Anna Quinlan
The Sacrilege of Bedtime Prayers
As a general rule, I don’t pray out loud. It’s not that I have anything against communal prayer; it’s just that I can never seem to do it honestly. I’m always thinking about who’s...
Santa Barbara Two Ways
Eat, stay and play like a local or a tourist. There’s no wrong way to enjoy this cozy and refined beach town.I lived in Santa Barbara for 10 years and will forever think of...
What Makes Me Love Him
A mother’s love for her adopted son has nothing to do with DNA.The second thing out of my mouth after I gave birth to my oldest son was to declare that he looked like...
A Long Walk on the Beach
When photographer Spencer Backman set out to walk the coast of California from the Oregon to Mexico border in July 2017, he had three objectives: Gain a sense of perspective made possible only by...
Happy Trails
Nothing brings a body more in tune with nature than a good tromp in the woods, across a hillside or up a mountain—especially near a lake or river or with a view of the...
Retail Therapy
When Susan O’Brien’s husband asked her if she planned to return to a full-time schedule in her psychology practice when the youngest of their three children entered school, the prospect didn’t excite her. She’d...
Powered by Women
These women are coming on strong. They range from politician and community activist to marketing professional, business owner and even a judge. All have the skills and motivation to perform high-level jobs, and in...
Making Meditation Work
Want to know the best way to suck at meditation? Volunteer to write an essay about it. I suppose there are more efficient ways to suck at it, like not trying at all, but...
Breathing Lessons
It’s what marks our arrival into this world and the last thing we do before we leave it. In the meantime, during all the days and months and years that stretch out between our...
The Three Rs of an Endless Summer
Remember summer vacation? Not the summer break we know today—the two or so months your kids are out of school and you cobble together camps and family trips and projects around the house until...
