Rev. Dr. Jeff Garrison
Mark Jarman, Dailiness: Essays on Poetry (Philadelphia: Paul Dry Books, 2020), 177 pages. I became acquainted with Jarman’s poetry through poems published in the Reformed Journal. Dailiness consists of a series of long essays on various aspects of poetry. Originally, I thought I would use this as evening reading, but the essays were too long and deep … Read more Books on Poetry and Writing and a Poem
Much of this blog post had been originally published as an article in The Skinnie published in March 2018. This version has been slightly edited and altered. Easter Sunday 1982, Old Salem, North Carolina The wake-up call came at 4:30 AM Sunday morning. I am staying at a hotel right across from Old Salem in present-day Winston … Read more Easter Sunrise Services
Bluefield, West Virginia I traveled to Bluefield last Friday to attend the HopeWords Writers’ Conference. I had never been to Bluefield, although I often taken the West Virginia turnpike, I-77, through West Virginia. The turnpike bypasses Bluefield by about ten miles to the north. Known for coal and trains, the Norfolk Southern yard takes up much … Read more HopeWords Writers’ Conference
A butt-naked boy ran through the crowd. This is the first thing I see as I step into the country, immediately after having my passport stamped. And he wasn’t just a boy, certainly no toddler. He was at least five feet tall and probably 11 or 12 years old. I do not know what was … Read more From Bangkok to Siem Reap
It looks like we’ll have a baseball season this year. Why are there so many good baseball books? I don’t know of any other sport who produces as many good writers as baseball. In anticipation of the season, I listened to Robert Creamer’s Baseball in ’41, which I’m reviewing below. I’m also attaching a review of another … Read more In Preparation for the Baseball Season: Book reviews
Anne Applebaum, Red Famine: Stalin’s War on Ukraine (2017), 17 hours and 46 minutes I read reviews of this book when it first came out. It looked intriguing, but I never got around to read it. When Russia invaded Ukraine, I decided I needed to read something to get myself up to speed on what is happening … Read more Red Famine (some background on the conflict between Ukraine and Russia)
I recently read Heretical Fictions, which I am reviewing here. I am also reposting another review that I wrote seven years ago on Mark Twain and Orion Clemens, which looked at the relationship between Twain and his older brother. That review will enlighten us on the first review. I hope to soon find a way to post an article … Read more Two Books about Mark Twain
“Were you able to dig us some worms?” Granddaddy asked as he got out of his truck. “Yes sir,” I said, “some nice ones.” He smiled. We head into the house. Dinner is ready. He stops in the bathroom to wash his hands and removes his cap as he sits at the table. Grandma is across from him, and … Read more Joe’s Fork
Our Frightening World We’re living in a scary time with what is going on in Ukraine and Putin’s disregard for the rule of law as he orders Russia to invade a sovereign nation. In 2011, I took the Trans-Mongolian railroad from Beijing to Moscow and then an elegant overnight train on to St. Petersburg. It … Read more Learning more about Russia
Story 1: Like a lot of kids, I don’t look back fondly on my Junior High. But the one exciting thing about those years occurred shortly after sundown, especially in the winter. I would wait with excitement as the sky darkened, turning on my receiver and listening as I prepared my transmitter which was tied … Read more Two stories of mine and two related book reviews