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Reflections

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Winter Begins, A Book Tour Ends

Events surrounding “Midnight Rambles” kept this writer busy and content throughout December.

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Sunset on the Hudson

Earlier this past May, my wife and I shared a brief, restful trip to Hudson, New York. I imagine that we resembled the stereotypical black-clad bohemians regularly hopping off the Amtrak train and searching for a country retreat away from the commotion of New York and yet replete with cultural amenities. A small, former industrial…

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Winter Spirits and Solitude

Edith Wharton’s Ghosts demonstrate that the solitude of a winter night might still evoke dread and and wonder.

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A Railway to Somewhere

An abandoned railway hints at travel and escape.

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A Song of Spring

Walking through an early spring garden prompts a reflection on William Blake and the nearness of infinity.

Gustave Caillebotte, Paris Street, Rainy Day, 1877. (Courtesy of Art Institute of Chicago)

Walking: A Re-Discovered Joy

Last week, I walked to the Village neighborhood in downtown Jersey City for the first time since the pandemic began in March. Although this slice of the city is only a twenty- or thirty-minute stroll from my home, I felt as if I was embarking upon a great quest or journey. During the past five…

(Courtesy of Hoosier State Chronicles)

Picks from the Hermitage

Like many Americans, my daily life has centered around my home since the pandemic began this past spring. I miss seeing friends and family and sharing traditions and moments with them. The pandemic has slowed life down for many of us, and that might be a welcome change. Rarely venturing beyond my own neighborhood provides…

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A Fig Tree in Summer

A backyard fig tree prompts a reflection on gardening, nature, and place amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and self-isolation.

Solace in the Garden

Amid the distressing events of the past weeks and days–ongoing pandemic, massive unemployment, police violence, civic unrest, and horrible presidential leadership, I’ve found it challenging to concentrate and write. My subjects have grown smaller in scope and range, largely focusing on the happenings of nature in my wife’s and my backyard.

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One Morning’s Impressions

During the past several weeks, I’ve commented upon the vibrancy and reassertion of nature in my urban neighborhood amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Most of my thoughts are drawn from my observations in my own backyard. Being largely home-bound like most of the country, my world has dramatically shrunk. That is not necessarily an unwelcome…