Books
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Letter From Home: Heartstopper And Hancock 1/23/26
Last fall, at Barnes & Noble, thanks to a large display near an entrance to the bookstore, I first became aware of Alice Oseman, and the Heartstopper series. Several books of her work were prominently displayed, and I spent a few minutes reading a bit and exploring the overall tone and mission of them. Heartstopper Continue reading
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What Must Be Done To Face Our Current Crisis In America?
While reading the newspapers today, I thought about a book I had read decades ago by Arthur Schlesinger. I read it in my 20s while in Door County, a decade after it was published. The Imperial Presidency was written following the twin debacles of Vietnam and Watergate, with an emphasis on what should be the Continue reading
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1929: Greed Creates Public Crisis, Andrew Sorkin’s Masterpiece
As the New Year unfolds, I am reminded of how I wish to spend a chunk of my time in the next 360 days. Reading great books. Recently, I wrote rarely do I read a newly published book. My shelves and current book pile are filled with slices of history published many years and decades Continue reading
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Character Matters In The Oval Office
The words during the 1912 nomination speech by Warren G. Harding, then an Ohio newspaper editor, for President William Taft at the tumultuous Republican Convention need to be considered this week. The following portion showcases a stark contrast between then and what happened this week when Donald Trump verbally attacked Rob Reiner just a few Continue reading
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In Cold Blood: Truman Capote’s Book Viewed 60 Years Later
The main news over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend was shameful. The collective retaliation by the Trump Administration against people from nations around the world who are now part of our national family, as he desires to halt all asylum decisions and remove millions who call this place home. It was chilling to learn that Defense Continue reading
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Robert Caro Still Working On Final Volume Of Lyndon Baines Johnson Series
Robert Caro is a name often bantered about in our home, especially when victors walk through our rooms with bookcases. The volumes of his work about Lyndon Baines Johnson are noted as they underscore the joy found in the past by an author, incredible researcher and powerful storyteller. He is what many book lovers and Continue reading
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Letter From Home: “Best Bang For The Buck” 10/10/25
There’s a particular kind of magic that happens in a bookstore. It’s not loud or flashy. It doesn’t demand your attention like a movie trailer or a viral video. It’s quieter, more intimate, something that I have always found so fulfilling. There is a sense of unfolding possibilities as my fingers trace the spines of Continue reading
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Witnessing A Betrayal Of American Ideals With Trump’s Military On City Streets
One of my favorite reads, The Glory And The Dream by William Manchester, was first read when in high school. (The two-volume treasured hardcover set is on bookshelves above where I now type this column.) The first 20 pages tells the gripping story of President Herbert Hoover ordering the U.S. Army, led by General Douglas MacArthur, to Continue reading
Caffeinated Politics 