Two Birthdays On March 10th, I celebrate two birthdays: my physical birthday and my sobriety birthday. Today I’m happy to report that I’m 53 years old and celebrating 18 years of living clean and sober. I’m one of those people… Read More ›
Biblio-Adventure
Visiting Fitz-Greene Halleck Monuments
“No name in the American poetical world is more firmly established than that of Fitz-Greene Halleck.” — Edgar Allan Poe I first wrote about Fitz-Greene Halleck back in April, which you can read here. Halleck hailed from Guilford, CT,… Read More ›
Gwendolyn Brooks: The Oracle of Bronzeville
“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou When I hear this quote, I think of Gwendolyn Brooks. I attended a talk she gave at Loyola Chicago when I… Read More ›
Author Homes: Concord, Massachusetts
My Book Cougars cohost Emily Fine and I spent yesterday exploring literary history in Concord, MA. We had a blast! Back when I was a poor graduate student I longed to visit Concord, the birthplace of the Transcendental movement and… Read More ›
BookExpo 2018 Part I: Recap Preview
I recently attended BookExpo, May 30 – June 1st, at the Javits Center in Manhattan, NY. I’m grateful for the media pass which made my attendance possible. I have a recap post in the works, one that focuses on… Read More ›
“Set Yourself Free” at Whitlock’s Book Barn in Bethany, CT
I recently visited Whitlock’s Book Barn with my Book Cougars buddy Emily. This was a first visit for both of us. Whitlock’s has been in business since 1948. Meg, the manager, told us a little history of the place. There’s… Read More ›
Author “Home” – Herman Melville – 26th Street, NYC
In November 2016 I visited Herman Melville’s home, Arrowhead, which is nestled in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts. Melville lived there from 1850-1863. It’s where he wrote Moby Dick, which was published in 1851. This novel, which is now considered one… Read More ›
Biblio-Adventure: Toadstool Bookshop, New Hampshire
Yesterday I made a pilgrimage to Jaffrey, NH to visit the graves of Willa Cather and her life-long partner Edith Lewis. The last time I visited, in 2014, there was snow up to my thighs in some areas. I… Read More ›
The Poetry Garage, Chicago
Photos of The Poetry Garage in Chicago
Cicero, IL: Birthplace of Ernest Hemingway?
Ernest Hemingway. Where was he born? If your answer is Oak Park, IL, you’d be wrong. At least according to the Town of Cicero, Illinois. The first time I noticed Cicero claiming ownership of Hemingway was sometime in the 1990s…. Read More ›