Writing
Writing about writing, autobiography, cross posting selected work from other places.
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Editor’s Note: This is a draft of the opening chapter of Part II of my memoir. Its purpose is to introduce some major themes in the narrative and stand alone as a story. It is also a work in progress. I removed the full names of people I know for this post. After my post-master’s… Read more
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January turned into a tough month for writing. The main concern is a lack of productivity in writing my autobiography. I’ve written in it on nine days this month for a gain of 1,814 words. Volume two stands at 64,739 words today and is quite rough. While thinking about memories and documents and how they… Read more
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It never helps to drive for more than a few minutes on an Interstate Highway in Iowa. I focus on keeping the car in my lane with the radio off. If my mobile device rings, I let it go to voicemail. When I look through the windshield at the landscape, it feels bad. It has… Read more
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The trail began to melt on Sunday. Thanks to overnight temperatures in the single digits, the surface was frozen again on Monday: perfect for winter walking. A light breeze chilled my face, yet I persevered and encountered only two regular trail walkers while I was out for my fast-paced, 30-minute walk. It was chilly! I… Read more
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This excerpt from my personal journal was written on May 30, 1982. It reflects what I felt after a three day retreat in Northeast Iowa near Guttenberg, Harper’s Ferry, and Galena, Illinois. Most significant in this piece is the first instance of a decision to follow the path of short, written pieces like daily journal… Read more
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When I retired in April 2020 I didn’t stop working. No one stops working, ever, unless they are disabled or derelict. The work I do is to make productive use of my remaining time on Earth. During the holidays I slack off and take it easy. That’s finished as the new year has begun. When… Read more
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The hardest part of beginning in 2025 is overcoming entropy. In part, extended yet short-term separation from family contributes to it. In part, the unknowns of our politics do too. There is the warming planet, aging, pressures of a fixed income, and not enough time to do everything I want. I guess this blog post… Read more
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The year ended with a series of warm, foggy days around the lake where we live. The unseasonably warm temperatures are not good for anyone except the garden insects who might survive another season. My spouse and I are sharing our one DVD player while she is with her sister in Des Moines. Sunday I… Read more
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The forecast was snow yet it isn’t cold enough. Instead, a light rain is falling… enough to keep me off the state park trail until it ends. Warm weather this time of year has become the norm thanks to increasing average, global, ambient temperatures. Climate change is cooking us on a slow roast. I looked… Read more
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Christmastide is to settle in and regroup for the coming year. For me, the season lasts from Christmas Day until the Feast of the Epiphany, which is slightly more British than I am. Before retiring, I had to work either on the holidays or during the festive season. There are no such requirements this year.… Read more
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