History
Hands
Friday, March 21st, 2008When I look closely at my hands, details of my life come to mind.
Scars speak of accidents large and small. One of the smallest scars is from one of my worst injuries. I sliced the end of my right ring finger with a razor blade—deeply. But razors make for very thin scars. A more visible […]
You Cannibal, You Ogre, Your Majesty
Friday, March 7th, 2008A friend recently gave me a desk calendar of random historical events. The February 26 entry listed a series of newspaper blurbs from France in 1815. Journalists of the day were following Napoleon’s escape from exile on the Island of Elba and his renewed attempts at European conquest.
On March 9: “The Cannibal has escaped from […]
Secrets
Friday, February 22nd, 2008A few weeks back I spent some down time watching a DVD of The Company, the TNT mini-series based on the book of the same name by Robert Littell. The story follows about 40 years in the lives of a mix of characters — some historical, others fictional — during the Cold War.
I enjoy novels […]
Anonymous
Friday, February 15th, 2008Presidents Day celebrates some great leaders in U.S. history. Think of George Washington guiding America into independence, or Abraham Lincoln restoring a divided nation to unity. But what about the countless men and women who assisted those presidents? Perhaps you’ve seen Emanuel Leutze’s famous painting of Washington crossing the Delaware River. What were the names […]
Grin of the Living Dead
Friday, February 8th, 2008I admit it. I’m one of those people who stare closely into a casket when attending a funeral. I’m always looking for that hint of a breath. When I stare hard enough I can just about convince myself I see the tiniest movement, the ghost of a rise and fall in the chest. Doesn’t matter […]
In the Mix
Thursday, December 20th, 2007I saw a poster recently in the office of AG National Music Director Tom Matrone. It pictured the Temple of Music in Buffalo, N.Y., a massive dome built in 1901 as part of the Pan-American Exposition.
The blurb next to the picture mentioned a concert held on September 6 that year, a concert that coincided with […]