More men's ubiquitous misogyny; not surprising but wears on me. The elders' particular animus against Ruth's intellectual development is very like Roman Catholic male hierarchy's control of women's religious practice, esp of their vowed communities. Ending not persuasive given the rest. You?

In 1969 I was invited to an undergraduate admittance interview in a NYC hotel room, presumably by a man given his first name. A clueless 17 year old girl, I was annoyed my parents insisted on going with me. (I was admitted but chose a less expensive school that offered a scholarship.)

table mates?

sympathy

Spent time in Sandbridge in the late 80s. College friends of my ex rented an ocean front house. Even then hight tide came up under the house's pilings. Dolphins came in so close we could almost lean over the deck railing to touch them. Wonder how much of that street is left three decades later.

Likely unrelated and I periodically think of the Russian invaders digging around in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in 2022.

Wasn't on my bingo card.

You are sure your puppy is not a cat?

same