The energy that draws our rescue dog to my husband is the same gentleness and patience that surrounded our son when he was alive.

On the indelible nature of motherhood.

Ahead of readings with Chris Cooper, Leone talks nuns, Nonantum, and Larry David.

Marianne Leone's mother, who was born in Boston to Italian immigrants, returned to Italy with her parents as an infant. But in 1935, she used her American passport — and birthright citizenship — to…

Marianne Leone's mother, who was born in Boston to Italian immigrants, returned to Italy with her parents as an infant. But in 1935, she used her American passport — and birthright citizenship — to re...

Marianne Leone's mother, who was born in Boston to Italian immigrants, returned to Italy with her parents as an infant. But in 1935, she used her American passport — and birthright citizenship — to…

Marianne Leone's mother, who was born in Boston to Italian immigrants, returned to Italy with her parents as an infant. But in 1935, she used her American passport — and birthright citizenship — to re...

Today, March 25th, is World Cerebral Palsy Day. Hey Donald (I won’t dignify you with the title you have desecrated forever): I hear you’re looking for people who might not be Americans who have tat…

Today, March 25th, is World Cerebral Palsy Day. I sent this piece to the Boston Globe and dared them to print it (they won't). So here it is: Hey Donald (I won’t dignify you with the title you have desecrated forever): I hear you’re looking for people who might not be Americans who have tattoos so you can ship them away.

My husband and I lying in bed last night: Me: I feel battered by everything: February, the coup. The coup. February. We should get massages. Him: Yes! We have those gift cards from when we were in …

My husband and I lying in bed last night: Me: I feel battered by everything: February, the coup. The coup. February. We should get massages. Him: Yes! We have those gift cards from when we were in lockdown, still, right? Me (excited): Yes! I’ll book tomorrow. (after a moment). Shit! Him: What? Me: Tomorrow’s Valentine’s Day. It’ll be booked solid.

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund

A few years ago when we were under lockdown, I spoke via zoom to Courtney Ruffner's class at Florida State College, where Courtney is the Department Chair of the Language and Literature Department. Courtney assigned my memoir, MA SPEAKS UP to her class and one of her students, the very talented Lucy Hsiung, adapted a chapter from my memoir as a graphic novel in the style of Persepolis. See below:

Ma may have struggled with English, writes Marianne Leone, but she knew how to parse bullyboys, even in dialect.