116,000 dead. I grew up in a town of 2,000. My town would have to die 58 times to reach 116,000. This number, this horror. This horror. How to make sense of that? There is no way. The earth will have her way with us. And in saying that, I do not mean to give up and let what will be, be. But we … Read More

The Snowman (an excerpt) by Myfanwy Collins Life between the arrival of Bonhomme de neige and the rebirth of Jesus was nothing short of a quiet death. No candy and no loud voices. Instead, ashy crosses on foreheads and mass after mass after mass. … read this story in its entirety at Pindeldyboz

Champlain, Branbury, The Lakes At Night by Lyn Lifshin (note: I found a snippet from this poem on newpages.)

This page made me laugh and laugh because whenever we go to either Allen’s dad’s or mom’s house he is inevitably fixing a computer (as he did on Christmas day when his dad couldn’t get his computer out of safe mode). Here’s just a snippet from the page: True story: my mother-in-law heard a Barenaked Ladies song on the radio that she liked, so … Read More

Skunked by Myfanwy Collins My toothbrush smelled like sweat or a stain (the scent lingered on my upper lip like a scratch ‘n sniff). Then the sun was so bright, the light clutching at the hair on my arms and tugging it, that it made me think death might be near. In the library my stomach churned in that way that made me think … Read More

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Watched Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind yesterday. Even though people have been raving, I wasn’t expecting much from this film. I thought it was going to be Jim Carrey yet again making goofy faces (and I have to say the trailers certainly play to this notion) but it is not. What this film is, is mind-blowing. I’m in love with it and by … Read More Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Atonement, by Ian McEwan

Can we rewrite our history? So that separated lovers end up together? So that we are forgiven our sins? So that we are understood our motivations? Is atonement even possible? These questions are at the core of Ian McEwan’s brilliant book Atonement. I am probably the last person on the globe to read this book but I would like to add myself to its … Read More Atonement, by Ian McEwan

tracks today–nothing very interesting: *my boots–I have a pair of boots which are one half size too large so that I can wear extra socks. This is good as it is two degrees. *Darby’s pawprints–he has large paws. I think I would be able to pick them out from others–their print is like a hand in paint on white paper to me. * snowshoes … Read More

relief

Médecins Sans Frontières Red Cross

The Missouri Review — Experiment

Have been reading and enjoying The Missouri Review‘s latest edition called “Experiment.” There is much to fascinate between these pages, to be sure, not the least of which is the interview with Frederick Barthelme in which he says (in response to what what kind of fiction he is drawn to): More than ever, when most of the published writing is so drab and pretentious, … Read More The Missouri Review — Experiment

wow: canyonland, by joseph young

Allen made perfect choices in getting me Alice Munro’s Runaway and Mammal Tracks & Sign: A Guide to North American Species (this is meant to supplement the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mammals I already own). I can’t wait to dig into the Munro but have already examined the Tracks & Signs books closely (and we were able to identify some scat we … Read More