What do you say and to whom do you say it in the midst of such an avalanche of awfulness out of Washington. D.C., as the Trump-Musk Infantile Axis of Evil runs ever wilder. Some thoughts about what you and I might do if we ask ourselves two key questions ...
Read More Lawrence Ferlinghetti forever spoke truth to power run amok, as did his poetry, while also capturing the ineffable core of what it means to be a human being fully alive in a universe that is by turns confounding and breathtaking. This 1995 interview I did with him remains as pertinent as ever in America's maddening Trump-Musk Era.
Read More I should be writing about the dire state of the country since it appears our old America is lost, even as a cohesive resistance begins to coalesce and get its act together. Or maybe I should go touch grass. (Or snow, depending.) A soul just needs to depart Dodge and try to find real, touchable things to look at, ponder…
Read More A Q-and-A conversation with Laura Jackson on her book "DEEP & WILD," about mountains, opossums, coyotes, writing, ramps, and that confounding state of mind known as West Virginia
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On Inauguration Day 2025, I hereby pass along shareable memes and links suitable for this sad occasion. Because what comes after this day depends on us, not just him. Let's talk resistance, self-care, inspiration, and perspective.
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At their small table in the famous Greenwich Village coffesehop, their Cafe Reggio's waiter asked them what they wanted. “We came for the cappuccino,” said Becca. She nodded her head at the young man. “He’s never had a real one …” Rocco tossed his hair back and gave her companion his two-eye look. “Tourist? Where from?” The young man thought…
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"A Complete Unknown" made me teary in places. It's a powerful portrayal of a young singer-songwriter trying to self-discover his truest, most soul-centered sound and what he has to say in song. It's also an homage to the power of epic songs and songcraft, ever more needed in this very moment in time.
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I collect powerfully stated observations and pair them with vibrant images, publishing them in an occasional series called ‘QUOTE | WORKS.’ Here are some possible guideposts for us all in the challenging year ahead, some of them culled from posts earlier this year and beyond.
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In times like these, especially in times like these, when words are just upchucked by annihilationists, institutional arsonists and a world-historic, nihilist-narcissist whose much-kissed ring gleams with saliva, only poetry makes sense. And a few well-chosen images, quotes, and quatrains.
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Taking stock of where we are a week after a shocking American election, while also saying farewell to a colleague from local newspaper glory days. Where the feck — to borrow from Irish bar-speak — do we go from here?
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Even as our minds turn to the aftermath of America's catastrophic presidential election of 2024, we could also be thinking about some more salutary things.
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I awoke to a morning sky overtop my house after Election Day the color and texture of thick, dirty Styrofoam. It was an appropriate hue for the dawning of a dark day in America. I have no easy solace to offer, but I will share three things that may offer a little inspiration and strategic thinking for moving forward.
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Sometimes, you need to take a few hours break from fretting about the fate of your nation. And whether by this time next year, you'll be in a Official Trump Retribution and MAGA Re-education Prison Camp. Well, then, about an 'Art/Music/Video/Poem' to refresh one's spirits?
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The very idea of America could unravel starting Nov. 6, 2024, if things go south the day before. We all must do our part to sway the outcome, get out the vote, and try to divert even a handful of hearts and minds from the politics of hatefulness and division. My small effort is a short election video series. Here…
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The lake of my youth throws up a breathless display in the Land of the Cousins, as the fate of the country hangs in the balance in a few weeks. Welcome to The Great Mystery ...
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