It was such a privilege to stay in Miriam's lovely home. My room was huge and looked over a peaceful, leafy courtyard - a real retreat from the city, but so close to restaurants and numerous subway lines. I arrived after a stressful cab ride with not enough cash to pay the driver. She loaned me the money, and was so warm and kind I instantly relaxed. A very generous host, she laid out copies of the New Yorker for guests to read and urged us to share her food. It felt completely natural to sit down at her kitchen table at the end of each day and chat with her about what I'd seen. I feel very lucky to have stayed here.