The Ambivalent Memoirist: Obsessions Digressions Epiphanies

In The Ambivalent Memoirist Sandra asks, "Where is my place?" Born and raised in Brooklyn, she remained there as an adult, in spite of numerous impulses to leave: "In 2002 I went to my first writers' conference in Cape Cod. The conference grounds in Hyannis were bleached and spectacular. There was  a beach on one side, a bay on the other. Mornings, I walked along a floral-scented path to the dining hall, past pastel homes with boats docked out back. Swans floated by, regal and breathtaking. I wondered, Where have I been my whole life?"

In her book, which is one part memoir, one part journal, Sandra searches for her home through teaching, writing, yoga, and looking at her family history.