Author Archives: Kathy

A Funeral

Posted on March 20, 2010 by Kathy

Today I attended a funeral mass celebrated by a priest who has lived and worked in the same neighborhood for over thirty years. Four generations of the family were present, and the priest knew them all. He knew the great-grandmother … Continue reading →

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Sarah Jessica Sings Mozart

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Kathy

I just became aware of a weird habit that may be unique to me but probably isn’t. First, I should explain that when we attend plays and concerts, we usually buy cheap balcony tickets. Touring company actors and concert soloists … Continue reading →

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Snow Dog

Posted on February 27, 2010 by Kathy

Say what you will, the snow (it’s still coming down!) is really beautiful. It wakes up our old dog Shucks. He drags himself around the house on his arthritic legs, but outdoors in this weather he trots and even runs! … Continue reading →

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Outliers & Sages

Posted on February 24, 2010 by Kathy

I’m having fun discussing Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers: The Story of Success with my SAGES class at CWRU. Gladwell has suffered some backlash from people criticizing his numbers and methods and his popularizing approach to complex topics, but some of those … Continue reading →

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A Valentine

Posted on February 14, 2010 by Kathy

Mrs. Morgan’s tenth-grade English class changed my life in a number of ways. “Maybe once in a very great while,” she would tell us, “you write something perfectly the first time.” Then, smiling empathetically, she would add, “That doesn’t happen very … Continue reading →

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“Annoying” by Definition

Posted on February 9, 2010 by Kathy

Everyone’s noting Sarah Palin’s hypocrisy in screaming for Rahm Emanuel’s firing over the word “retarded” while giving Rush Limbaugh a pass for repeating the term over and over on a broadcast. Indeed, she couldn’t bring herself to criticize somebody on her own team, … Continue reading →

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Annoyed Once Again

Posted on February 3, 2010 by Kathy

I enjoyed Adam Gopnik, the New Yorker writer, last night on Charlie Rose to eulogize J. D. Salinger, even though Gopnik is sometimes so articulate as to be glib; he churns out those complete-sentence responses like an eager-to-please student. I like … Continue reading →

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Same or Different?

Posted on February 2, 2010 by Kathy

Okay. People have commented on reading books over again and listening to pieces of music over and over again. (See the Comments, below, on Rereading + J.D.) I’m curious to know more about what movies people have seen multiple times. Is there something you’ll watch every … Continue reading →

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Another Loss

Posted on January 30, 2010 by Kathy

One more book to read and reread — A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn, who died last week. Watch this inspiring interview on Bill Moyers. Zinn is an inspiration himself, of course, but he often celebrates ordinary people, in this case, … Continue reading →

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Rereading + J.D.

Posted on January 28, 2010 by Kathy

“…those four extraordinary books that bear rereading again and again and again.” — Robert Thompson, Syracuse University, tonight on The Newshour When I heard about the death of J.D. Salinger today on the radio, I wondered if I had anything … Continue reading →

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