The Book You Should Read This Year
Claremont, CA. They call it the “Superman Syndrome.” People who use methamphetamine often believe that they are capable of doing impossible things. Like flying....
Against Pessimism
Alexandria, VA My last post has led some to conclude that I am a pessimist. Even Ross Douthat, among the most perceptive commentators...
Home by Marilynne Robinson
Kearneysville, WV. One thing I enjoy about the Christmas break is the chance to sit back and read a novel. For some months I...
Still.
Wichita, KS
I write a Christmas post every year. I'm actually quite fond of this year's entry, with its reflections on ghosts and spirits and...
Their Time Up at State College
East Lansing, MI. Back home in the steady snows of Michigan, I came across an old poem of mine, the other day, that seems...
Halloween Reading
"I love Old October so,
I can't bear to see her go---"
---James Whitcomb Riley
Via The American Conservative: http://www.amconmag.com/article/2009/dec/01/00050/ Subscribe, won't you?
And your favorites.....?
John Gardner’s October Night
"I think a writer who leaves his roots leaves any hope of writing importantly"---John Gardner
Those so favored by the Good Lord as to be...
Basque in It
BURNED-OVER DISTRICT, NY. I have never really given a damn about my own mongrel ethnicity—I care about place, not race—and besides, there are many...
The Booth Tarkington Appreciation Society
Hillsdale, MI. I propose the creation of TBTAS, “The Booth Tarkington Appreciation Society.” If we take the liberties some have with the Tetragrammaton (Y*H*W*H)...
Dirt, Dollars, and Devices
Holland, MI. I confess: I hate farms. I hate everything about them. I hate the malodorous smells that take days to wash off. I...