The So-called Emptiness of Rural Life

The prejudice against suburbs or rural America is ignorant and short-sighted, like all prejudices turn out to be.

1. Rural America includes farmers and ranchers. They supply the nation’s food. They voted for Trump overwhelmingly. They are to be won over, not…

Indian fashion

Dawn smiled and browsed the Internet. On www.racked.comshe read 30 pages about native American fashion, looking for women to interview. Her ribs fluttered as she realized Bethany Yellowtail grew up on this reservation. Yellowtail was part Crow, part Northern Cheyenne. She designed pieces with details that…

There are 16 padded armchairs in the periodical section of the library, located at its rear, by the windows, often shaded for some unknown reason. One guy opens the NYTimes to the crosswords puzzle and fills it out for all to see. Someone left a note asking whomever to copy the puzzle and leave the…

Bring Back Charlie Rose

I call Charlie Rose my “late-night husband.”

I have watched “The Charlie Rose Show” almost every night since the 1990s. I’ve spent more time listening, absorbing, looking at him than most spouses do their partners. I’ve learned things: his vulnerability with dogs, his…

The Chronicles of Bob Dylan

I just listened to Dylan’s acceptance speech for the Nobel award that he won for literature. He talks mostly about books that inspired his songs — Moby Dick, All’s Quiet on the Western Front, and The Odyssey. He has certainly been on an odyssey.