The Opposite of Junk
A dozen journals left to us by my wife’s Scottish grandmother were destined for the recycling bin—until we took a look at what was inside.
Reading James Joyce Amidst Winter Snow, ‘Where Dwell the Vast Hosts of the Dead’
Many people no doubt roll their eyes in scoffing dismissal when they hear the commonly expressed—and almost as commonly crooned—wish for a White Christmas. But there are sound spiritual reasons for longing to see one’s environs blanketed with snow. Silent in its approach and accumulation, snow can
Teaching Us How the World Wags On
No small part of dogs’ value to humankind is the way they effortlessly channel the wondrous nature of reality itself. I’ve recently been thinking about two dogs from my youth, and was suddenly struck by the book-ended lessons they taught me about life and death, and the way our
There's (a Lot) More to George Orwell than Nineteen Eighty-Four
It’s been more than 70 years since George Orwell (1903–50) published Nineteen Eighty-Four. Of his nine books (six of which were novels), it is by far the most famous and influential. In detailing his oppressively dark vision of social manipulation and political tyranny in late 20th century Britain,
What Are Dads Good For?
Last weekend, our lone London, Ontario-residing child somehow got it into her head (and successfully implanted the idea into ours as well) that it was Father’s Day and came over bearing tins of Guinness and a saucy new red wine called Off The Press to join us in a
