Lauren McLaughlin

The November Atlantic has a fantastic article by Hanna Rosin about transgender kids, which I read hungrily in the hope that it would add to my understanding of the topic. Sadly, it confirmed many of my worst fears. There’s a heart-rending story about 8-year-old Brandon (pictured left) who, from the moment he could speak, […]

Here’s a cool thing. My publisher, Random House, is handing out 44,000 DVD novel samplers to movie-goers exiting the Twilight movie on November 21 in Seattle, Boston, New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Cycler is one of five books featured on the DVD. So if you have a hankering for sexy teen vampires this […]

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, I befriended a budding musician who was kind enough to donate his compositional skills to an experimental theater piece I was writing and choreographing. Sadly, the ancient VHS tape on which I had recorded this piece has disappeared. But I remember the music. It […]

This picture is from the LA Times. In it Bob Knoke of Mission Viejo, Amanda Stanfield of Monrovia, Jim Domen of Yorba Linda, and J.D. Gaddis also of Yorba Linda celebrate the passage of Proposition 8 in California, a measure which outlaws gay marriage.
Isn’t it fantastic?! Eighteen thousand California couples just had their marriages […]

My hopes for the next four years:
Genuine Unity
The ups and downs of the campaign season have drawn our attention away from the economic catastrophe still unfolding in the country and the world. No administration can wave a magic wand and return us to the days of easy credit and pyramid wealth. Times will be tough […]

When it comes to politics, I am rarely pleasantly surprised. While there has been plenty of fodder for cynicism in this election, there has also been cause for hope. Such as:
1. Conservative Feminists
Sarah Palin is a feminist. Despite her belated reluctance to “label” herself with an unpopular term, she has made a lot of noise […]