L’Americana
Playground stories
Recently, I gave my students an assignment to interview someone in their major field. I wanted to introduce a skill that would allow them to connect with potential mentors and [...]
New Year’s lessons
Some years ago, I wrote a line that has recently re-emerged in my mind: Maybe I should go back to Rome in the guise of a nun. I was bemused: [...]
Mother, scholar, feminist
When I finished my dissertation last summer, surreptitiously becoming a doctor of philosophy, I reposted the Facebook announcement sent out by my department. I had thought 15-20 people might have [...]
An ode to Anna
Handing me a pamphlet on grief, the woman asked if I had a name picked out for her. I stared down at the geometric patterns on my olive green hospital [...]
MASH and the game of life
During my recent, biannual house cleaning, I came across a blue-lined sheet of paper from my childhood, where my friend Laura and I had played a few rounds of the [...]
To Italy, with love
A friend of mine, a seasoned journalist in Rome, recently wrote about la dolce vita, and how travelers to Italy have various versions of it, all of which have strayed [...]
Papal stories
When I found out about Pope Francis’ death on Monday, April 21, I had just dropped my daughter off from school and was at one of my coffee spots, “Karma [...]
Anatomy of a dream
In mid-January, I became a doctoral candidate. Formally, this means that I passed the dissertation proposal, plus the qualifying exams on material that informs the dissertation. Informally, candidacy is an [...]
Shaping words
A couple of months ago, I found myself decluttering with a frenzy. I’ve written articles about the how-to of decluttering, and the mental health benefits, but there was nothing strategic [...]
Joy of learning
The third day into the influenza that I got on Christmas, I noticed a few tea mugs had accumulated in my kitchen sink. I really should do those, I thought. [...]
To smoke (or not)
Every time I go to the doctor and have to fill out my medical history, one question gives me pause: Have you ever been a smoker? I usually look around [...]
Inquiring minds want to know
I recently did something that I have wondered about—but also resisted—my entire life. I took an IQ test. I was finally going to answer the questions that I had long [...]
Author, Associate Editor
Kristine Crane
Kristine Crane, who writes the “L’Americana” column, lives and writes in North Central Florida. She was formerly a Fulbright scholar and journalist in Rome, where she helped found “The American.” She is originally from Iowa City.