The clothes are different: pre-dog, I used to be very finicky and self-conscious about how I looked; now I schlep around in the worst clothing - big heavy boots, baggy old sweaters, a hooded down parka from L.L. Bean that makes me look like an astronaut. Caroline Knapp astronautbadbaggy share on social
Surely, it's one of terrorism's intended effects, to literally stun our morale, to blow up strength and will along with buildings, and the reaction is hard to counter. Caroline Knapp blowbuildingcounter Change image and share on social
Desires collide; the wish to eat bumping up against the wish to be thin, the desire to indulge conflicting with the injunction to restrain. Small wonder food makes a woman nervous. Caroline Knapp bumpcollideconflict Change image and share on social
On the broad spectrum of solitude, I lean toward the extreme end: I work alone, as well as live alone, so I can pass an entire day without uttering so much as a hello to another human being. Sometimes a day's conversation consists of only five words, uttered at the local Starbucks: 'Large coffee with milk, please.' Caroline Knapp broadcoffeeconsist share on social
These are big trade-offs for a simple piece of cake - add five hundred calories, subtract well-being, allure, and self-esteem - and the feelings behind them are anything but vain or shallow. Caroline Knapp addallurebig Change image and share on social
When you love somebody, or something, it's amazing how willing you are to overlook the flaws. Caroline Knapp amazeflawlove Change image and share on social
There is a particular whir of agitation about female hunger, a low-level thrumming of shoulds and shouldn'ts and can'ts and wants that can be so chronic and familiar it becomes a kind of feminine Muzak, easy to dismiss, or to tune out altogether, even if you're actively participating in it. Caroline Knapp activelyagitationaltogether share on social
Me, I walk along and feel quietly defensive, a recluse in the Land of We. That's quite the loaded word, 'we.' Caroline Knapp defensivefeelland Change image and share on social
Fall in love with a dog, and in many ways you enter a new orbit, a universe that features not just new colors but new rituals, new rules, a new way of experiencing attachment. Caroline Knapp attachmentcolordog Change image and share on social
A lot of people, quite frankly, think intense attachments to animals are weird and suspect, the domain of people who can't quite handle attachments to humans. Caroline Knapp animalattachmentdomain Change image and share on social