Posted inIn All Things

Into the Woods

A chance remark led me back to Walden I was urging revolution on a harassed friend and rummaged in my memory for Thoreau rsquo s remark about living boldly The line was on the tip of my tongue but would not leave it I picked up my copy of Walden and began browsing the many passages I had underlin

Posted inIn All Things

Egypt’s July 4th

Going into the 4th of July weekend I look at the political turmoil taking place in Egypt and feel fortunate to have been born in a country that had its revolution 200 plus years ago and was led by men of such singular ability George Washington Benjamin Franklin John Adams Thomas Jefferson Jame

Posted inIn All Things

Joe Kennedy, Family Man

I didn rsquo t know a great deal about Joseph P Kennedy before I began reading about him and from the little I knew he seemed an unsavory character He had made a large fortune some of it possibly from bootlegging he was the U S ambassador to Great Britain from 1938 to 1940 and supported appeas

Posted inColumns

Portrait of a Lady

My mother was a great fan of Henry James. She kept his novels and essays in her bookcase along with books about the author and Leon Edel’s masterly five-volume biography, which she read end to end. I’ve always liked James too, though unlike true devotees I don’t adore his late work

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