Category Archives: Literary

Time Machines

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Mike

I came across this poem just now. It is an old favorite: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/16742 And here is the poet himself reading it aloud: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HiDjqIEQb4M You will notice the misprint in line 9. It struck me as wrong, and Stafford’s reading is … Continue reading →

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Lost Houses

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Mike

There are houses out there somewhere.                                                                                  They    are out there, those houses. We knew them once but we lost them.                                                                                … Continue reading →

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Audience, Film Maker, Movie

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Mike

A friend recently sent me this link: http://kriswrites.com/2012/12/26/the-business-rusch-the-all-important-fan-base/ The subject of the correspondence was Jack Reacher, a current Tom Cruise vehicle. Of course, there is more to this link than that. Kristine Kathryn Rusch is a novelist, writing under several … Continue reading →

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The Power of Allusion

Posted on December 20, 2012 by Mike

When I was an undergraduate, I was a real hep cat, and I read Old Possum. Now, many years later, I am convinced the moon has indeed lost her memory, And I am still shaking this damned dead geranium.

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VC

Posted on July 1, 2012 by Mike

Coming up Geiger Grade, light snow.  At Nine-mile Flat, floor it. The road constricts to 110. Mid-winter. Mid-week. Prime drinking time. Tourists and summer people are gone. C Street is mostly parking spaces. Closing time. The snow has stopped, the … Continue reading →

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The Better Part…

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Mike

Today, on NPR’s On Being, I heard poet Sarah Kay quote someone, I forget who, as saying “Listening is the better part of speaking.” It reminded me of a wise philosopher who said “We have two ears and one mouth … Continue reading →

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Sleepers

Posted on March 11, 2012 by Mike

I read Walden many summers ago, and much of it has left me. One passage. however, has always stayed: Men think that it is essential that the Nation have commerce, and export ice, and talk through a telegraph, and ride … Continue reading →

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Trains

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Mike

I recently made my annual round-trip to Rochester, Minnesota. When we were still teaching, we always flew – well, most of the way, once we learned that the 100 mile hop from the Twin Cities to Rochester by air cost … Continue reading →

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Quasi-haiku

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Mike

The haiku is probably the most popular poetic form in English, never mind its native Japanese. Its appeal lies in its brevity and apparent simplicity. It would seem to be an easy kind of poem to write, a kind of … Continue reading →

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McLuhan Revisited

Posted on May 25, 2011 by Mike

I recently received this link from a friend http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8ofWFx525s&feature=channel_video_title He commented “Some interesting thoughts presented in this video. This is something that I’ve been kind of thinking about in the back of my mind for a while now. Frankly I … Continue reading →

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