I was ten when I encountered my first public penis. The early 80s found an innovative use for nylon: “running shorts,” a sportswear essential with cutting-edge fabric technology. The early 80s also found me, sitting with my classmates in a half-circle on our 5th-grade classroom floor with my teacher—a marathoner in training—proudly sporting a pair. […]

Read more "A 300-Word Postcard from Lara Jenson’s Childhood"

Twenty-two years ago when my fiancé and I wrote our wedding vows, we agreed to incorporate particular words and phrases. Of course, “love” and “respect” were there, but I felt it important to include “extraordinary life.” That word, “extraordinary,” is something of an oxymoron, in that, the meaning is understood as “exceptional” and/or “special,” not […]

Read more "The Perilous Comforts of Being Average"