Writing is a way for me to get out of my head and into parks, tennis courts, baseball fields, book stores, record stores, goat farms and taquerias. I am happy when I am learning and happiest when l learn by playing. That’s why my writing typically involves astonishingly long bike and bus rides in search of people to play with me.

Recently I have turned a nifty pivot from retired public high school English teacher to big-city journalist. This started with my quest to play every public tennis court in LA. Read more in the Los Angeles Times, The Sun, and in my book, The Gift is to the Giver.