Sunny and seventies in the Blue Ridge Mountains these two weeks. We explored a range of trails, peaks, and falls in the Shenandoah National Park and beyond. Hawksbill Peak looking east across the Piedmont We ascended to Hawksbill Peak, SNP's highest point (4051); took in Jones Run and Doyles River Falls in a 5.3 mile … Continue reading Tke a Hke
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Re-Blogging: Notes from the Slush Pile: Endings — Al Kratz
This is where it all ends. This is the opening lyric to the Cult’s 1989 album Sonic Temple. I remember it like it was yesterday. Standing in my dorm room, unwrapping it to the excitement of getting to hear something new, the first few guitar riffs unrolling to Ian Astbury announcing as much as singing […] … Continue reading Re-Blogging: Notes from the Slush Pile: Endings — Al Kratz
Abused
We interrupt this abuse of the First Amendment to bring you this abuse of the Second. #MourningInAmerica ##
The Story Belongs to All
In search of distraction from my low mood, and the month of foul headlines that created it, I turn to the library of familiar books recently arrived to the shelves of our Mumbai flat. Narratives on writing by V.S. Naipaul catch my eye. The author's self-indulgence aside, he shares my way of thinking when it comes to … Continue reading The Story Belongs to All
Imagination–Reblogged from Valor and Compassion
Writing insights worth re-posting: Silence, too, is a tool in the wordsmith’s toolbox–perhaps the most potent of all in an art wrought by and from words. The caesura, a moment of silence in music and a metrical pause in poetry, allows readers (and musicians, and writers) to catch their breath. This pause also allows emotion … Continue reading Imagination–Reblogged from Valor and Compassion
The Impact of Public Diplomacy
Reflecting on U.S. Diplomacy. An excerpt: The next-to-last time I saw Mohamed---11:15 a.m., December 6, 2004---a blast-resistant window separated us. The day’s final applicant, he was alone in the waiting room when the high-low alarm started wailing. An Afghan male taking refuge in Saudi Arabia from the time of the Soviet invasion of his country, … Continue reading The Impact of Public Diplomacy
Finite Jests
There’s nothing pithy in the title ‘Before We Break for Lunch, Let Me Repeat Everything Already Said at This Meeting At Least Twice.’ And that's exactly the point. By sticking its finger in the eye of brevity, this piece at the tail end of Flash Nonfiction Funny captures everything that’s beautiful and funny and sad … Continue reading Finite Jests
Books Not Presently Up at Amazon
OtheRs We Must Arm & Why---ESSAYS ON FEAR-MONGERING FROM THE NRA The Attorney for the Attorney Representing the Client’s Attorney---A Legal Thriller Balzac’s Listicle of SCOTUS Decisions on Penal Reform Nantucket: Beyond the Limericks Dirty Rhymes, Inappropriate Puns, & Other Reasons Dad Shouldn't Drink So Much Dr. Pepper Treats Sgt. Pepper’s Chest Wound: a tender … Continue reading Books Not Presently Up at Amazon
How about some free days? — Entertaining Stories
MLB Opening day tomorrow. In that spirit, and in keeping with my recent series about baseball, sports, and writing, I'm taking this rare measure of re-blogging the announcement of fellow blogger C.S. Boyack. Hope you'll take him up on his offer of a copy of the Enhanced League on Kindle. https://www.youtube.com/embed/i94ldGNNSQ0?version=3&rel=1&fs=1&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent Once upon a time, … Continue reading How about some free days? — Entertaining Stories
Those Funny Russian Trolls
Call them what you will---trolls, comment monkeys, sock-puppets---no-one should doubt that the hundreds of employees of the 'Internet Research Agency' had a sense of humor. From the Mueller indictment: On or about May 29, 2016, Defendants and their co-conspirators, through an ORGANIZATION-controlled social media account, arranged for a real U.S. person to stand in front of … Continue reading Those Funny Russian Trolls
Ben East Books 