Obitogy for Steve / Dad Tsetsi

Steve Tsetsi was not born a dad, though it felt like he could have been. Instead, he was born a regular baby. .   The first of five kids, he was a big brother to (in order of life appearance) Christine (Chris), Larry, Linda, and Mark. “He was the coolest big brother ever,” Chris says. … Read more

Interview with WWII veteran Ted Cummings about his influences, his decision to join the Marines, and his role in the war

The following interview with Theodore R. Cummings was conducted in November 2013. Mr. Cummings, a friendly, energetic, and overall lovely interview subject, died two years later in September 2015. Since retiring from his position as chairman of the Manchester, Conn. Democratic Committee in 2007, a position he’d held for 47 years, lifelong Manchester resident Ted … Read more

Farewell, foul word

A pre-mortem eulogy . Banned from dictionaries ‘til as late as ’69, Its birth forever shrouded in the myst’ry gauze of time— It is perhaps Germanic, or bequeathed by Scotts, or Swedes— The Word of Words, our giant, drags forth, bleeding, on its knees.   Outlawed in print in England, once, and, too, in our … Read more

Other people

When you feel the strange tug in the left side of your chest, you’ll think of that disease you recently read about, Powassan, and the tiny deer tick you pulled off your thigh in bed last week. Deer ticks–all ticks, really–are on the rise after the warm winter, which means the risk of contracting Powassan … Read more

Medical marijuana: use it or lose it

Originally published in the Journal Inquirer Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 By Kristen J. Tsetsi A few years ago, someone very close to me was in the ICU in an induced coma so he could heal after having his insides pulled from his body, cleansed of lethal toxins and bacteria, and returned to the cavity following … Read more

Recently posted 5On interviews

If you’re not yet following 5On, you can keep track of newly published interviews by subscribing to my feed (bright red button over there –>) or Jane Friedman’s blog feed. Or both, because then you’ll receive more than interview updates, and “more” is almost always better. Recent interviews: Victoria Zackheim  Nothing is more humbling than … Read more

kristen j. tsetsi