Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Contributor

BSR Contributor Since October 2, 2012

Roz Warren is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. You can follow her on Twitter at @WriterRozWarren. Her latest book is Just Another Day At Your Local Public Library: An Insider's Tales Of Library Life, available at Amazon.

Roz Warren is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia. Her work appears in the New York Times and The Funny Times, as well as in Good Housekeeping, The Christian Science Monitor, Huffington Post, Vegetarian Times, Seventeen Magazine, and on www.womensvoicesforchange.org. Her latest book is Just Another Day At Your Local Public Library: An Insider's Tales Of Library Life, available at Amazon. You can visit her website, and connect on Facebook and Twitter.

By this Author

39 results
Page 1
Six feet apart…in the station, that is. (Photo by Roz Warren.)

Does an Amtrak trip between Philly and New York feel Covid-safe?

The almost post-pandemic rails

Roz Warren was vaccinated and ready to take her first jaunt to New York City in over a year. Does she recommend Amtrak?
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 6 minute read
For the past year, some of our most high-stress encounters have been at the grocery store. (Photo by Alaina Johns.)

Good afternoon, shoppers: The pandemic is no excuse to be rude

Gimme some space (please)

We’re all navigating a weird and troubled pandemic world. Roz Warren says we don’t have to be rude on top of everything else.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 3 minute read
Is a thump-and-swish wake-up what everybody wants? (Image via PxHere.)

Stuck between a good neighbor and a noisy neighbor at seven in the morning

I only have ears for you

Especially when many of us are spending extra time at home, what does being a good neighbor really mean? Roz Warren listens in.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 5 minute read
A popular title. (Image courtesy of the author.)

What happens when bringing up the truth just gets you blocked?

Trashed on Twitter for something I didn’t do

Twenty-one years ago, Roz Warren edited a book called ‘Eat, Drink and Remarry.’ Seven years ago, another author published a novel by the same title. So why did she accuse Roz of theft?
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 4 minute read
What did it mean when library patrons saw the yellow van? (Photo by dave_7 via Wikimedia Commons.)

The man in the yellow van

Who belongs at the library?

Patrons at a suburban library complained to the staff about who was allowed in the door. Librarian Roz Warren always had the same answer.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 5 minute read
Can you cut the cake and still get your money back? (Photo by Ali Eminov, via Flickr.)

Are you displacing your rage in the age of COVID?

The great crooked cake crisis

For some, pandemic life brings out extra kindness and patience. But as Roz Warren tells it, others are looking for a target for their anger.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 4 minute read
It’s not what she expected, but Roz is raising a mug to retirement. (Image courtesy of the author.)

I lost my library job because I refused to work with the public in the pandemic

Grab your books and go

After decades behind the circulation desk, Roz Warren didn’t feel safe going back to work in the pandemic.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 4 minute read
How long will the library be closed? Until it's safe to go back. (Photo by Roz Warren.)

I’m one of those people who’s making more money now that I’m unemployed

You got a problem with that?

Roz Warren is grateful for her CARES Act-boosted unemployment check since she was furloughed from her job at her local library. But there’s something else she wants even more.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 3 minute read
Roz Warren is ready to follow the rules—and make sure you do, too. (Photo courtesy of the author.)

An open letter to unmasked runners and bikers who won’t stay six feet away

Behold the Distance Noodle

When you push by Roz Warren without a mask on during your workout, she's tempted to trip you. But she's decided on something a little safer.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 3 minute read
Eerily empty: SFO Terminal B at 8pm on April 4. (Photo by Roz Warren.)

What was it like to fly to California and back during the coronapocalypse?

Braving essential travel

The CDC guideline was clear: no nonessential air travel. But Roz Warren didn't have a choice when she got the call from California.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 5 minute read
How about not? (Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash.)

Thank you for not hugging me— now or ever

No contact before it was cool

Everybody loves a hug! It's good for you! No so fast. Some folks, like Roz Warren, have been dodging hugs since long before it was the health directive du jour.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 3 minute read
Dreams of riding the train—for free. (Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for Broad Street Review.)

The life-changing magic of enjoying a free ride

Yippee! I'm old

Roz Warren just turned 65, and she’s thrilled. Here’s one reason why.
Roz Warren Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Roz Warrenand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Essays 2 minute read
How much is this going to cost? (Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for BSR.)

I took a Lyft from Brooklyn to Philadelphia

No trains, no problem?

When the show is over, it’s midnight in Brooklyn, and your train home isn’t coming for four hours, what do you do? Roz Warren considers.
Roz Warren Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Roz Warrenand Illustration by Hannah Kaplan

Essays 4 minute read
The dreaded library shusher strikes. (Illustration by Hannah Kaplan for BSR.)

Shouting it forward

Bringing in the outside voice

Are libraries sanctuaries of silence or community hubs? A hearing-challenged patron unintentionally raises the question. Roz Warren considers.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Essays 4 minute read
Phil Ochs, circa 1976. (Photo via Creative Commons/Wikimedia)

Remembering Phil Ochs's 'Gunfight at Carnegie Hall'

Worst. Concert. Ever.

When Roz Warren was 16, she attended Phil Ochs's notorious 'Gunfight at Carnegie Hall' performance. This is how it went down.
Roz Warren

Roz Warren

Articles 4 minute read