Raised in both Phoenix and Los Angeles, Laurel has now settled in the Washington, D.C., area with her husband and two children (five if you count dogs and cats.) She was a journalist for 25 years, working for the San Francisco Examiner, The Washington Post and National Public Radio. She has just launched her freelance writing career, although her work has already been published for years in print and online. She got her master's degree in Victorian Literature from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, which is probably why she has difficulty writing short pieces. She enjoys working for mom.me, because it gives her a chance to write about what she loves: family, parenthood and the relationships we have, both joyful and painful, with those whose paths intersect our own.
What was your favorite childhood toy?
The red and blue Tupperware Shape-Sorter Ball was not my favorite toy, but it was probably the one that had the most impact on me. I just could not figure it out. I remember sitting on the floor wailing, because the star would not fit into the triangle or the pentagon wouldn't fit into the circle. I remember pulling the little yellow handles with all my might to open the ball, shoving the shapes inside, slamming it shut and calling it a day. I still avoid shape-sorters at all costs and have spent hundreds of dollars on therapy.
