WHAT’S YOURS IS MINE AND WHAT’S MINE IS MINE Is “Fahrenheit 451” about to become a greater reality than we imagine? Ray Bradbury’s story about a government’s attempt to destroy books may be a greater possibility than we think, according to a recent article in the F
THE MATILDA EFFECT The other day, I came across the name of a woman in the suffragist movement whom I did not know, Matilda Josyln Gage. She was more radical than her cohorts, Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, because she refused to narrow her concerns to only those of wome
A TREE GROWS WHERE IT’S NEEDED Traces of spring are easy to see as I walk through my garden. Green shoots are everywhere though the temperature is cold enough to oblige me to wear a jacket and mittens. The view from my front window is glorious, too. There, the sight of parked cars i
THERE’S A PLACE FOR US, SOMEWHERE A PLACE FOR US One of my young Facebook friends who resides in India wrote on his page that he was retiring from writing for a while. He said he needed time to think about life. As he is in his early 20’s and I am in my mid 70’s, I didn’t imag
SONG OF MYSELF A few days ago I had lunch with an old friend. She is devoted to her grandchildren, who are now “tweens,” and there was no hiding the pride in her voice as she boasted about their recent accomplishments. Sometimes I get bored with so much talk of grandchildren, bu
Mark will be posting my blog entries for a few days while I go off-line for computer repairs. I will be unable to respond to comments for a short time and will miss the comments and conversations, but you can keep up with the blog posts. Back to you soon. My silence begins Friday afte
THE MAGIC OF THE NARCISSISTIC PLATFORM Sometimes reading can be dangerous to your health. I have a habit of turning on the computer first thing in the morning to read the news and then follow up with my Facebook page. The news is seldom good but I look forward to a little cheer from m
ART AND LIFE – DISTORTIONS THAT CLARIFY In my February 6, 2012 blog post, I made a reference to Philip Larkin, saying how much I admired the poet’s work. At the time, I knew nothing about his biography, not until the February issue of “Harper’s” arrived in the mail.
A MODERN VERSION OF THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE I’m celebrating today. A friend who has been shopping her first novel around for a couple of years has finally been given a contract. The publisher is a small, Independent company but the terms look decent. I’m sure she’s going to si
STRAWBERRY AND VANILLA ICE CREAM – a very courageous act. Yesterday, I found myself walking through the Barnes and Noble bookstore and as I had a little time on my hands, I talked to a young man who was promoting the $99 Nook. He was patient as he took me through some of its featu