“Acquaint yourself with your own ignorance.”—Isaac Watts Excerpt from Book Three of the Emily Alden Trilogy— “Speaking of adventure,” she said, a lilt in her voice spilling excitement, “aren’t you just back from the Middle East, John, or was it Turkey? Wherever you were, I imagine you have some rich tales to tell of… Continue Reading
“Things have never been more like the way they are today in history.” —Dwight D. Eisenhower It’s been almost a decade since I decided to satisfy my curiosity about Emily Alden and Corey de Koningh. Emily was lost and alone, suffering from an overwhelming fever in a huge bed in a strange house not her… Continue Reading
“The smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention.” – Oscar Wilde We hear and read so much about loneliness today after two years in the pandemic’s ghetto laughingly called a bubble. But the more I read about the medical community’s description of the physical toll loneliness takes, the less I understand why… Continue Reading
“Nice and easy does it every time”— Sixto Rodriguez How do you write about a social gathering of any kind in a novel? It could be a meeting at work, a party with friends or even a traditional family get-together. It’s extremely hard, whether your character comes into a room or space after everyone else,… Continue Reading
“Keep your Confederate money even if it’s made of tin”—The Confederates (a popular 1950’s barbershop quartet) Some of you may have recently read an opinion piece in the NY Times written, surprisingly, by actor Tom Hanks. It expressed his outrage and concern over the omission of The Tulsa Massacre from the curriculum he’d been offered… Continue Reading
“Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” –James Baldwin There are many books out now about the subject of family—against the background of the pandemic; or in other centuries; perhaps within different cultures; or at different times of one’s life. Clearly this is a structure… Continue Reading