Last leaves
I don’t usually write about my dreams, but last night I had one that was so vivid I feel the need to do so. And no, it wasn’t about politics. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve either dreamed less or remembered … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Literature and writing
Early Frost and late
Here’s a very early poem by Robert Frost: “The Tuft of Flowers.” And by “very early” I mean very; Frost was probably about 22 when he wrote it (1896 or 1897). You can tell it’s early if you know anything … Continue reading →
On being a blogger these days: truth, Trump, and a whole lot of other things
I’m what you might call a mid-level blogger. I’ve been doing this for eleven years, and I’ve reached a certain level of readership that’s more than I ever thought it would be when I began but less than I later … Continue reading →
How many of these most lied-about books have you read?
Here’s the list of the 20 books that people most often think they should have read, say they have read, but often haven’t read. For me the grand total of books on that list actually read is eleven: (1) Both … Continue reading →
You will not regret watching this
…An aged man is but a paltry thing, A tattered coat upon a stick, unless Soul clap its hands and sing, and louder sing For every tatter in its mortal dress… O sages standing in God’s holy fire As in … Continue reading →
Everything she says is a lie, including “and” and “the”
That Hillary Clinton might lie is no surprise at all, even to her supporters, who shrug it off or rationalize it. And on the topic of lies and the lying liars who tell them, there was mention in the comments … Continue reading →
Trying times
It keeps hitting me that this coming election is the last one that matters. Actually, I felt that way last time. But this time the hour has gotten even later. But maybe it was always too late. When we play … Continue reading →
Canned goods
I love this Greg Brown song about visiting his grandmother and eating her canned food. The patter in the middle of the song is very funny; Brown could be a stand-up comic. But the song’s poetry, too, particularly these lines: … Continue reading →
After apple picking
I went apple-picking this weekend. It’s easy to do—just drive about 15 minutes, go to the pick-your-own orchard, buy one of their little bags, walk out on a lovely fall day to where the trees are, and begin. The trees … Continue reading →
“Improving” the King James Bible
[NOTE: This is a post that originally appeared in 2008. I came across it today while responding to a comment, and I thought it worth repeating.] As a child who loved poetry, I memorized it almost without intending to. Just … Continue reading →
More From F. L. Lucas: on style in writing
[NOTE: I wrote previously about Lucas here and here.] Here’s a quote from F. L. Lucas that remains all too true. In fact, I believe it’s only become more true since he wrote it. Although I’m not sure when that … Continue reading →
On being prolix
I like that word, “prolix.” I first learned it in high school, probably on some vocabulary list meant to prepare me for the SATs. Or maybe it was in studying The Scarlet Letter during my sophomore year. That book had … Continue reading →