by Marguerite Elisofon | Mar 13, 2015 | "Keep the Change, autism, birthdays, books, Columbia University, disabilities, empty nest, Felicity House, flowers, memoir, middle age, minorities, parents, publishing, twins, women, writing
Birthdays have been coming at breakneck speed these last few years. Time flies—not necessarily because I’m having fun—but because I realize there’s so much less time left for me in the future than the past. (See “Fast Forward Birthdays,” 3/8/13). Each...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Feb 6, 2015 | 1970s, artists, autism, careers, clutter, college grads, dens, doctors, empty nest, feminism, lawyers, Michelin's guide, pre-mature twins, public relations, publishing, spring cleaning, Vassar, women, writing
Despite our annual spring cleaning ritual— dutifully dragging out industrial-sized garbage bags of each year’s detritus— the Elisofon family nest has accumulated way too much, well, stuff. After over 20 years in the same apartment raising our twins, our nest...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Oct 18, 2013 | bedbugs, college graduates, debt ceiling, democracy, Democrats, entry level jobs, Georgetown University, government, magazines, Malala Yousafsai, Nobel Prize, Obama Care, Republicans, Taliban, unemployment, women
Sometimes (but not too often) I wake up with the idea that possibilities exist to resolve problems big and small in my family and the outside world. Today was one of those days. Dare I say that I felt hopeful? I’m not even sure what “hopeful” means anymore in...
by Marguerite Elisofon | Jun 7, 2013 | Abilify, autism, Body Mass Index, dieting, drug side effects, female self image, parenting, Risperdal, weight control, women
Do you know what your Body Mass Index is? My BMI is 20 and my daughter Sarah’s is 27. To most of us, these numbers have little—if any—meaning. However, for many physicians, the Body Mass Index is both bible and golden yardstick when it comes to determining...
Marguerite Elisofon is a New York City writer and the author of My Picture Perfect Family, a memoir about how her family navigated life with a child on the autistic spectrum before the internet and support groups existed. She also blogs about parenting young adults and disability related issues in The Never Empty Nest. Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications, including Time and NY Metro Parents magazine, and her family’s story has been featured by the NY Post, Fox News, The Daily Mail, and on Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Sexy Funny radio show. A Vassar graduate, Marguerite was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives with her husband, Howard, in their mostly-empty nest. She is available to speak about a wide variety of issues relating to twins, parenting, and autism. 