Nothing too fancy about this blog...just a guy sharing some thoughts about being a husband, father, community member, and an undeservedly saved Christian in small town Minnesota. I love to be outdoors (when it's warm), participate in theatre, read/write, cook/bake (yes, they're different), enjoy good microbrews and wine, and spending time with my gorgeous wife and our offspring, and our excellent friends and family.
Last week, I completed my third dystopian novel, Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley. Although it’s set a little over five hundred years from now, the ideas were drawn from the imagination of one surrounded by early twentieth-century science, philosophy, and the ugly rise of fascism in Europe. And yet…much like Orwell and Bradbury…he captures … More Brave New World: the right to unhappiness
Disclaimer: This post is being written around 2:30am. I’ve been up since 1:00am. Anything delusional is only a byproduct of insomnia – take it with a dose of humor. For those of you who want to forge ahead – cheers! A few weeks back, I was discussing dystopian literature with my two oldest children, centering … More 1984: pass the gin
A crust had formed upon the snowA weighty blanket pressing downWhile soil and roots cradle deepAround the shell in which you sleep It made you seem much further stillAs I mused and mourned a whileThe joy of you would warm the dayWhether frigid air – or hearts – dismay Green and red push through the … More Reflection from a graveside in winter
The lyrics below are a draft of a ballad in my novel in progress (working title, “The Cindering,”…although I’m less in love with that title now that the story has further developed. Some principle characters and a locations are provided in the text, as well as a propellant for the plot (no, it’s not a … More The Ballad of Bellaic (or, “Song of Ash and Pain”)
It wasn’t a book I wanted to finish. Ironic….reading a book with a plot about the importance of books, and I wanted to quit half-way through. It’s also ironic that a book centered on the burning of books and censorship of information was, itself, censored by both its publisher and other institutions (namely, schools). The … More Fahrenheit 451: warning shot across our bow
Okay. I know. The flip into a new calendar year doesn’t automatically make things better…but dang, it’s gonna feel good to kick 2020 to the curb! 2020 was a year of challenge and change – some awesome and exciting, and some downright disgusting: re-entry into work after recovery from spinal surgery, the loss of my … More 2020: The one where…
Merry Christmas. It’s an interesting phrase. Christ’s birth was not wholly a joyful one. His parents were likely exhausted and probably a little uneasy, not to mention giving birth in a dirty stable with none of today’s technologies. On top of that – and more importantly – His birth was a solemn one. Heaven knew … More Word made flesh
My pen got caught on the memory of an and and I wasn’t ready his name and… and youand a calendarand a laughand a kissand a praiseand a blessingand a memoryand a hope the and of you hung at the tip of the pen but the and floated up and a sigh and the pen … More And
We like it up hereWhere light touches moreAnd cool breezes play I see you up hereAnd you see me, tooWhat more can I say Let’s pray and let’s pleaThat your feet and mineKeep dancing on top It’s tricky enoughThis tree-top two-stepShuffle, pivot, hop Oh, soft tickling leavesResist soaking rainsAnd strong winds that blow Our toes … More Canopy
There are three poems that passed my way today, as we learn about (for most, the first time), remember, and honor the day in 1865 when African American slaves in Texas heard of their emancipation. It was a start to a long journey…one that has not been completed. Instead of my own work, I’d like … More Juneteenth 2020 – listen and learn
a tilting of air 