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…3 min read·Aug 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…2 min read·Feb 14, 2021--1--1
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…3 min read·Jul 26, 2020--1--1
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…2 min read·Apr 6, 2017--1--1
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…3 min read·Dec 30, 2016--2--2
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…2 min read·Jul 9, 2016--5--5
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…1 min read·Dec 31, 2015--4--4
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…2 min read·Dec 27, 2015--4--4