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Cake Talk
Of all the artists — musicians, painters, actors & stand-up comedians, even poets — I put my own kind at the very bottom. Novelists ask too much of their audience. These others thrive on immediacy, accessibility, and entertainment. Musicians bang it out live in short bursts or cast long, sweeping arcs; the audience has only to… Read more
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Speaking of Statues
Atop the U.S. Capitol Dome stands a 19 ½-foot, 15,000-lb bronze woman in a classical Roman chiton. Workers hoisted her up there in five pieces, completing her installation in December 1863. Not a good year for national unity. She’s unusual for her era. “Armed Freedom,” as she’s known, bears a sword and wears a helmet at… Read more
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Stand Up Comedy
In an effort to prove why writing is easy and speaking is hard, I decided to do live stand-up at the library in Oakton, VA. Drop by to find out why I write instead of preach, and what’s behind that title—Two Pumps for the Body Man. Register here. Read more
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Monuments, Torches, & Ketchup
Regardless of where you stand on the removal of monuments to Confederate slavery and racism, one thing is clear: the decades-long struggle of non-smokers everywhere goes entirely forgotten, with nary a statue.* In the 1970s the restaurants my family frequented offered non-smokers three tables at best. We might wait half an hour just to get… Read more
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Diplomatic Casualties
The morning of December 6, 2004, five heavily armed terrorists stormed the U.S. Consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I remember loud pops from the AK-47s and the muffled thud of improvised explosive devices; I remember hours hunkered under a desk and a scramble for protection when the Marine called “Gas!; I remember crouching through our… Read more
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Writers & Musicians
I could post the latest literary event on video, or this. Musicians make better company than writers. Books can wait until tomorrow. Read more
Ben East Books 