Maldon Salt (Page 11)

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House love.

Dear 129, It’s only been four hours since I last woke up in your arms. Those strong, vaulted arms, magic of plaster and light. I’ll never forget the first time we met. When I took you by the marble stair and you took me by the heart, leading

Modern Love rejected.

Laura and me. Seattle, 2005. In July, I submitted the following essay to the New York Times Modern Love column. Sadly, it was rejected: Dear Callie Neylan, Thank you for sending your writing to Modern Love. Although we have decided not to use your essay, we are grateful for the

When you're in love with a beautiful house.

On Saturday, after almost five years on the East Coast, I left Baltimore. On the plane ride to Seattle, I penned a love letter on my iPad to my house on Lafayette Avenue, my home for almost four years. It’s a beautiful 19th-century rowhouse – tall, stately, well-crafted and elegant

On artisanal food and artisanal technology.

I don’t know what it is about the Pacific Northwest and food, but I’m really glad to be going back to it (I’m seriously considering writing a book about it someday, though – what do you think?). One of the things I’ve missed the most while living

How colonial social media gave us the Star-Spangled Banner.

An amazing rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner by seven-year old (!!) Rhema Marvanne. Equally amazing rendition by Jordan Shelton, winner of the Smithsonian’s National Anthem Singing Contest. Let’s be honest: before moving to the mid-Atlantic, my knowledge of early American history was hazy at best. History was my least

ARCADE: On living, learning, and design educating.

ARCADE Summer 2012 issue, designed and edited by Karen Cheng and Annabelle Gould. Photographed by me. ARCADE is one of my favorite design magazines. It is published quarterly, and the Summer 2012 issue features guest editors and designers Karen Cheng and Annabelle Gould, two of my design professors while I

On Wild Things, atheism, and crushes on humanity.

In my most recent AIGA webinar, which aired last week, I mentioned how design research is like having a crush on humanity. I’m honored to be in the company of the late, the wonderful Maurice Sendak, who had one, too. But, you know, there’s something I’m finding

The Sound of a Swim.

Dangling on the edge of the pool at Bolton Swim + Tennis in Baltimore, Maryland. Photo by Callie Neylan, Summer 2011. Summer is here. Well, almost. Technically, there are seven days of spring left. For me, summer has always meant swimming outdoors, something I’ve loved to do for as long

On sonic interaction design, the Velveteen Rabbit, and R2D2.

Wikipedia on sound + interaction design: Sonic interaction design is the study and exploitation of sound as one of the principal channels conveying information, meaning, and aesthetic/emotional qualities in interactive contexts[1][2]. Sonic interaction design is at the intersection of interaction design and sound and music computing. If interaction

Sugar Darling.

Bria. Photo by Callie Neylan, March 23, 2012. Sugar Darling, you are my sunshine. No, moonshine. Intoxicant, swooning. Down where the wild things grow and the slit comes to life with a flower of flesh and bones and innocence. Lost when he found you, lost when he stole you. Detested