Author Jonathan Franzen, in the essay “On Autobiographical Fiction,” part of his 2012 collection Farther Away, writes that whenever a novelist gives a public talk or reading, he or she is invariably asked four “unpleasant questions.” They are, he writes “apparently the price we have to pay for the pleasure of appearing in public.” The...
(Too-) Good Reads
(Edit: this is a legacy post, from the days when Shoulblog was on WordPress.com. Things have changed a bit, and I no longer have the Goodreads widget discussed in the first paragraph. Instead, I keep a running list of the books I’m reading/have read on this site; to see it, click on “READING” up...
Downbound On The Upper
Note: When originally written, this was part of a series of posts about pictures used in the header at the top of this blog. Well, life happens and headers change, and now there are completely different pictures up there. Oh well, I’ll keep these posts, though. Previous posts in the series are here and here...
Pictures Of 2012
Another year, another folder for my computer photo archive. Here are some of my favorite shots from the year 2012. You know the drill — you can click on any of these shots for a larger view. Two of my favorite photographic subjects are right here in this picture: the “Captains Return” statue of...
From WordPress.com … Shoulblog Year In Review
This is kind of interesting, if you’re a stats geek like me. Hard to believe people came here from 63 countries, but that’s what it says. Also, three of the most-visited posts in 2012 were published in 2011; I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. 🙂 Anyway, cheers, and...
Resolutions
I’m gonna swear more in 2013. I’m going to eat more, exercise less, and simply roll myself wherever I need to go. I’m going to make darn damn sure my rights under the Berner Convention are protected. I will park myself on the couch and watch every second of every episode of The Bachelor. I will...
Same Kids, Different Trees
If ever there were a blog post that didn’t need any explanation, this would be it. Except, perhaps, to say, in order, Jim, Mike and Andrew. Merry Christmas from Shoulblog! ***** Previous Shoulblog Christmas messages: A Christmas Card (2010) “You Are Welcome Here” (2011)...
Reading List, December 2012: My Last (And Next) Five Books
It’s been way too long since my last Five Books list. But it’s been a crazy-busy last few months, and for a while there my reading seemed to have just fallen off a cliff. But hopefully I’m back on track now. So herewith, are the last five books I’ve read, and a semi-wild guess...
To Focus On (Exactly) Two Things
A few weeks ago I had to drive to Little Rock, Ark., to cover a towboat christening for my work. I drove down there on a Friday, attended the christening on Saturday morning, and returned home that afternoon; the driving, round trip, was about 800 miles. St. Louis to Little Rock might be one...
A Campaign About Nothing?
Talk about “vapid.” On “Morning Joe” today (click for link), the panelists sat around and complained about how little substance there is in this year’s presidential campaign. “Am I the only one depressed here?” asks Joe. Then the other panelists groan and say yes, they, too, are depressed by this state of affairs. They...