Email Author Michelle Mathews

2011 Stories by Michelle Mathews

• Seed-Banking on Disaster

  published November 24, 2011

  Whether your vision of the bleak future includes zombies, radiation, epidemic disease or aliens, it’s best to be thoroughly prepared for the... More >>

• Park It Here

  published November 3, 2011

  Clicking through vacation photos on Facebook is a poor substitute for actually being there. A photo of a Hawaiian beach makes me feel less like... More >>

• Dust to Día

  published October 20, 2011

  As the early-’90s poets Boyz II Men so helpfully remind, it’s hard to say goodbye to yesterday. But like most things, it’s... More >>

• Life for a Soggy Spook

  published October 13, 2011

  Much of art is about the intangible: anger, hate, joy, hope, ideas, myths, fantasies, the love of a person or thing and fear of the future. So... More >>

• The Ballad of the Bovine

  published September 22, 2011

  With apologies to Joyce Kilmer: I think that I shall never bow/To writing a poem about a cow. While the world collapses in on itself due to the... More >>

• Bugged Out

  published September 15, 2011

  Just thought you should know: If you put on lipstick or blush today, you may have reddened yourself with pulverized insects. The dye carmine (also... More >>

• Come Out of Your Cocoon

  published September 1, 2011

  While we're busy watching reruns on cable, a whole other world of butterfly survivalism is going on in our backyards. Take, for instance, certain... More >>

• There's Still Time To Discover

  published July 21, 2011

  Though we deal with time every day in the form of deadlines, appointments and alarm clocks, the passage of time can be difficult to visualize.... More >>

• Sit Down, Watch the Boat Rock

  published June 23, 2011

  Everybody loves a bad boy, especially one who dazzles you by flying you to Havana and getting you drunk on tropical cocktails. And especially,... More >>

• O'Hurley Razzle Dazzles at Bass

  published June 16, 2011

  Funny how what we abhor in real life- corruption, murder, injustice, and a heaping serving of perjury- makes for compelling entertainment. Though,... More >>

• More Than a Dozen Laughs

  published May 26, 2011

  The passion of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth's life was motion study: determining whether a process- from shaving to assembling a rifle- could be... More >>

• Who Needs J-Lo?

  published May 12, 2011

  If you’re a sweatpants kind of audience member, network TV’s got you covered with American Idol and The Voice. But if you... More >>

• Rock and Roar with Mom

  published May 5, 2011

  Dallas Roars is about to soar away, but on Mother's Day, there's one last chance to catch the festivities. Party down with Mom at the Dance... More >>

• Sit Inside the Eye

  published April 14, 2011

  Most sane people quiver, cower and take cover in the face of extreme weather. We evacuate in the face of hurricanes, seek sturdy shelter upon news... More >>

• It's Art All Over

  published April 7, 2011

  Stepping onto (that's right, onto) one of Jim Lambie's installations seems like entering a room where an optical illusion and a box of... More >>

• Made Up

  published March 31, 2011

  The cosmetics counter can be a source of excitement or a source of dread. Miles of candy colors and expensive packaging beckon women with promises... More >>

• Battle Botany

  published March 24, 2011

  Flip on any documentary channel--or, heck, step outside your front door--to see that the relationship of humanity to the rest of the natural world... More >>

• On the Vietna-menu

  published March 24, 2011

  For nearly 70 years, the country we know as Vietnam was under French rule as part of French Indochina. So it makes sense that Vietnamese food is... More >>

• Garden Party

  published March 10, 2011

  Open your pantry or refrigerator. Pick up a fruit or vegetable, a jar of honey, or a block of cheese. Without looking at the label, quick, where... More >>

• Baby-Makin' Blues

  published February 24, 2011

  Planning for parenthood takes a lot of prep work. There are, of course, frequent visits to the obstetrician or midwife, frequent bathroom breaks... More >>

• Hornblower

  published February 17, 2011

  Everybody needs a mentor from time to time. Someone who can step in and say, "I've already walked this path. Let me show you how." Even fictional... More >>

• Abba-solutely

  published February 3, 2011

  While there's undoubtedly value to downtrodden "sad bastard music," there will likewise always be a need for bubbly, danceable tunes. And the... More >>

• Mind Games

  published January 27, 2011

  Performers like Banachek really challenge the notion of "I'll believe it when I see it." Because when what you're seeing is a man bending... More >>

• She's Crafty

  published January 20, 2011

  Ceramics can be both an art and a craft. When a potter sits down with a lump of clay, he or she can form it into an abstract, powerful sculpture... More >>

• Happy New Year, Japan

  published January 13, 2011

  By now, you've recovered from any New Year's Eve indiscretions and are ready for another holiday celebration. Unfortunately, the holiday calendar... More >>