Author Archives: Kathy

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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The Movie’s as Good as the Book! (And Vice Versa!)

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Kathy

Self-described grammar nerd Ellen Jovin came to town last week with her husband, Brandt Johnson, and their film Rebel with a Clause. A large, appreciative audience at the Cleveland Institute of Art Cinematheque enjoyed the movie and the Q & … Continue reading →

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Sym and Em

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Kathy

Yiyun Li’s recent memoir, Things in Nature Merely Grow, made it onto my book group’s (I should say, “one of my book groups’ lists”) 2025-2026 reading list, and I’ve been thinking about it in respect to a request to discuss … Continue reading →

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