Swagger & Ink

My Demented Weekend
Amanda Barusch Amanda Barusch

My Demented Weekend

My stepmother had been sending messages for the past year. Dad was "belligerent.”

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Envy is Ignorance
Amanda Barusch Amanda Barusch

Envy is Ignorance

The waiter's tattoo said, “envy is ignorance.” I replied, “No, it’s a deadly sin.”

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What Makes us Happy?
Amanda Barusch Amanda Barusch

What Makes us Happy?

The cover of the June ’09 Atlantic Month features a radiantly happy young man and the promise of lessons on happiness from “an amazing 72-year study.”

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Desert Rain
Amanda Barusch Amanda Barusch

Desert Rain

Wandering in the hills behind our house I was startled when a drop of rain landed beneath my eye.

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Michelle's Frown
Amanda Barusch Amanda Barusch

Michelle's Frown

The frown that nobody seems to have photographed made an indelible mark on my memory.

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A Holiday Rant
Amanda Barusch Amanda Barusch

A Holiday Rant

Before you realize what you’re doing she realizes you are staring at her. What do you say?

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Politics and Halloween
Amanda Barusch Amanda Barusch

Politics and Halloween

Ten year old Elizabeth Roess scored a victory for Halloween this year when she brought trick-or-treating back to Oil City, Pennsylvania.

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Mizpah
Amanda Barusch Amanda Barusch

Mizpah

I like purple, but that wasn't the reason I bought it.

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Finding Wyoming
Amanda Barusch Amanda Barusch

Finding Wyoming

Hiking out from the lakes, you can save a mile or so by taking the short cut where the sheep carcass used to be.

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More Death and Funerals
Amanda Barusch Amanda Barusch

More Death and Funerals

It gets closer to home this week, when Bronwyn's husband passed away at age 48 from a kind of leukemia.

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Breathe Deeply, Read Widely.
— Amanda Barusch