New Writers for New Global Family
Emma Goldman-Sherman
Emma is mostly a mom who homeschools, hovers too much, and cooks every meal from scratch, but she has also been an activist, a playwright, a union organzier, teacher and storyteller. She is about to become an adoptive mother to a three year old boy from the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo). Her liberal, white, Jewish, Northeastern family is about to become transracial. She was a originally a reluctant parent, and she's still unsure that she is any good at it. She came to motherhood, and now adoption, through her husband’s urging, and because the idea of changing the world appeals to her endlessly.
My father’s first name is Theodore, which is my Grandfather’s first name. My father goes by Mel (or, formally, Melvin), which is his middle name.
My grandfather did not have a middle name. He was a musician. He played saxophone and clarinet, and never said anything to me about wishing that he’d had the middle name. Ever.
We – my wife and I – decide to go with an Indian meditation master’s suggestion for our son’s name. We could not agree on any other name and I did not want to continue on with the whole “borrow-the-previous-generation’s-middle-name” thing any more.
My son’s first name is Sundar, which is a Sanskrit name/word meaning noble, handsome and beautiful. His middle name is Miller, which is my wife’s maiden name.
Before we knew we were having a boy, my wife and I were convinced that we were going to have a girl. We used all our psychic energy to come up with a name for both boys and girls and, miraculously, came up with the name Melia on opposite ends of Manhattan on the same day. “Melia” we thought, “that’s a girl’s name. It must be a girl.” However, the sonogram revealed a boy. Definitively.
President Obama’s older daughter’s name is Melia.
My son pulled the lever and voted for Obama at age 4.
I was obsessed with the music of Bela Bartok as a child.
I was raised by my father - a fantastic single, gay, African-American, piano player - in central Connecticut.
My wife is Caucasian/born Jewish, I’m a mixed-breed fellow (with Indian, Danish, etcetera).
And so forth… and so on…
Greg Thomas
My 1st name is Melvin, which is my father’s middle name. I go by Greg, my middle name.My father’s first name is Theodore, which is my Grandfather’s first name. My father goes by Mel (or, formally, Melvin), which is his middle name.
My grandfather did not have a middle name. He was a musician. He played saxophone and clarinet, and never said anything to me about wishing that he’d had the middle name. Ever.
We – my wife and I – decide to go with an Indian meditation master’s suggestion for our son’s name. We could not agree on any other name and I did not want to continue on with the whole “borrow-the-previous-generation’s-middle-name” thing any more.
My son’s first name is Sundar, which is a Sanskrit name/word meaning noble, handsome and beautiful. His middle name is Miller, which is my wife’s maiden name.
Before we knew we were having a boy, my wife and I were convinced that we were going to have a girl. We used all our psychic energy to come up with a name for both boys and girls and, miraculously, came up with the name Melia on opposite ends of Manhattan on the same day. “Melia” we thought, “that’s a girl’s name. It must be a girl.” However, the sonogram revealed a boy. Definitively.
President Obama’s older daughter’s name is Melia.
My son pulled the lever and voted for Obama at age 4.
I was obsessed with the music of Bela Bartok as a child.
I was raised by my father - a fantastic single, gay, African-American, piano player - in central Connecticut.
My wife is Caucasian/born Jewish, I’m a mixed-breed fellow (with Indian, Danish, etcetera).
And so forth… and so on…