occasional posts by risa aratyr
Risa Aratyr I always considered myself a reader. I didn’t always think of myself as a writer. I liked to write, sure. I thought everyone did. Guess I wasn’t paying attention. It came as a strange revelation when I learned — in my late 30s, when I was writing/editing fer-reals — that not only were many not … Read more Tools of the Trade, part I
If the ms. is well-written, shouldn’t matter whether it was penned by Paul or Paula, right? But, of course, it does. We all know women do not get equal pay for equal work. We know unconscious gender bias is a real thing. We know that no matter their experience and qualifications, women over the age of … Read more What’s in a Name?
Why, I just shake the buildings out of my sleeves. [Frank Lloyd Wright] By early December it was clear we weren’t going to make our original, oh-so optimistic move-in target of Midwinter. For about a week we entertained the notion the house might be ready for us by early January. By early January, we’d revised our … Read more BE-COMING HOME: doors, floors and mores
It’s much easier for me to make major life, multi-million dollar decisions, than it is to decide on a carpet for my front porch. That’s the truth. [Oprah Winfrey] Midwinter-tide was all about picking the interior colors. Not an easy task, omg. With 200 decisions to make per square foot (so they tell me), I … Read more BE-COMING HOME: a real paint job
Commercials capture your attention, that’s all. [Calvin Klein] December was atypically, excessively, unrelievedly dry. Bad news in the grand scheme of things, but the lack of rain did allow exterior house-work to progress nicely. The lower deck took shape. Redwood rails appeared on the upper posts. Martín started laying the ipê decking, and here’s Roy … Read more BE-COMING HOME: on with the show