The Echoing Green
It’s midsummer 2018 and my daughter Anne and I are having a Talk, sotto voce, in the back of a taxi on a Tuesday night. It is a talk...
The Scoop on Christmas
A few days before England’s two-pronged poker of autumnal atmosphere, Halloween and Bonfire night, we celebrated my husband’s 43rd...
This Old House
Our place was built in 1823. It’s a tall, narrow row house, about the size of the average suburban American home, inconveniently spread...
Comfort Me with Pop Tarts
At her school’s annual fete, Anne and I are trying to guess the number of marshmallows in a jar. I don’t particularly want Anne to win...
The Myth of the Great British Summer
Out in my small North London garden, flowers are blooming. Dew is fresh on the Japanese maple under a canopy of green from the lime tree....
Fifteen Minutes with Martin Parr
There are many things I love about my friend Anya. One of her best qualities is that she regards art as an emergency and a necessity. I...
That's Not English--Now Available on Audio
My book, That's Not English, is now available as an audio edition, read by Marguerite Gavin. Check it out here (if based in the UK) or...
My First Passport
On the way to my son’s play group, in Coram’s Fields near Russell Square, we get a history lesson. The park was the original site of the...
In the Bleak Midwinter
All Souls Langham Place was packed with parents and bristling with anticipation. Settling in to watch my daughter, Anne, perform with her...
American Dreamers
The Sunday Times asked me to write about what it's like for an American to make a home in the UK. Following last week's election, many...