I recently came across this beautiful folk song — sung here by Tim O'Brien, whose mournful fiddle is as haunting as the song. It is an odd combination of of martial spirit, the soldier's success in battle, pride in his accomplishments at having served with brave commanders and an unanswered longing for a woman whose […]
Foreign Lander and the Life of the Sailor/Soldier Read More »
Weaving in a time of war and chaos…following Tolkien's ideas of sub-creation in difficult times: "“Why should a man be scorned if, finding himself in prison, he tries to get out and go home? Or if, when he cannot do so, he thinks and talks about other topics than jailers and prison-walls? The world outside
Creating in a Time of Chaos Read More »
It is wonderful to know that younger researchers in the area of African studies are still looking into my father Emile's work — his photographs and his collection of recordings of musicians from many areas of West Africa, including Senegal and the Ivory Coast. Here's a link to the collection for anyone interested in having
Emile Snyder Archives at University of Washington Read More »
In the wake of the borders crossings now occurring, along with the tremendous dangers, particularly for young girls and women, I wanted to return to a novel that brilliantly describes and almost mythologizes such an under-taking. Here is the original review I wrote quite a few years ago. It still holds– maybe even more so
Of Border Crossings and Mythic Journeys : Yuri Herrera Read More »
Years ago, when I was writing Flight of Michael McBride, I researched the unique language used by cowboys to describe their horses, their activities, and even the different phases of their lives. As a writer, how could I not be captivated by an entirely new diverse lingo used to express the fullness of a life lived
Language of Cowboys and Horses II Read More »
The relationship between cowboys and their horses is, in some way, an ancient tradition. Each man seeks to know his horse, to count on the horse for the cowboy's livelihood and, at times, in the long cattle rides, for survival. But wild horses must also be broken and trained — an arduous task for the
Language of Cowboys and Horses I Read More »
In Medieval books, there is almost as much information in the margins as in the text. The art is another coded version of the text that visually expands the discussion if you know the language. But how to read it? That is something I want to learn more about.
Knowledge displayed in the Margins. Read More »
“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things: air, sleep, dreams, sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” –Cesare
The Spine of a Novel That Tends to the Eternal Read More »
One of the greatest pleasures is reading Sicilian folktales midday while drunk on a dense-full-bodied beer (16.2 percent) produced locally in Boulder. Like the beer, the stories are rowdy, naughty, mythic, and full of gullible and wise fools who make donkeys appear to shit gold, drive menial men to do self-destructive things and conspire to
Plank’d and Research Read More »
