Category: Culture
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Up River: Moving Poems by Cecil from Dollar Tree
Up River, a collection of moving poems by Cecil Rupnaraine, is a remarkable way to celebrate poetry and a remarkable poet. April is, after all, poetry month. I am lucky that Cecil recently shared a last remaining copy of his poems from a first partial attempt to publish; a couple are reproduced here. While getting…
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Autumn 2022 VanLife: Roller Coaster to the Good Life
Autumn 2022 was quite a VanLife roller coaster for my partner and I. It was a great and eye-opening experience for us as relatively new van adventurists. We learned a couple of important lessons and saw the power of flexibility in van travel. Plus, it was a great reminder of northeast America’s autumn beauty. We…
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Writing Narrative Nonfiction: More Context, How, and Why
Narrative nonfiction is the primary genre of my writing, so I worked to tease out a fuller understanding. Nobody sold me on this; it’s what I was buying (i.e., it is the way I write). The analyst in me prompts me to write about it as I explore. So, here are my learnings. First, this…
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A Practical Take on Facts, Reality and Truth
Reality and truth have been debated across time and likely never come to a perfect end. Lately, it has been subjected to a rash of manipulation. Human activities, from self-preservation to social order, depend upon the concept. Sometimes truth can simply be assumed, but such altruism is not America today. Thinking caring people need a…
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And There Was Light Far Surpasses the Lincoln Challenge
Every reader will benefit from Jon Meacham’s latest book: And There Was Light. It will satisfy anybody who wants to better understand the man Lincoln, and will enlighten those who can appreciate that he saved and shaped our country in dire times. This biographical work offers learnings and insights that vitally matter in today’s state…
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One of The Beloved WWII Hell Hawks Turns 99
Bob Russell, one of the fabled WWII Hell Hawks, just turned 99 in Dunedin, Florida, on January 17th, 2023. Family and closest friends gathered around him for a week of festivities. There were five parties in seven days. The finale was at the Dunedin VFW Post #2550 on Friday the 20th. Over the week, we…