PAULA WHYMAN
curiouswriter

In which we wonder about writing, food, music,
& random curious events.

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One of my kids took this in Wyoming. We did not see any other elk that day.

I'm a writer living in the Washington, DC, area. My work has appeared recently in the anthology, Writes of Passage: Coming of Age Stories and Memoirs from The Hudson Review, and on NPR's "All Things Considered."

For more about me, see the Bio page.

We like the shoes.

follow paulawhyman at http://twitter.com

"Mom takes a long time putting on her powders."

CURIOSITIES: THE BLOG

Bring Back Fungus 53

November 24, 2008

Tags: music

Are you as disappointed as I have been by the absence of Fungus 53 on XM Radio? Do you miss Flogging Molly, Pennywise, and Social Distortion? Now there's a petition to sign, as well as a Facebook page for you! (more…)

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Cool New Site for Scifi/Fantasy

November 20, 2008

Tags: Books/Authors

I want to give a shout out to a new site started by a group of authors primarily of science fiction/fantasy. It's a co-op, where writers post their work, some offered free and some for sale. Ursula K. LeGuin is a founding member. Thank you to author/member Nancy Jane Moore for alerting me. (more…)

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Out of the Desert and into the Post-Post-Feminist Era

November 19, 2008

Tags: 2008 Campaign, Hillary Clinton

I've been floating a theory that one reason Barack Obama could be elected president while Jesse Jackson could not is that Obama was not part of the Civil Rights movement, the movement that clearly helped make these historic events possible. Obama has emerged, post-Civil Rights, the way having been cleared for him by a previous generation, (more…)

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Tony Orlando Takes France

November 14, 2008

Tags: Random curiosities

It has come to my attention that Tony Orlando has a huge fan base in France. It's looking like he could even be the next Jerry Lewis. I'm wondering if he's aware.

Tony?

Do you feel the love?

Sentez-vous l'amour?

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Don't Even Think About It.

November 7, 2008

Tags: Random curiosities

I feel like I should preface this by saying that I think guns are bad. I think war is bad. I think fighting is bad, especially when it's over the number of rubber bands in one's possession (see earlier post on this topic in honor of Mother's Day). Like my parents before me, (more…)

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Democracy Works, Finally

November 5, 2008

Tags: 2008 Campaign, Random curiosities

And now is when I get sappy, a condition I previously exhibited only during dog food commercials.

I'm grateful today to be able to tell my kids that sometimes democracy actually works.

I'm grateful to be around to participate in this historic moment and, I hope, the ones to follow.

I'm grateful that I don't have to move to Canada. (No joke, I would've considered it. I hear you can see Alaska from there.) (more…)

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REMEMBER TO VOTE TODAY!!

November 4, 2008

Tags: 2008 Campaign

In case it was humanly possible for anyone to forget...

But only if you're voting for the right team, otherwise please stay home.

This has been a public service announcement. (more…)

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Selected Works

Fiction

"DRIVER'S EDUCATION"

Sexual and racial tensions in a classroom threaten to explode as a young teen faces choices that will haunt her in adulthood. ORDER HERE

"THE MIDDLE WAY"

A young girl in Thailand is sold into prostitution by her mother.

“STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS”

A woman is haunted by events from the past that threaten to disturb her domestic life.

"SAND PEOPLE"

A man battles neighbors to build his dream house, while his son resists the pull of the family heritage.

"MINOR OFFENSES"

A bored housewife has a sexual encounter with a utility worker, with disastrous results.

"THE ROSE GARDEN"

A psychologist confuses fantasy and reality as she travels alone for the first time after her divorce.

Humor

"CHECK, PLEASE: WHEN THE MENU IS A MINEFIELD"
Dining out with dietary issues, and Twizzlers. From the Washington Post.

“Potty Talk”
A homeowner finds something Very Special about her toilet. From the Washington Post Magazine.

“Contributor Notes” (parody)

“Reality Shows Currently in Production”