Sometimes money is not what it’s cracked up to be. I have met some of the poorest rich people and some of the richest poor people. The key seems to be to have an external focus. Self-absorption does not a lovely person make. An example of a poverty-stricken rich man was someone I had the…

Last night, my student, Fong, brought his family all the way from Rosemead to thank me for helping him with his medical school essays.  He said that his parents insisted they make the trek so they could express their gratitude to me for my assistance.  Fong will be entering the first year class of Herbert…

In 6th grade, my teacher Mrs. Miller pulled me aside in the hall just before lunch. She peered down at me and said, “What are your parents doing about your skin?” I felt my cheeks grow warm and I knew I was blushing. “I just started going to a dermatologist.” My teacher was referring to…

Michael and I have been friends since he was in 7th grade when he arrived to work with me as a writing student.  Since then, he’s graduated from Beverly Hills High School and NYU Tisch School of the Arts and is now back in LA as a young screenwriter and filmmaker.  He is also my…

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I will be heading out to Sarah and Gregorio’s house in Pasadena to gather up my grandkids, Luna and Nico, and head to Ojai with my daughter Rachael.  (Ray is dropping me in Pasadena before heading up to Ojai with the dogs.) We are going up for the weekend and…

Today I received my “Teacher” Key from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for having four students who won awards in the Western region for their personal essays.  I have two students who won Gold Keys, the top award, and two who received Honorable Mentions, which is the equivalent of a bronze medal.  In a…

Here’s what we’ve been doing this evening: Photo credit goes to Richard Passmore. Let Lent begin!

I am just finishing editing a parenting book written by a psychologist I’ve known for a good long while now here in LA.  We met when I was coordinating the parenting workshops for the Beverly Hills School District.  He was one of our top speakers.  This book is entitled, Five Secrets of Parenting by Dr. Mark…

We watched the Oscars tonight.  Lots of fun.  The lightest I’ve felt in a while.  Jimmy Kimmel was genuinely funny.  I loved seeing people truly moved when they won.  I didn’t love Casey Affleck’s speech, but I thought he was amazing in Manchester by the Sea.  A very tough movie with him playing an incredibly…

It is only 9:20 on a Saturday night, but my eyelids are already thick and I keep falling asleep.  This probably has everything to do with getting up at 5:30 this morning to be at the Breakfast Club to cook by 6, followed by two hours of editing before I spent four hours on the…