One of the few reasons I look forward to reading Sunday’s Chicago Tribune is John Warner’s Biblioracle column. He’s one of my favorite reviewers. He’s an enthusiast, not a “critic. He helps point me to books that may have escaped my attention, in particular novels, which leads me to the real subject of this piece. In addition to commenting on particular books, Warner keeps an eye on trends in the...

Picture a team of sled dogs, dragging behind them a palette of all the means of publication representing our past homes – New York, Mississippi, Houston, Chicago. We still subscribe to print publications and/or subscriptions to web sites from each of these places. One that I especially value is Distant Dome by Gary Rayno, who reports on a variety of New Hampshire news. He’s particularly sharp on...

It’s friendship, friendshipJust a perfect blendshipWhen other friendships have been forgotOurs will still be hot Let’s forgive Johnny Mercer for challenging the English language to come up with a rhyme for friendship. He makes up for it with some of the cleverest lyrics on record: If they ever black your eyes, put me wiseIf they ever cook your goose, turn me looseAnd if they ever put a...

This will be my last posting in July. We leave for the annual pilgrimage to our Happy Place in New Hampshire on the 16th. Happy it may be but it’s not an easy place from which to do the kind of electronic business required by blog posting. Besides, I can use some recharging time before we enter a really consequential run-up to Election Day. We’ll be back in Chicago in time for the Democratic...

These past two weeks have been one of the darkest periods in our history. I’ll put aside the disastrous debate and focus on the Supreme Court’s tornado of end-of-term decisions, which clear the path for the creation of an authoritarian, fascistic government if Trump returns to office. It’s a classic blueprint for how to stage a coup through skillful use of the existing, seemingly democratic...