My mother is hypercritical of my brother’s wife, to the point that she blames my sister-in-law for my brother’s “failings” (not getting a better job, not taking better care of his health, etc.). It has gotten worse now that there are grandchildren. My mother constantly criticizes how my sister-in-law is raising the kids, who are … Read more
Fifteen years ago, seeking reconnection and to fuel our flames in the bedroom, my husband and I ditched our three kids for a weekend-long couples’ retreat called “Better Communication, Better Sex,” at the Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa in Tucson, Ariz. There were separate workshops for women and men, a detailed anatomy review, exercises to … Read more
Toward the end of her 2022 summer solstice wedding to Daniel Byrne, Malia Carvalho and a friend put on light-up fairy wings and danced beneath the stars to express their connection to the spirit realm. Ms. Carvalho and Mr. Byrne’s 77 guests had already witnessed a “ceremony facilitator,” as they called her, legally marry them … Read more
In Topanga Canyon on Saturday morning, suspended midair from an electricity line, hung the smoldering top of a utility pole. The pole itself had burned away. Its remaining crosspieces resembled a crucifix on fire. By the time Bob Melet videotaped this eerie scene, firefighters had managed to halt the advance of flaring patches that elsewhere … Read more
As wildfires began to engulf parts of Los Angeles and its surrounding communities, many people online, including celebrities and politicians, were quick to criticize the city’s mayor, Karen Bass, accusing her of poor leadership and slow response times as she rushed back to the city from Ghana. That criticism came though it was still unclear … Read more
When “Her” debuted at the New York Film Festival over a decade ago, “swipe left” wasn’t yet a part of the cultural lexicon. Tinder was still in its infancy, a paltry 11 percent of Americans had tried online dating, and the idea of falling for an artificial intelligence companion would have been seen as weird, … Read more
When Larry Pennington started his TikTok account late last year, he did so hoping to show off his love of antique home décor and thrifted outfits. With a distinctive eye for hidden gems and a classically Southern personal style, Mr. Pennington, a 79-year-old former educator, has been honing his sartorial skills for decades. He thought … Read more
A few miles from the rubble left behind by the Eaton fire, a Los Angeles art studio grew densely packed over the weekend with the supplies a teenage girl might need to start over. Sports bras and graphic T-shirts dangled from hangers. Converse sneakers were arrayed by size on the concrete floor. Clear plastic bins … Read more
The Words I’d Been Waiting For The word “love” was not in his vocabulary. Hugs made him tense. He was critical of his children, but bragged about us to others. Near the end, I sat in his hospital room, working while he slept. I looked up to find him gazing at me, misty-eyed. “I really … Read more
Although the wildfires ripping through Los Angeles have not hit Brentwood — a wealthy enclave a few miles east of the Palisades that is home to A-list celebrities such as Tom Brady, Travis Scott, and LeBron James — the security checkpoint at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Kenter Avenue, on the eastern edge of … Read more