Toolbox: On Speechwriting and public speaking. Research and preparation for the town Memorial Day speech. Finding the story and pulling it together... and, doing so as the first woman to speak at this event. The holy trinity of writing. Title quote from John McCrae's poem, In Flanders Fields.

Let's take a moment for teachers. That teacher, you know the one. Because, I have a confession to make. . . On poetry for emergencies, E. E. Cummings, and J.S. Bach. David Foster Wallace and This is Water.

On Kansas City, life in the middle, and a meditation on mothers.

We had not met before though we met in other ways, I suppose. On Vietnam and Operation Frequent Wind. And, honoring three marines.

Poetry for emergencies. Friends are leaving, selling their houses and moving away. Mary Oliver on things and Lau Tzu on excess.

I suppose it is the unexpected and the good which sustain us. Learn about a discovery in a second-hand book by Penelope Fitzgerald. In the process meet characters and listen to a cheeky retort from the protagonist.

Earthquake and eclipse may signify the end of times. For both to occur in a week, after a deluge of rain and flooding, it is easy to lose your moorings. Geography Instructor on the quake and Annie Dillard on the eclipse.

Nuts and nonsense. On Mixed Nuts, contronyms, and a classic film.

I love reading about the type of characters and situations I have encountered in my own life. What is less than pleasant is the recognition of less than admirable qualities that bear similarities to my own. George Washington's Rules and C.S. Lewis's Four Loves provide insight on civility and barbarism in an age when their relevance is more important than ever.

The importance of the English textbook and lessons on writing style. Part 2 of 5 with a book rec, a style guide, and passages from four writers: Confucius, C. Keegan, D. Grohl, and Lincoln.