Not long ago, I had an exchange with an attorney who corrected my use of the words tactics and strategy. I replied his distinction was without a difference and pointed out the English Oxford Dictionary (OED) recognized the words as synonyms. Lawyerly language, as my attorney fr
The Overton Window is the current term for moving the inert political middle to the right or the left. It refers to “the range of policies on any given issue that are, at the moment, popular enough for a politician to campaign on successfully.” (“A Theory of Everything,” by
Opening my electronic mail, recently, I found as comment from a reader: “Each time I read Gothic Spring, or any of your novels, really, I’m reminded again that you are a storyteller extraordinaire.” I’m not modest enough to bury the compliment. Writers cherish a few kind
Sitting down to coffee with a woman who runs a small non-profit organization, she began our conversation by thanking me for my recent contribution. Her remarks were gracious and allowed me to imagine I’d given significant assistance to her cause. Later, however, she let slip that
Over the years, collecting art has brought me much satisfaction. As I mentioned in a recent blog (1/6/2017), the pieces I have acquired feel like members of my family, and I am saddened to realize one day they will be sold off, piece by piece, or possibly end up in a landfill. My
J. K. Rowling’s criticism of Donald Trump is raising hackles on the internet. His loyal fans, once her loyal fans, are behaving like jilted lovers and threatening to burn their Harry Potter books in retaliation. Rowling says, “Go ahead. I’ve still got your money.” (Click) Pr
To admit these are confusing times is a statement of the obvious, like saying water is scarce in the desert. I’m confused when I read lawmakers in Mississippi are crafting legislation that will require schools, including those with primarily black attendance, to fly the Confederat
A reader sent me a thoughtful article about Donald Trump’s strategic plan while in office. (Click) Bit by bit, the article dismantles the president’s false assumptions and explains why they will fail. But the assumption that Trump has a plan is, in my opinion, false. I see him
In a blog entitled A Polemic (1/20/17), I wrote about an artist’s duty to comment upon events of the time. In a similar vein, the editors of Harper’s devoted their February edition to “A Resister’s Guide”: 11 writers stop to consider the impact of Donald Trump’s 2017 pre
One of my favorite movies is the 1986 film, 84 Charing Cross Road starring Anne Bancroft and Anthony Hopkins. The story is based on real events and is a simple one. Bancroft’s character is a writer who lives in New York as World War II looms on the horizon. Unable to find some r