Dear Abby: My wife and I are semi-retired and sometimes the hours get long. This Christmas our daughter-in-law gave us the complete CD set of “The Wire” and we binge-watched all five seasons. Now we call each other by the “N…” word, and end every phrase with “yo.” We know this is our own fault, […] More >>
Archives for January 2016
In Memoriam: Cheryl Needle
The New England antiquarian book trade suffered a major loss this past week. Cheryl Needle died at her home in Pepperell, Massachusetts after more than a year of living through the ravages of cancer. The obits always refer to this terrible ordeal as a “battle with cancer,” but “battle” was not Cheryl’s style. She endured […] More >>
Showing Up for Work
Same drive Same hotel Same room Same walk through the passageway to the XL (formerly Hartford Civic) Center that I’ve taken every year, since when – 1987? – noting how much has changed and how much has not changed. It’s all pretty much the same, actually. And yet, and yet… As I head for my […] More >>
Marvin’s Experiment
Lost my camera somewhere, so this entry will be in black and white… Last Tuesday I loaded my car with materials for the next show, then drove with my wife up to Camden, Maine for two days of eating, drinking, napping, and visiting old friends. After all that was done, we rose bright and early […] More >>