Tamara MC

When I was 21, I discovered Chautauqua Institution during a summer stay in a family cottage belonging to my sister’s boyfriend’s mother. My sister and I lived as residents in the charming summer home in upstate New York, part of the tradition where properties pass through families.
We were in that beautiful in-between period of life—having left our family home but before marriages and children, when the world felt full of possibility and uncertainty. While the prestigious lectures and perform...

Bubbe wrapped me in a towel, baked in the Arizona sun, draping herself in the same green-ratted robe she’d worn since my first memory. Worried I’d catch a cold, she jogged us home from the pool, sprinting upstairs to draw me a warm bath. “Get in, Mara, rolling her r’s, her accent dripping in Yiddish. Soaking in the healing water, I anticipated the cut-up Red Delicious she always had waiting for me. Bubbe checked on me every few minutes, anxious I’d vanish like the rest of Holocaust. our famil...

I cherished watching I Love Lucy with my Bubbe, lying side by side on her shag carpet as matzoh ball soup lingered in the air. Those evenings with Lucy’s polka dots and my grandmother’s love have stayed with me always. And why I wanted to experience “I love Lucy” at the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel in Lucy’s hometown.
From the moment you step into the Chautauqua Harbor Hotel on the shores of Celoron, NY, you’re in for a lakeside escape filled with laughter, nostalgia, and stunning views. Visit ico...

Are you the kind of traveler who needs frequent rest stops? Then read one woman's story of how she copes (and gets her buddies on the road to understand the situation).
As I boarded my flight to El Paso, anticipating a group tour to Big Bend National Park, I couldn’t help but worry about the long van rides ahead. Big Bend, one of the least visited and most remote national parks in the United States, promised stunning vistas and unique experiences. However, for someone like me with a small bla...

Sharing is caring!
In the heart of Southeast Texas, Beaumont surprises visitors with its rich culinary landscape. Located about 90 miles east of Houston and just 30 miles from the Louisiana border, this city offers a unique blend of small-town hospitality and big-city flavors. Known for its oil industry heritage, Beaumont has evolved into a destination that tantalizes taste buds with an array of dining options reflecting its diverse cultural influences.
As you explore Beaumont’s culinary scen...

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.
Subscribe
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,...