The Tattoo I Wasn’t Supposed to Read
Hot yoga, a stranger’s tattoo in a place she could never see, and a quote that landed exactly when I needed it. On Godwinks, the ripple effect, and the quiet…
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The Day Before Tomorrow
A 90-something neighbor named Sunny, a Christmas Eve elevator ride, and a perfectly timed reminder to stay present.
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The Stage Before the Stage
Thirty years producing concerts in New York City, and a 16-year-old about to take the stage at Lincoln Center just stopped me in my tracks. On the magic of the…
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Sober-Minded Living: What I’ve Learned Since Alcohol Left the Building
I stopped drinking in the Fall of 2024. This is not a recovery post. It’s about what actually showed up once the noise cleared and what I wish someone had…
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Overcoming Life’s SNAGS: A Journey Through Obstacles
On the stubborn, immovable, take-up-the-whole-road kind of obstacle. Iris Derke on SNAGS, what they teach us, and how to navigate around them without losing your mind.
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Navigating Life Lessons on a NYC Subway
A stranger named Brendan on a Brooklyn subway platform said exactly the right thing at exactly the right moment. On NYC connections, Mercury in retrograde, and the people who show…
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Crushed Velvet: Lenny’s Suit
It was 1997. Sotheby’s was auctioning Leonard Bernstein’s estate, and Iris Derke found herself alone in a private room with his crushed velvet suit. On genius, memory, and what we…
Read MoreThe NYC Lockout Adventure: Grace, Humor & Feline
Locked out of her own NYC apartment after a long day, with a cat watching from the other side of the door. A story about grace, humor, and the particular…
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Embracing Contradictions: Yoga and City Life
Finding stillness in a very hot room in a very loud city. On yoga, contradiction, and the particular peace of sweating in a small studio under a New York City…
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Iris DERKE 