writing
-
Gay People Are Part Of Every Family
I was reminded this week of a truism. Gay people are a part of every family. One of the chief bullies from my high school years has a gay brother in a long-term committed relationship with his partner. Good for the brother. That fact intersects with my life, and to be honest, I hope that… Continue reading
-
Wisconsin Journalist Shelly Kittleson: Truth Tellers Must Not Be Silenced
The news of Wisconsin journalist Shelly Kittleson being kidnapped in Iraq is unacceptable. News reports place her hometown as Monticello, Wisconsin. Her work as a journalist specialising in the Middle East and Afghanistan is published in international, US, and Italian outlets. Iraq’s Ministry of Interior said that security forces have launched an operation to track… Continue reading
-
Letter From Home: “Just Like That!” 3/12/26
There’s a certain morning each year when, no matter what is occurring or what the radio newscaster is saying, I simply stop and smile upon opening the window blinds. It always happens overnight on Lake Monona. The deep winter‑long silence of ice is just gone. Granted, it does not just (snap my fingers) disappear. The… Continue reading
-
Alexander Butterfield: The Quiet Man Who Changed The Course Of American History
I was not your typical kid growing up. That is a very understated way to write it. I was in a rural environment where my grandparents, along with an aunt, were my neighbors, with not another boy my age for miles around. There was no television in our home until I was in the 6th… Continue reading
-
Stuart Kaminsky: Inspector Rostnikov Series Has Characters Striving For Moral, Ethical, Humane Outcomes
This week, the last two books in the Inspector Rostnikov series by Stuart Kaminsky arrived from Amazon. As I took them from the package, I wondered what suspense they would hold. Over the next few months, they will land in my hands, and then there will be no more to anticipate. I was crowdsourcing in… Continue reading
-
The Musical Chord That Hits the Heart
I just concluded a long phone call with a friend who remains in California with her parents. Having traveled out for the holidays, she remains as the final closure of her mom’s eyes draws near. I always feel a need to lift the clouds, so I opened the call with “Is this Chinese takeout?” Laura… Continue reading
-
Letter From Home: “Recalling Past Christmas Smiles From WDOR And Keta Steebs” 12/17/25
This morning, I awoke to a very nice email from the granddaughter of a favorite person I knew when working in Sturgeon Bay. Keta Steebs was the newspaper reporter and columnist for the Door County Advocate. The email message asked me to call and reminisce about Keta’s life and who she was, the impact she… Continue reading
-
Local Newspapers Need Our Support
There are a few constant themes that resonate in my writings about politics and society. Strongly encouraging process-driven governing, advocating gun control, standing alongside the Fourth Estate, promoting democracy, and pressing for newspapers to remain a part of a citizens daily routine. It is that last point that I wish to deal with today. This… Continue reading
-
Americans Need A National Anchor Like Molly Ivins
Saturday during the highly energetic No Kings Rally in Madison, I looked about at the scores of people and considered what made all of them similar. One of the themes worthy of consideration over the past decade of deep political divisions and ever-increasing cultural rancor is what commonalities still link Americans regardless of where we… Continue reading
Caffeinated Politics 