Literature

Congratulations to our frequent blogging colleague David Daniel who has a column in the Ideas section of today’s Boston Globe print edition. (The column with photos of Dave in action is on the Globe website). “The blind courage of the book signing” perfectly captures the highs and lows of author events at bookstores.…

 All the Way By Stephen O’Connor When somebody loves you It’s no good unless he loves you, all the way. Happy to be near you When you need someone to cheer you, all the way. —Frank Sinatra, Lyrics by Sammy Cahn Michael and Sarah are not their real names. But…

Boarding School Blues: Chapter 40 By Louise Peloquin “Wistful and admiring” Straw-colored twine secured the last box of Monsieur Dubé’s books. As soon as Blanche pulled on its lopsided bow, the top eased open and dust bunnies took flight like little genies happy to be released from confinement. Blanche watched…

Time Tales By David Daniel   Past: 7 P.M. Sharp At 6:00 P.M. the ship is waiting at the pier, music rising over the burble of diesel engines. The college is holding a sunset harbor cruise for its adult education grads, a last big hurrah on a fine spring evening.…

Love after Sixty-Five or Life with a Trophy Granny By Malcolm Sharps It hurts writing this; for many, it must hurt to read it. But it’s a hard fact to be faced that we fall in love far less often later in life not because of some dimming of an internal…

Boarding School Blues: Chapter 39 By Louise Peloquin “I’m into something good.” It was day three of her sentence and Blanche had already spent nine recreation periods in the library. Sister Claudette had acknowledged her cleaning skills and decided supervision was not required. Blanche handled the old books with the…

The “Friday Night Lights of Hockey”: Jay Atkinson’s Tale at Twenty By David Daniel “Hockey gets in the blood—you develop an intense passion for the game, and either you leave it—too many early mornings, bus rides, urine-smelling rinks—or you just love it.” Jay Atkinson is author of eight books, including…

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Hiding out from the headlines? These non-fiction selections may not transport you above the gloom emanating from the news media, but they may illuminate contemporary themes in a deeply satisfying way. Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder,…

Boarding School Blues: Chapter 38 By Louise Peloquin Dust Bunnies The next morning, while filing outside for recreation, classmates made sure Blanche saw their hang-in-there-and-stay-strong raised fists followed by love-ya-kiddo puckered-lip smiles. She responded likewise in an effort to simulate stoicism. Actually, she was looking forward to what would lie…

Enterprises Requiring New Clothes By David Daniel Henry David Thoreau, the Sage of Walden Pond, cautions us to beware of all enterprises that require new clothes. With due respect and affection for the man—and I have tons of both—there are times when new threads are called for . . .…