today is brought to you by the letter "M"

The divine Stephanie Burgis has given me the letter M with which to write about 10 of my favorite M things. I love me some M.

1) M is for Maggie: It is also for Marguerite, Magpie, Mags, Maggitha, and M'Greet, and Megan, all of which people have called me.

2) M is also for Mom: Being a mom is the best job evah. Seriously.

3) M is for macaroni and cheese: Oh, the joys of a good macaroni and cheese! It is a family favorite.

4) M is for M&M: When I was in grad school I worked a lot with my buddy Mario. People referred to us as the M&M's. Mario is still a good buddy, and I am still fond of peanut butter M&Ms.

5) M stands for Meg Murry: She's not just a fictional character--Meg is one of the most amazing people on the planet. Of course she exists! Silly readers, thinking Meg was just a figment of Ms. L'Engle's imagination... Seriously, from the time I was eleven I have adored Meg. I totally got her and related to her. When I was deciding whether or not to stay at home and have a family or to continue to be an anthrogeek I thought of Meg and her choices that she made. If Meg could stay home I could, too. (I kid you not.) She also married one of the hawtest fictional men EVAH. Er, wait. Yeah, Calvin is real too.

6) M also stands for Madeleine L'Engle: I couldn't believe it when she died last year. She couldn't die! She was invincible. And yet, there she was, gone. I was actually really sick and in the middle of her reading A Wrinkle in Time on CD when the news of her passing was released. It was a strange thing knowing she was dead and then going to my bed and my CD player and listening to her read... If there was one writer I could choose to learn from from it would be her. Her stories amaze me--they're full of love, healing, joy, truth, honesty, and they're smart, too. And her characters are brilliant. Smart, smart characters.

7) M means Mars: Let's talk Ray Bradbury for a minute and Mars. The Martian Chronicles was an incredibly influential book for me, particularly in terms of some of the insights expressed, in terms of some of the characters portrayed. Did I ever tell you I was going to be Spender? Oh, yes. Well, not literally, you know, but anyway. And the thought that ignorance is fatal? I totally believe it and that's all from The Martian Chronicles. This book is deeply related to anthropology for me and the effects of colonization. I totally love Mars.

8) M and Maggie Mead: Margaret Mead is the grandmother of American Anthropology. I have a soft spot in my heart for this woman. Though we can look back on her work and see its flaws we can also see passion and insight and experience, and she opened whole new worlds to Western culture. And anthrogeeks like me.

9) M is also for Malinowski: Bronislaw Malinowski was also an important anthropologist, and the grandfather of anthropology. He brought some really important insights and tools into the discipline, like participant observation, but he was also a dick. Participant observation is important--NOT being a dick with one's "informants" is even more important. Just saying. Actually, not being a dick is just a good rule in general.

10) And finally M is for Married: I am married to one of the most amazing, wonderful men on the planet. Seriously. He's sending me to Seattle, for crying out loud. How many men would selflessly do that?

If you'd like to have a letter to write about, post a note and I'll give you one, and then you can write your ten things :D.

Thanks Steph!