This isn’t a story about “days dwindling down” that we all know from the familiar “September Song” by the twentieth century composer Kurt Weill and lyricist Maxwell Anderson. But it seems apt, nevertheless. Let me start with the fact that I had a tough week. It was just one… read more >
There is a sign on a shelf of my living room library bluntly stating that “Censorship is Obscene”. I’m guessing this may require a bit of explanation. My mother, a pioneer in developing and implementing remedial reading programs, took every book-banning PTA or edict-issuing school board as a personal challenge. … read more >
From all accounts it appears that everybody today has a bucket list, and travel is almost certainly on it. We even tout a few of our adventures as bucket list-worthy, often including states that – sadly – wind up as numbers 48, 49 or 50 of states visited. But the… read more >
I’ve been contemplating mortality lately – a natural thing, I suppose, as one progresses along the human timeline. But I have been experiencing rapidly increasing reminders lately, and it’s starting to feel a little uncomfortable. Just this week, for example, I attended the 100th birthday of a dear friend and… read more >
Just before Christmas of 2017, the Black Hills of South Dakota suffered it’s third largest wildfire ever, burning 54,023 acres of forest and prairie. That’s more than 84 square miles. You probably didn’t hear about it because the massive California fires – which pre-dated this one (and continued long after)… read more >
One of my earliest memories of my father was his boast that he had gone to graduate school with Martin Luther King, Jr. In fact, Rev. King was revered in our house, and his prominence in the media of the 1950’s and sixties as he conducted his freedom crusade throughout… read more >
Thomas Jefferson famously stated, “I cannot live without books”. In fact, this quote is so well-known that you can find it on tote bags and coffee mugs, and it is the motto of the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Association. Unfortunately other lifestyle choices, including a proclivity for fine French wine and… read more >
The first time I visited my future father-in-law’s study I was struck by two things: the enticing collection of history books that filled the shelves (surprising to me, since he was the Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of South Dakota and long-time theatre professor –… read more >
I don’t make New Year’s resolutions. I mean, really! What’s the point? They would only end up in the proverbial dustbin of history anyway, so why torture myself? But I am in agreement that at this time of year it seems appropriate to take stock, ruminate about the year just… read more >
Have you ever wondered why Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus in December, especially since scientists determined long ago (based on celestial charts) that he was actually born in the Spring? It probably comes as no surprise that I view nearly everything through the eyes of a historian, and that… read more >
