by Sidney S. Stark ‘She doesn’t have any character,’ ‘Lord, what a character!’ or ‘It was really out of character’, all describe different traits within the parameters of personality, temperament and moral fiber. So clearly character can mean many different things to different people in various settings. But what does it mean to an author… Continue Reading
Spring in our Hearts
by Sidney S. Stark Whanne that April with his shoures sote (Sweet Rain) The droughte (dryness) of March hath perced (pierced) to the rote (root)… Canterbury Tales. Prologue. Line 1. The prologue to Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (above) is familiar to most of us who remember it from our struggles in eighth grade English class.… Continue Reading
Play it by Ear
by Sidney S. Stark The phrase ‘play it by ear’ has many nuances of meaning in both its literal and figurative iterations. The one we’re all most familiar with refers to the musical ability to perform a piece without notation. The furthest extreme of that version is probably represented by the prodigious skill of the… Continue Reading
Alpine Delusions
As I hark my mind back along my illustrious snowboarding career, one forgotten trauma after another bobs to the surface, just as a sea wrecked vessel might disgorge a series of bedraggled sailors – one by one they lurch out of the surf and collapse, gasping for air and clinging to the gritty sand. Savvy… Continue Reading
Get Out of My Way!
by Sidney S. Stark “Please tell me when it will be done so I can manage expectations.” My colleague delivered this request via email but her query vibrated with inherent tension and the tone was clear. “The best way to do that is not to have any expectations.” I answered honestly although looking back on… Continue Reading
The Heart at the Center
“Nana, Nana,” I cried as I reached the top of the stairs,“ will you make my hair into a biscuit?” On that hot June morning, at five years old, I had been outside playing in my grandmother’s large backyard. Bordered by a privet hedge, her yard was my world as I explored the bursting rosebuds… Continue Reading