Finally finished writing up my trip to Dublin. It truly was the trip of a lifetime, so there was a lot of pressure to write the perfect story. I did my best, but eventually you have to go with what you’ve got. I had a great time, and I felt I […]

“With such a degree of obstinacy, of violence, in it as this, the rain was no longer just rain, or the wind a mere icy wind; it was becoming a vicious conpiracy of the elements, and already, on the poorly sheltered platform of the station at Niort, harassed by this […]

She uses an assumed name — that of an Afghan woman who led the charge that routed a British brigade — because she is pursued by the assassins of the current gangster government of Afghanistan, who, by the way, greatly appreciate  your tax dollars and hope you will continue to send […]

I think one of the reasons I had such a great time in Dublin was that they were celebrating their city’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature, of which they’re rightly proud. They had an early start, it’s true. Irish literature dates back before the time of Homer — […]

“A week in Dublin is a tonic for the soul.” Do you know who said that? Me. What a great city. Reminds me of Boston,  tho’ it’s a lot older, of course, and after five days here, I’m already a great author. It’s small and walkable and they get a […]

If I came back from Spring vacation to Ames Elementary School in Dedham and announed that I had been at the front of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Principal Frank Liddell would have called an assembly and the whole school would have listened in rapt silence while I […]

Arrived in Dublin at five a.m. this morning and settled in the the Hotel Fitzwilliam for a much-needed nap. Reminded me of my grandmother’s little joke about Patrick Fitzwilliam and William Fitzpatrick. Anyway the girls are might pretty here. This evening we had a splendid dinner at the hotel and […]

I had a great time tonight at a benefit for the local independent cinema, where I’ve seen lots of great films that you’re not going to find at the cinemaplex at the mall. The guest was an old college friend of mine — Alex Gibney. We lived in a house […]

I first learned about demytholigization in a seventh-grade religious studies class taught by the Reverend Bertram Honea, an enthsiastic Christian who liked to speak of the hounds of heaven, so it’s not some heathen practice, tho’ it does have a dangerous exotic aspect to it. The example the Reverend Honea […]