One day when we were going down the lane for the mail, and were in fact not far from the box, my mother stopped and stood quite still.

NEWYORKER: Gravel

My mother stopped Pura with an upraised finger.

NEWYORKER: The Pura Principle

That is precisely why my mother's advice five years ago stopped me in my tracks.

WSJ: Emily Esfahani Smith: Find a Man Today, Graduate Tomorrow