Last night we recorded the memorial episode of “Glee” that focused on the death of Cory Monteith and his on-screen character Finn Hudson. I watched it this morning. Here are my reactions: I had wondered how they were going to explain his cause of death. Thankfully, and wisely, they chose to leave it unexplained. Rather, … More No Glee in Glee
Next month I turn 60, and I truly never believed that I would be this old. When I was a teenager, I was convinced I would die an early death. On the other hand, I had a hard time visualizing me being a 60-year-old geezer, sitting around in my rocking chair talking about the good … More Are We There Yet?
Barrel-chested, sunburned Herv Wallak roared out his laughter and pointed. Leef looked where he was pointing, knowing what he would see before he looked, and grinned. The familiar sight of green land over blue water jutted before them. Home. After three weeks at sea, Leef Undertree scarcely noticed the roll and rise of the fishing … More “Voyage of the Dionysus”
I admire artists whose work is larger than they are. What made me start thinking along these lines was thinking about Mount Rushmore. Shelly and I have been talking about doing another road trip sometime in the next few months, and we have never been to Mount Rushmore or to the Black Hills of South … More Larger Than Life
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (G. P. Putnam’s Sons). 457 pages. I try to always learn something new whenever I read a book. The biggest lesson I learned in reading The 5th Wave is that a big-name publisher and lots of awards and positive reviews on the back cover does not necessarily guarantee a … More Review: “The 5th Wave” by Rick Yancey
I’ll admit it. I have a finite amount of space in my brain. I have learned that over the years when I have tried to cram too much into it at one time. Either stuff starts spilling out the other side–I forget things–or I have my version of a nervous breakdown. Most of the time, … More Emptying the Closet
I’m back in my office after a totally different kind of day for me. I cancelled my classes this morning because I had been asked by the president’s office to serve as faculty observer for the University board of trustees meeting. I am to serve in this capacity for the next two years, which means … More Movers and Shakers
When I got up this morning, my wife Shelly was watching a new episode of “Inside the Actor’s Studio” in which Hugh Jackman of Wolverine and Les Miserables fame was being interviewed. At the end, as always, the audience got to ask questions. One woman asked what lessons he learned in his early acting years. … More Freedom to Fail
Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans, T. R. Fehrenbach, Collier Books. 761 pp. I’ve had a fascination with Texas history ever since we moved into the state 15 years ago. Buying this book, which at 761 pages is quite intimidating, helped me really understand the state, its people and its history a … More Review: “Lone Star” by T. R. Fehrenbach
This is the second book in The Hunger Games Trilogy. I had read The Hunger Games a year or two ago, before the movie came out. And I liked it. But the back cover copy for the second book convinced me that I wouldn’t like it. Marketers (I assume it was the marketers) targeted the … More Review: “Catching Fire” by Suzanne Collins
The Great Adventure 