Joan HaskinsQueen For A DayShe called it “the idiot box” but my mother never missed the show, “Queen For a Day,” while she ironed the laundry. She ironed without ever…Aug 13, 2021Aug 13, 2021
Joan HaskinsHeart SpackleWhen my daughter was little, she chose Disney princess valentines from the neighborhood CVS for all her classmates. She signed each one…Feb 14, 20211Feb 14, 20211
Joan HaskinsDivorcing LessonsMy mother stood at the kitchen counter in her yellow apron when she told me the news. She sprinkled salt and rosemary on the lamb chops as…Jul 26, 20201Jul 26, 20201
Joan HaskinsGood Friday On The ‘L’The ‘L’ is moving along towards downtown Chicago on this Good Friday. It is not yet too crowded, only a couple of people are standing. I am…Apr 6, 20171Apr 6, 20171
Joan HaskinsOde to The ManhattanWhen I was a child, the nights my mother and I went to the Manhattan* restaurant for dinner were special. It meant a break from cooking for…Dec 30, 20162Dec 30, 20162
Joan HaskinsBlack Man DrivingMy husband of twenty-seven years is a police officer. He’s a decent man, a kind man, the kind of police officer you’d want if you were in…Jul 9, 20165Jul 9, 20165
Joan HaskinsDecember 31stLast day of the year. The day I am unbearably sentimental, unabashedly hopeful, and slightly superstitious. The day I buy black-eyed peas…Dec 31, 20154Dec 31, 20154
Joan HaskinsDay After ChristmasI’m riding on the #30 bus going up Wisconsin Avenue, when we stop and she gets on. She is homeless. Her skin is a mixture of dirt and a…Dec 27, 20154Dec 27, 20154