!
P.S. Is it me or is the cat to person ratio increasing?Report
I’m no help. I have two.Report
I tell you, its a conspiracy. They look at you all cute with big eyes and stuff and when your guard is down…Report
Kitties are emotional parasites.Report
You sound fabulous! Here and from you previous comments. I’m so excited for you. 🙂
I’m not a cat person, but Pugs are my *favorite*. I like the part about wine, yoga, and hiking. Yay Michelle!!!!Report
I’m pretty much my pug’s servant these days now that’s she’s getting up there and doesn’t get around nearly as well as she used to. She’s still a little sweetheart though who’ll happily suck up to anybody who thinks she’s cute.Report
Breaking my usual comment silence to note that Christopher Lasch is a great, fascinating academic. Someday I’d love to pick your brain about him and his Rochester colleague, Robert Westbrook.
A very hearty welcome! The site is better for having you aboard.Report
Anytime. I worked with both.Report
Ditto Connor– your Lasch connection is intriguing. Welcome!Report
Congrats, Michelle. I’ve enjoyed your comments, so it’s nice to see you elevated to the masthead.Report
Same here.
Also, if you find yourself desiring two more cats, just let me know and I will send mine to you, post haste.Report
Welcome. And thank you. Saabs, wine, liberalism and the Rest are
treasures mire aluable than opals.
– Theo.Report
PS
Almost as valuable as fingers less buttered than mine
when hastily tapping a message by ‘phone txt… ( smile)
I meant, of course, “treasures MORE VALUABLE than”…!
Then again, perhaps it’s my own mired Saab-driving, border
collie loving, Clare Valley shiraz-viognier swilling, basic
Liberal Judeo democracy passion that’s to blame…?
Looking forward,
– Theo.Report
Welcome to the Inner Circle Michelle.Report
Is there a special handshake?Report
Come to Chicago and we’ll show you!Report
Congrats, Michelle! Looking forward to some more insight from the XX wing.Report
Happy.
Nice to have another woman posting. And always nice to have someone with so much common sense have a soap box on which to stand. (And the more I read/react here, the nicer I think that soap box, too.)
Thanks for asking Michelle, Tom & Erik. I’m grateful.Report
I’m thrilled to have you on the front page, Michelle, and I am really, really looking forward to reading your work.
Diesel would not only have curled ears also but a bobbed tail, no? And about the size of Maine Coon? He must make quite an impression on people.Report
Diesel only has curled ears and he’s not all that big. Some of his siblings and both his parents are polydactyl but not him. He’s still quite impressive. He’s slim and muscular and looks (and slinks) like a mini wild cat. A very cool and friendly little guy.Report
Where on earth did you get him?Report
Craigslist. He was born in Levittown, PA.Report
I am consumed with envy.Report
Just gotta say Diesel is a little feline work of art. He’s tremenjus. Though I’ll probably own shelter cats for the rest of my life, at some point, I want to own a Pixie Bob.Report
I’ve seen Pixie Bobs at cat shows–they’re awesome. We’ve mostly adopted shelter and rescue kitties as well, but it was hard to resist those ears.Report
My girlfriend owns the loveliest dog I’ve ever known. Took her a while to get used to me: she’d never been much about men in general.
So one day, C and I were tooling down a back road with Cheyenne in the back of the Dogmobile. As she looked forward from the back seat, I leaned my head and put mine next to hers. She didn’t want to admit it, but it took her a second or two to pull her head away. Thereafter, she kinda accepted me and just a bit more. I call her the Dainty Dog.
Here’s a much-loved kitty, Purdy, another gift from my girlfriend, an elderly kitty from whom I coaxed perhaps a year more of life with my own cooking. Yeah, sad to admit, for quite a while, I was making cat food.Report
Mazel Tov on the birth of posting privileges!Report
Very awesome.
Fwiw, I’ve ever found affinity with folks who are both dog people and cat people. Admittedly, I’m much less excited about birds as pets but I’m usually willing to come to terms with my own shortcomings.Report
If there is a bird in your house, one of you has made a mistake.Report
We never planned to have a bird, but she never would have survived outside where we found her. Turns out she’s a pretty fascinating little creature. Our younger cats are a bit too fascinated by her and so have to be imprisoned in our bedroom when she’s out and about.Report
I once pet-sat a dog and a bird. The dog ate the birds. That wasn’t fun.Report
Ouch! Pet-sitting FAIL. That must have been an uncomfortable conversation when the owners returned.Report
Fortulately, she was very understanding. Unbeknownst to me, the bird had a habit of “dive-bombing” the dog in an attempt to play. Under my watch, alas, the dog won.
By way of coincidence, I let my dog out along earlier. I was busy with the baby, so I let her out by herself. Anyway, when she came back, she had feathers all across her mouth. I don’t know, I’m not asking, and she’s not telling.Report
Welcome!Report
Bienvenidos!Report
Welcome aboard Michelle!Report
Welcome.Report
Oh, hurrah! I am super-delighted by this.Report
Welcome…
Cats rock.Report
Welcome!Report
Awesome! Welcome!Report