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Blog Post Summaries

The Best of New Writing on the Web

Summaries of the last ten posts here. Follow the link for the full text or subscribe to the feed

Fourth Edition

published on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:40

I’m way behind in getting this introductory post out because we’ve spent ages battling HTML code problems. Transferring material from sites seems to bring with it masses of random, stowaway code that changes font size, removes paragraph breaks, jams the text into narrow-spaced lines. It’s a nuisance. But anyhow, here we are at last, with [...] [read more]

Antidote to Overstimulation

published on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:55

From Tasting Rhubarb amazing how something so plain pleases how drawn I am to this quiet angularity and its matching shadows   I imagine myself pulling up a chair and laying my head on the table top rubbing my hot cheek on the cool white surface before I pick up my pen and write only [...] [read more]

33 inches of therapy

published on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:52

From Wheels on the bus In 1990, teenaged girls from across the land began to fantasize about becoming prostitutes and then getting picked up by an absurdly sexy investment banker who would hire them for a week before falling passionately in love. If all went according to plan, our investment banker would be tall and [...] [read more]

Meeting Helen of Troy

published on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:49

From Incurable Logophilia I find Helen of Troy one of the most compelling literary characters of all time. I don’t remember when I first became aware of her existence but it was well before I had actually experienced any real Greek mythology, definitely before I’d read The Iliad. It’s fascinating to me how literary characters [...] [read more]

Whatever Title You Think Works

published on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:45

From Fig Crumbs I haven’t much time so this is a bit of a rough draft. A lot of the detail I’ll just have to leave to your imagination. Don’t worry, it’s easy. The only thing I know for sure is that I want thirty characters involved. They don’t need names, you can think some [...] [read more]

Emerson on Carlyle

published on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:41

From So Many Books  I wonder what it was in Emerson that allowed him to have good friendships with people that were difficult? He must have found such relationships stimulating. Perhaps they were an opportunity to test his own mind and ideas against those of another who wouldn’t balk at telling Emerson he was full [...] [read more]

Anthropomorphic Motoring

published on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:38

From Ombudsben I have a coworker who gets lost easily; I’ll call her A. About four of us were hired at the same time, working between two buildings, a lovely old well-ornamented Beaux Arts building and a modern concrete and glass box, connected by various corridors and passageways. We have passcards to beam us into [...] [read more]

On The Road Via Green Tortoise

published on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:33

From Quirk (originally posted in two parts) I decided it was time to leave New York City not long after I was attacked in the subway. It was the late 1970s. I lived up on West 92nd Street in Manhattan, sharing an apartment with a tai chi teacher and friend and various other guys enthused [...] [read more]

Matriarchy

published on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:24

From Beautiful Desolation  After the service and interment, we drove back to the church for the reception. Stood in a receiving line, mourners shaking our hands and mumbling words of sympathy while we did our best to look suitably solemn. The church basement was airless, musty and full of old bones. Not unlike mother’s coffin, [...] [read more]

A Brief Delay

published on Mon, 11 Feb 2008 13:54

Many apologies, folks. The next edition will be a couple of days later in arriving than usual – let’s say Wednesday. Just a few technical hitches! [read more]