Ben East Books

Grid of posts 2×3

  • Thoreau’s First New Yorker Cartoon

    The wordless cartoons of Nurit Karlin. The sketched illustrations of R.O. Blechman. Turns out these staples from The New Yorker have an antecedent in Henry David Thoreau. Had The New Yorker been around, how might Thoreau have captioned this sketch from Journal XVII, kept February 1854 to September 1854? Certainly not as follows: At the steam-mill sand-bank was… Read more

  • Thoreau, Hold the Joe

    Noble and wise, Henry David Thoreau also could be irascible, judgy, and temperamental. In Walden, we learn why: a conspicuous absence of coffee. Take his list of supplies: Rice….. $ 1.73½ Molasses….. 1.73     Cheapest form of the saccharine. Rye meal….. 1.04¾ Indian meal….. 0.99¾     Cheaper than rye. Pork….. 0.22 Flour….. 0.88  Costs more than Indian meal, both money… Read more

  • Toast

    All is quiet. Both sons, sound asleep. Dad enters and taps the top bunk. Top: Why are you waking me? Dad: Shhh. You’ll wake your brother. Bottom: Zzzzz…. Top: Why are you waking me? It’s Saturday. Bottom: Zzzzz…. Dad: You have land training. Top: Uhhhhhhh… Dad: [brightly] I’m making eggs and toast. Bottom Bunk: Toast?! Read more

  • Swagger Stick

    Not long ago, selecting deodorant came with a sense of… not humiliation, exactly. Not quite shame. Mild embarrassment? Here, in the grocery store, under fluorescent lights and warbling muzak, I admitted to an indefatigable human failing: my stinky pits. No more. Thanks to Old Spice, all dressed up for modern times, I need not hide… Read more

  • The Webnovel

    Distraction, or possibility? After a few weeks mulling and several hours research, I’d say it’s the former over the latter. But I’m open to hearing about the experience of others. I’ve already published my thoughts about Wattpad — Library, Roller Rink, or Click Farm? — and despite a few sensible comments by experienced authors who view… Read more

  • Wasn’t Born to Follow

    A man went looking for America, and couldn’t find it anywhere… A film about intolerance and fear of “the other” as much as anything, Easy Rider today is as timely as ever. RIP Peter Fonda. Read more