Lessons from the Shatterzone
Canaries in coal mines, lands in-between.
Trailing Basho
“Basho would like this.”
Still Life with Dick Van Dyke
What Dick Van Dyke taught me.
About That Jewelry …
“The death is off for now.”
Dessert #2
Hungry for contentment.
Against the Fire
Living through California’s worst wildfire season.
Finding Faust
Gained in translation.
Before the Parade Passes By
Peters principle.
Breaking Bread
Art for food’s sake.
Resting Place
“The burning tree acted as an otherworldly torch.”
A Woman of Letters
Faithful correspondent.
A Loss For Words
Chasing Arabic.
Family Resemblance
Mirrors and mysteries.
Adventure Addict
“That dynamic tension is what I sought.”
Talking to the Bereaved 101
On not getting over it.
End Stage
“I will soon be with my son. I am fine.”
Free Exercise in Peril
The Supreme Court’s double standard.
A Tourist in Romance
Afterlife of a grand gesture.
Philip Roth Gave Me an A Minus
Studying literature with the writer—and brilliant teacher—in the shadow of Vietnam.
Philip Roth and Me
A different side of Philip Roth.
Chili Seeds
“This wonderful sound. This crackle.”
Introduction to Shakespeare
The power of query, in class and in life.
The Power and the Glory
An architect explores Mexico’s early churches.
The Moments Pick You
Deferred dividends.