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 →
Category Archives: Arts
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 →
Leaving the light on
Now that we’ve turned the clocks back—boy, it’s getting dark earlier. And it will be getting dark even earlier before it starts reversing itself. That’s one of the things I dislike about this time of year, and here up north … Continue reading →
Jacques Brel: lost in translation
One evening a while back, I began looking at old videos of Jacques Brel. The last thing I imagined was that the question of politics would rear its ugly head. What an arresting guy! I became curious (as I often … Continue reading →
Burning House
This song was playing on my clock radio the other day to wake me up. I’d never heard it before, but it certainly brought me to attention–haunting voice and lyric:
Continue reading →Fall interlude
In the past couple of days I’ve taken some time to drive around New England photographing the fall. I had thought this would be a less colorful fall than usual because of the dry weather we’ve had. But when it … 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 →
The very extraordinary Anthony Dowell
Anthony Dowell was a British dancer of rare qualities. I write “was” because, although he’s still alive, he’s in his seventies. But those who saw him in his heyday—and that includes me—remember. Dowell wasn’t known for bravura technique, although his … 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 →
Emmys’ fashion
I watch so little TV that I’ve never heard of 99% of the stars at the 2015 Emmys. But of course I have to take a look at the women’s dresses. As Tolstoi said, all happy families are alike, but … Continue reading →