blaring
The cafe is cozy, dimly lit, with a decor of dark wood and cream. What kills the atmosphere is a large, loud TV mounted on the wall, the people on it yammering away.
blunting
The splinter doesn't hurt so much, because it has lodged in a callus.
directs
The wind stirs the pages of her speech, as if reminding her to look away from the words and at the audience.
encouraging
Hearing good feedback on a draft of my novel sweetens a week of painful, worrisome symptoms.
hydration
A teenager takes a swig from a large bottle. "Water is the best f*cking drink," she says. "It's my best friend."
panels
One man gives a lecture on confronting viewpoints radically different than your own. Another holds a discussion group that reminds me of sitting around in a dorm room at 1 a.m. pondering the meaning of life.
topics
We haven't seen each other in a while, so over pizza we have a short, intense conversation that we try to pack with all kinds of important things – family, politics, cultural differences, the tendency of pigeons to crap on roofs and balconies.
