Tamara MC

Last Updated on October 29, 2024
Pumpkins have always been my favorite part of fall. Though I grew up in Arizona, these cheerful orange harbingers of autumn helped inspire my own fall traditions. My love for pumpkins runs so deep that I once owned a Prius in bright pumpkin orange. So, when I visited Southern Tier Brewing Company near Chautauqua Lake in western New York this early September, it was my love of all things pumpkin—not beer—that drew me in.
Although I’m not a beer drinker—in fact,...

Last Updated on October 24, 2024
Nestled on the western shore of Owasco Lake in Auburn, NY, part of the picturesque Finger Lakes region, Springside Inn stands as a testament to the area’s history and natural beauty. Under the stewardship of innkeepers Sean and Beth Lattimore, along with their children Sydney and Sean Jr., this charming retreat offers visitors a unique blend of historical significance and modern hospitality.
My journey to Springside Inn began at Syracuse Hancock International ...

One week in 2016 when I was 44, I decided why not get an MFA. Even though I already had an MA in English as a Second Language and a PhD in Applied Linguistics and was full-time faculty, I applied to Columbia University’s creative writing program, and let the gods decide. If I got in, I was meant to go. If I didn’t, I wasn’t meant to get the illustrious blusterous degree. I had one option—study writing in New York City, the heart and soul of the literary world, or not study writing at all. It ...

In the heart of southeast Texas, where alligators roam freely through swamps and waterways, Albert, an eleven-foot-long, 750-pound alligator, has found a new home at Gator Country Adventure Park, in Beaumont. His journey from an indoor pool in Hamburg, New York, to the largest alligator sanctuary in southeast Texas has sparked discussions about exotic pet ownership and wildlife conservation.
Founded in 2005 by Gary Saurage, with Arlie Hammonds joining later as a copartner, Gator Country is a ...

DOI: 10.14197/atr.201224239
Abstract
This short paper argues that to address the exploitation of survivors’ labour in anti-trafficking work, it is essential to allocate funds towards compensating survivors for their contributions. This funding should prioritise paying survivors for sharing their expertise and lived experiences, which are invaluable for effective anti-trafficking efforts. Establishing a standard pay rate, commensurate with other expert consultants, would validate survivors’ ro...

A Q&A WITH TIA LEVINGS
Tia Levings’ memoir, A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape From Christian Patriarchy (St. Martin’s Press, August 2024), recounts her escape from the fundamentalist Quiverfull movement, a group that encourages large families and strict adherence to patriarchal roles, viewing children as “arrows” in a “quiver” for God’s purposes. This interview traces Levings’ writing journey from early online forums to viral social media content, exploring how digital platforms shaped her voice...

Courtesy Of Tamara MC
In 2010, after a 17-year marriage, my husband asked for a divorce, saying he couldn’t be married anymore.
We had two sons, 14 and 16, not quite two years apart, whom I had nursed over four years straight. My once-perky breasts weren’t the same after. Whose are? They weren’t terrible, just more deflated, like a helium balloon the day after a birthday party.
I used to joke with my husband that I was planning to have breast surgery when I finished nursing. We had laughed hy...

In the rain, eat pistachios
The girl with the red dress, hands me a lily
Secrets of the house—of the blouse—of the bruise
I begin eating them and them and them: flax seeds
We cannot live in mud of melancholy
Like a sticky hot bun, this is all sticky
Atlanta weather’s also sticky
Green ice cream, big chunks of green pistachios
I’m feeling low and Molly Melancholy
The trumpet blew and it unfolded the lily
Mix them in shakes & shake ‘em-shake ‘em flax seeds
Why the fuck do I have to deal with th...

This is a guest essay by Tamara MC. Pinch of Dirt is a free newsletter, but it’s thanks to paid subscribers that I was able to commission a handful of writers to share their unique and inspiring nature and outdoor adventure stories this year.
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I’m a desert baby, born and bred under the sunny southwest sky. For the past half-decade, I’ve ridden my bike nearly every day, on the roads in and around Southern Arizona.
I’m not beating a time, prepping for a race, or raising my heart rate t...

This is One Thing, a column with tips on how to live.
I didn’t drink caffeine for the first 30ish years of my life. I began when I started writing my dissertation for my Ph.D., and started frequenting local coffee shops, where I’d do my work. I’d have two lattes in succession—sometimes with four shots of espresso each. The boost helped my work. Words flew; I felt brilliant. But then I’d crash. I also started getting anxious from the very high amounts of caffeine.
One day, after I’d graduated,...

Galveston is packed with history, heartbreak, and a lot of good food and fun. From beaches to shopping on The Strand to visiting a pyramid, you’re also bound to fall in love with the 32-mile sandbar that has weathered many storms. What you may not know is that the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history—the 1900 Storm, occurred in Galveston, in which more than 6,000 people lost their lives on this fateful September day. Before the storm, Galveston was the second richest city per capita in ...

The author after surgery in 2011.
Courtesy Of Tamara MC
In 2010, after a 17-year marriage, my husband asked for a divorce, saying he couldn’t be married anymore.
We had two sons, 14 and 16, not quite two years apart, whom I had nursed over four years straight. My once-perky breasts weren’t the same after. Whose are? They weren’t terrible, just more deflated, like a helium balloon the day after a birthday party.
I used to joke with my husband that I was planning to have breast surgery when I f...

I am opportunistic. I have eight legs, a grasping claw, and a segmented tail. My back curves. I come out at night to hunt. I bury in the undersides of rocks and in sand. I don’t peek my head forth until I see an enemy approaching. I hide in cor- ners on bare Saltillo tile floors.

My dear waters, I leave you today,
for a desert
that isn’t chocolate-filled or creamy.

July 7, 2013. It will be my birthday, on this day, soon. It was my birthday: 2012, 2011, 2010, and so on. I am in Boulder, Colorado. There was a two- day extreme heat warning in Phoenix, Arizona & it was very, very hot & I was very, very happy to be deplaned.