As we turned off of Central Park West and drew near the green awning heralding Café des Artistes, Dave cast an uneasy glance towards Liz. “Ummm—am I dressed okay?” He peered in the window at the magnificent sprays of flowers and waiters in white coats bustling to and fro. “Well—,” Liz endeavored to be diplomatic;…
It was decided that my first real experience of the city should be a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge—I don’t know which I enjoyed more, the soaring views or the delight of talking ninety-to-nothing with my sister! On the other side, we stood on the pier and gazed across the water at the edifices of…
We’ve just returned from a trip to New York City visiting my sister and her husband who moved up there this fall to attend The Art Students League. Though Philip’s been there numerous times for business and pleasure, I’d never set foot beyond the bounds of JFK Airport. Not even when Liz lived there for…
Still trying to get my bearings again after traveling, I thought I’d just share one of my very favorite poems. I cherish the beautiful mercy of Christ that these lines express, and can relate so well to the feelings of unworthiness before such amazing love… Love bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,…
“Do you know what today is?” My Granddaddy leaned back in his chair and regarded me through partially closed eyes. August 18th—what Civil War battle took place on that date? My mind roved frantically through a jumble of generals and statistics field maneuvers that he was always parceling out to me like choice sweets. But…
[This is a guest post from Philip. Read it quick before Lanier sees it!] Lanier’s friend Rachel stopped by the other day for a little visit. After a few cups of tea, they moved to the piano and sang a few tunes. I got out my laptop and tried capture a little bit of the…
We had the first fire of the year yesterday. I’ve been checking the weather for weeks now, remembering with a sigh the years that the first earnest cold snap descended in late September. And I’ve been laughing inwardly at the thought of the night last fall when I invited one of my best girl friends…
I’m a self-professed Austen purist, and I’m a little concerned about the new Pride and Prejudice coming out…looks somewhat contemporized to me. Of course, I’d love to be pleasantly surprised. It’s been far too long since a captivating and lovely and worthy period film hit the theatres and I’m feeling rather starved. (So much so,…
For an enchanting sojourn in a quaint Scottish village tucked away in the heart of the Angus Glens, allow me to recommend J. M. Barrie’s delightful The Little Minister. The story—among the most touching of love stories I’ve ever read—opens with the arrival of a new minister in the town of Thrums, a village based…
I find that I must apologize for an apparent lapse. It seems that while I was pleasantly diverted entertaining houseguests that my domain name expired–I’m not sure exactly when! Allow me to put in a good word for auto-renewal! Thank you to all those who expressed concern.. 🙂
Isn’t it lovely the way a truly great book lingers with you long after the cover is closed? I dreamed about the end of A Room With a View last night, and this morning I pulled it off the shelf and looked up Mr. Emerson’s heartfelt speech to Lucy in the second to the last…
for Frances, Charlotte and Margaret, three beautiful princesses… (I wish that I had written this!) Just Like a Book My little girl of many dreams, the world a book and life a story, How beautiful the princess seems, how well the hero wears his glory. I don’t intend to shake my head and tell you…
There is something in the air of a breezy, shimmery autumn day—overcast but not dour, cool but not chill—that always brings to my mind images from Tennyson’s Idylls of the King and Malory’s Morte d’Arthur. Is it the memory of school days, of afternoons on a woolen blanket spread beneath the dogwoods on my neighbor’s…
I picked the last of my vegetable garden today, and that upon the urging of two horrified girlfriends who spotted tomatoes literally rotting on the vine this weekend. The truth is I grew weary this year before my garden did. Usually around the end of July it succumbs to the tropical humidity we are infamous…
A stormy night, the mysterious death of a bitter old man, and an estranged granddaughter arrested for murder—thus the stage is set for one of Augusta Evan’s most thrilling tales. The spell cast upon the prosecuting attorney by the marble-featured Beryl Brentano, who proclaims her innocence with righteous tenacity and a feminine swoon or two,…
Okay, I never do these…but this was a personality test that I just couldn’t resist! 🙂 "Which Jane Austen Character Are You?" Here is my very predictable result… Feel free to leave a comment and let me know ‘who’ you are! 🙂
Every year or so my husband reads Thoreau’s Walden again. Last Christmas I tucked a pocket version in his stocking, and I honestly think that it was his favorite gift. He keeps it by his chair in the den; I love to see him come in from a long day and an embattled drive home,…
I would like to take this opportunity to promote this wonderful and well-written magazine. Articles range from techniques of creative writing to explorations of great literature to short stories submitted by subscribers. I have been very impressed by the integrity of this publication and would not hesitate to recommend it to book lovers young and…
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