Time away

Heart of Dixie, a photo series by Walter Beckham.

"People need focus": an atheist Quaker.

A mother's excellent advice.

Summer reading

My book club just read Southern Cross the Dog. I am recommending it to you, with a few cautionary notes. Bill Cheng is a gifted writer and it's clear that he's read an awful lot of Faulkner. Critics asked, how can a person from Queens write a convincing novel about the south? Well. One page at a time, I'd imagine. (Authenticity in art, and culture, has been on my mind so if you want to talk about it, give me a call).  It's not a great book, but the writing is solid and you'll find yourself racing through the last few chapters.

To feel the place... that's another thing entirely. This book, it never really gets there. Not enough meat on the bone, but! The novel pays homage to the blues musicians of Mississippi and I reckon that's reason enough to post some videos. 

Labor Day weekend

Labor Day is bittersweet. September is my favorite month, and autumn my favorite season... and yet.

The last weeks of summer are a time for appreciation of the verdant wonder, all around. 

And swimming. Lots of swimming.

Folks like to go out of town for Labor Day, but I prefer to stick around. It's quiet. I spent the weekend swimming, sleeping, reading and cooking. You'll hear no complaints from me. 

 

A peach and blueberry pie, baked for the weekend / I recovered from my post-california exhaustion in time for yoga / sunset patio hour at Cafe Driade / Sunday morning mimosas with Frida Kahlo / changing the calendar forward, it's (finally) September.