Have you revisited your New Year’s Resolutions lately (or ever)?? In case you somehow missed it, we have arrived in the second trimester of 2024. Mid-May is running our schedules into manic chaos, and the weather (at least in the Midwest) is propelling us outside every moment of the day, tempting us to shirk responsibilities….
Book Review: Hamnet
Why I was interested in this book: I think I had heard of Hamnet, the novel, without making any effort to read it for multiple years. As you may remember, I often avoid modern, trendy novels. But, when the stars aligned for trailers of the film and promotion for the run of the play at…
A Beautiful Mind
I need to beautify my brain. I don’t often let her take up intentional space.She thrives on the autopilot I’ve programmed her for.Routine.Repetition. But lately, I’ve given her space for ideas to take root—a dangerous plan for an unexplored landscape. Over silent lunches punctuated onlyby my chomping sounds as Imethodically chew my salad,or in the…
Book Review: A Time of Gifts
Note: I’ve been on the struggle bus with book reviews for the past month or so—not because I haven’t been reading books. On the contrary, I’ve read quite a few good ones lately and I’ve felt rather guilty about not sharing the wealth. A few years ago, I decided that writing reviews on this blog…
Americana
I used to love America. She was expansive, she was bold, she was great. The mythology, the lore didn’t hide her faults.Like all gods, she had stumbled and fallen.Numerous were her vicious sins,but many were her stellar victories.She was scrappy; an ambitious overcomer.In my naivety, I saw her as a beaconof what could be good…
Presently Weak, Eternally Hopeful
The world is a heartbroken at the momentstitched back together in the nextby well wishes for peacewasted on ears seemingly benton being deaf. Sutures don’t fix fractures.Fissures in our bonesin our backsin our neighborhoodsin our homesrequire a reset—a brace,a cast,a sling,an apology. Healing takes timetakes prayertakes lovetakes understandingtakes humility. But the body can’t healwhen it’s…
History, Your Story
Love the story you’re living right now. In a not-too-distant future, you’ll see its beauty; you’ll have learned a few of its lessons. The story of your present frames you in the role of the main character. Please rise to the occasion. Only you are suitable to fill the position. The plot will evolve as…
Musing No. 3 (Bemused)
Nora worried about her neck. Or so I heard.I read about her. I didn’t actually read what she wrote.Honestly I’ve been worried about mine ever since.Then, I was at the peak of womanhood.Or so I thought.Now, am I?I read an article. Then another. Maybe four more.Felt good. Felt bad. Felt indifferent.Hard to keep track.Lots of…
Book Review: One Hundred Years of Solitude
I almost decided not to write a review on Gabriel García Márquez’s Nobel Prize Award-winning novel, One Hundred Years of Solitude. Not because I hated it or couldn’t finish reading—neither was true. More because I wasn’t sure what I would say about it or to whom I would recommend the book. I’m not sure I…
Florence, Italy | 2025
After the mesmerizing beauty of Venice, my family traveled (again by train) back southward to Florence. I was looking forward to Firenze, having been told that I would “love it” given my interest in art. The museums on our to-do list looked interesting and I had found (via Instagram) a list of sandwich shops that…
Venice, Italy | 2025
For most of my life, Venice held a sort of magical mysticism in my mind—based, of course, primarily on what I had seen on film and read about in books. The first time I remember really encountering the city was in the 2003 movie The Italian Job. I won’t spoil it for you, but the…
L.M.Beatty 