Author Archives: Kathy

David and Kathy in Transit

Posted on March 1, 2026 by Kathy

I first encountered author David Guterson in 1992, when he was a handsome young father homeschooling his children and working as a public-school English teacher on Bainbridge Island in Washington State. In 1992, I was also a homeschooling parent and … Continue reading →

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A Lincoln Portrait

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Kathy

Almost ten years after my first attempt, today I finished George Saunders’s 2017 novel Lincoln in the Bardo, just in time for Lincoln’s 217th birthday. This was my third run at the book, and this time I finally made it … Continue reading →

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Carpe Diem

Posted on February 5, 2026 by Kathy

I didn’t realize when I chose the cover photo for my book Lead Me, Guide Me: The Life and Example of Father Dan Begin that its significance would be lost on many readers—maybe most readers. I should have done more … Continue reading →

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Minneapolis, Deja Vu

Posted on January 25, 2026 by Kathy

On the evening of May 4, 1970, I walked into the kitchen of our home in Canton. My dad was sitting in his wheelchair in his usual spot at the kitchen table, leaning toward the radio. As I approached, he … Continue reading →

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Megyn’s Pedantry

Posted on November 18, 2025 by Kathy

During the Lewinsky-Clinton scandal twenty-five years ago, I remember parents’ bemoaning uncomfortable conversations with their children about sex acts that might have waited a few years if not for our President’s Oval Office activities. A semen-stained dress was in the … Continue reading →

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It’s about Boxes, not Boxing

Posted on October 22, 2025 by Kathy

Wherein I admit that the terms discussed below were heretofore unfamiliar to me. Be kind. Homework, a recent memoir by Englishman Geoff Dyer, is endlessly amusing. He’s a witty writer (The Ongoing Moment, The Last Days of Roger Federer) with … Continue reading →

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More about Orwell

Posted on October 10, 2025 by Kathy

In 1984, George Orwell’s dystopian state created Newspeak, a strictly utilitarian language with a continuously shrinking vocabulary and simplistic syntax. To avoid ambiguity and complexity, Newspeak kills words, limiting the possibilities of thought. Clear victims of this effort are beauty … Continue reading →

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Orwell’s Roses

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Kathy

Both sides of the conservative/liberal divide claim George Orwell for their own, but the left has a better claim. Orwell fought against the fascist Franco revolt in Spain. He sided with the poor and powerless in labor (labour!) disputes and … Continue reading →

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Sounds

Posted on August 27, 2025 by Kathy

I learned two etymologies from my new favorite YouTube Channel, The Salisbury Organist, created by a young Brit named Ben Maton. Actually, one I was reminded of, and the other I learned from Ben. Ben’s videos include a lot of … Continue reading →

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Panning Dwight Garner’s Pan

Posted on August 21, 2025 by Kathy

Dwight Garner begins his recent New York Times review of Ron Chernow’s biography Mark Twain with this inelegant simile: the book “squats over Twain’s career like a McMansion.” McMansion typically connotes size, ostentation, and a lack of style. I’ll grant … Continue reading →

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