Category Archives: Uncategorized

Telling a True Story

Posted on April 10, 2025 by Kathy

Tricia Springstubb’s new novel tells a true story, only in fictional disguise. Her heroine Amber, a sixth grader, is smart but ordinary, cute but not gorgeous, and quietly funny. She has two best friends. Lottie is brainy, and Mariah is … Continue reading →

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More about Science

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Kathy

Hydrogen’s chemical symbol is H, and oxygen’s is O. This sensible state of affairs makes Chemistry 101 a little easier (for us English speakers) than it might otherwise be. The periodic table is not always so self-explanatory, however. You probably … Continue reading →

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Damocles in the News

Posted on March 3, 2025 by Kathy

Now and again, classical derivatives and mythological allusions arise in the news cycle. Regarding the case of New York mayor Eric Adams, the sword of Damocles keeps recurring in pundit parlance. First, to review the news story so far, Mayor … Continue reading →

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Hoarding and Other Family Secrets

Posted on February 27, 2025 by Kathy

I wrote this review for our area monthly paper, The Heights Observer, to spread the word about Deb’s book Lost Found Kept and to invite people to our talk together on Saturday. Comment below with your wisdom, insights, and difficulties … Continue reading →

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A Woman’s Wit

Posted on February 16, 2025 by Kathy

Upon a friend’s recommendation (thank you, Doreen!), I read Judi Dench’s Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent. Over four years, Dench’s buddy and fellow Shakespearean thespian, Brendan O’Hea, interviewed her about all the Shakespearean roles she has played, numbering … Continue reading →

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Let’s Look at One Another

Posted on February 5, 2025 by Kathy

In my previous post, I mentioned having read a number of good books recently, so here are two more. Thornton Wilder’s 1938 play Our Town could be a companion piece to the two volumes about near-death experiences in that post. … Continue reading →

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Dreamt of in Your Philosophy?

Posted on February 2, 2025 by Kathy

As it happens, I’ve been reading some excellent books and want to share them with you. I’ll start with two on the provocative topic of near-death experiences (NDEs). Sebastian Junger is probably best known for his 1997 book The Perfect … Continue reading →

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There at The New Yorker

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Kathy

A Guardian reviewer once wrote that one could probably get a Masters degree in New Yorker lit, i.e., books about the legendary New Yorker and its dramatis personae. I’ve been dipping into that canon recently, though I have a way … Continue reading →

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Fascism 101

Posted on November 1, 2024 by Kathy

The word fascism is newsworthy right now, and its history is fascinating (no relation) and illuminating. A Roman fascis (plural fasces) was a mere bundle of sticks, often with an ax sticking out of the middle. This mere bundle took … Continue reading →

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Is She?

Posted on October 17, 2024 by Kathy

My sisters and I used to laugh when our grandmother would tell us, “She is a cat,” as a reprimand for our using the pronoun she. Whatever was wrong with she? And who was a cat, and why was she … Continue reading →

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