Not that hard to find out if the cases mentioned are true. Quick google search on "Angela Carder", "utah woman stillborn murder", and "florida woman vbac cesarean sheriff" all turn up original articles and various commentary links.

Not only that, but Susan Fauldi even mentioned the Angela Carder case in her book Backlash . Also, there were articles about it in The Washington Post and NY Times. I remember being a kid and reading about it and even then, I could not believe that this happened in America.

It could not have been easy to have written this wonderful, well-written essay. However, I am glad you wrote it if only as a cautionary tale for the parents out there who are convinced that their children are 'cured' of their autisim because their children make great improvements and in cases like Andrew between the ages of 12-17, even thrive.

It's seldom you hear stories about regression or cases where a child previously thought 'cured' turns out not to be after all. Thank you again for sharing your story.

It's People magazine we're talking about-not the NY Times. Personally, People and it's ilk are my guilty pleasures esp. in these times. It's nice to escape and read about celebrity gossip from time-to-time. Sorry Ms. Williams, but you're looking for a scandal where there is none to be found/

So Levi Johnston moved in with the Palins and even shared a room with Bristol and yet it never occured to Momma and Papa Palin that these teens might be having sex?

I never thought any member of that the family was the brightest bulb in the bunch, but this really takes the cake. Seriously, what did Sarah Palin think her daughter was doing alone at night with bf?

In all honesty, I wish Sarah Palin, her family and everyone else associated with them would disappear into the woodwork. Their 15 mins should have been up a long time ago like after the election.

Why does anyone care about any of these people? Can't they all just go away until lil' Tripp is old enough to be a guest on Jerry Springer?

This lady certainly appears to hold a grudge if she made it a point to re-print various negative letters from salon readers about her and her writing.

It makes me wonder why she ever decided to be a writer much less the lawyer which she was prior to having kids if she cannot take criticism. Seriously.

Wonder if my letter will be included in a future tome for daring to say that I find she and hubby Michael Chabon to be highly-overrated.

What an absurd, smug, hoiler-than-thou thing to say.

Parenting is a CHOICE. Some people simply cannot or do not want to be parents. It's nobody's business but theirs, and no one has a right to judge them or assume their lives are somehow lacking because they don't have children.

As redhatter pointed out, having children is not an automatic that you will not die alone. I personally know an 80 year old retiree who lives in an upscale retirement community in town. Nearly all the residents there have kids and the majority of them spend most of the time alone. Indeed, the lady I know has seen her adult kids once in 5 years and that was for their father's funeral.

As I finished reading this article wishing I never had to ever read anything about or by Ayelet Waldman again.......on any topic. . .

That makes two of us. I truly do not get the appeal of this woman. Frankly, she reminds me of the K-Fed of the literary world in that the only reason she has a career is as a writer is via her husband's fame and frankly, I never got the fuss over him.

Seriously, is this woman capable of writing anything without mentioning him? I remember an article she wrote for salon about J.T. Leroy, and she still brought him up.

I am one of those posters who disagreed with Godmonkey's assinine comments. I am a parent. Does that make me a "kid-hater"?

Waldman writes mainly about her personal life and those of her kid's. Of course the attacks are going to be "personal" if they are in response to what she has written.

I don't deny she is a "complex person" as most people are. However, as Soft Dog points out, the fact that this grown woman who is a professional writer by choice and a lawyer by training chose to include "mean" letters written by salon readers speaks volumes about her as a writer.

I don't think she is the devil. Rather, I think she is a so-so writer who rides her overrated hubby's coattails. If the criticism irritates her so much then maybe she ought to find a new profession.

I'd have to spend more time with you to determine whether your a "kid-hater".

No thanks.

BTW, you completely missed the point as to why so many found Godmonkey's post so offensive and inaccurate.

I saw this and felt geniune empathy for Elizabeth Edwards. It was painful to watch that bit when she was asked point-blank if she wondered if John Edwards was the father of Hunter's child and she could not even bring herself to call the baby "she" but "it".

Still, I wonder what was the point of opening this can of worms again. John Edwards's political career is DOA at the present, the Edwards have two very young children, and Elizaeth has terminal cancer. It's not the way I would chose to deal with this but with that said, I find it so hard to be harsh on someone who is obviously in a lot of pain.