Where I spray-paint my thoughts…
Recently I went to see one of my favourite authors, John Green, on tour for the release of his new novel, Hollywood, Ending. Before and after the event I listened to a few interviews with Green about the book's release, and was struck by one of the answers he regularly gave when people asked him …
I have spent a little time, lately, driving on old roads. Specifically, the one pictured above: the Hodgewater Line, a dirt road with summer cabins on it that can be used (more or less) to get from the spot where our summer cabin is, to a proper road leading to the Bay Roberts area, where …
I've been thinking a lot lately about the history of the internet, and my own history on it. Some of these thoughts are triggered by the fact that I started this blog in June 2006, so I have now been blogging for two decades. And, as always, some of my thinking has been triggered by …
Continue reading "And Here I Still Am: Half a Lifetime Online"
"Spring had come once more to Green Gables--the beautiful capricious, reluctant Canadian spring, lingering along through April and May in a succession of sweet, fresh, chilly days, with pink sunsets and miracles of resurrection and growth. " This is the opening sentence of Chapter 20 of Anne of Green Gables, a book I read (many times) …
When you write a review of a live performance you're supposed to do it while the show is still running, so you can encourage people to go see it. This is unlike a review of a book or an album, where your review might encourage people to buy it anytime. Live theatre is ephemeral, of …
Today is Superb Owl Sunday. As I don't like or understand American football, the only reason I'm ever aware of the Super Bowl is so that I can make my annual joke about Superb Owls (a joke, that, by the way, existed online for long time before the memorable What We Do in the Shadows …
Here's a new thing I've learned: when you've retired, everyone you haven't seen in awhile, especially around the holidays, needs to ask, "How are you enjoying retirement?" Retirement isn't just about sitting in my home office with my feet up. But sometimes it is. I can see that this is good in terms of giving …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVtsg3WXry4 I've decided it's time to share a story that, so far, only my family and a few close friends know about. It happened three months ago, and it's the kind of experience you need to sit with for awhile before being ready to share with the wider world. Well, that's what I needed anyway. …
Continue reading "Bucket Lists and Failures, Part 2: My Ill-Fated Adventure"
I think a lot about failure. Most recently, I thought about it when the Kickstarter campaign that I launched to crowdfund a creative project with my daughter and co-creator, Emma, did not meet its fundraising goal. With Kickstarter, if you don't raise the whole amount you targeted within the time limit, you don't get any …
Continue reading "Bucket Lists and Failures, Part One: The Other F-Word"
It’s the first week in September, and the question I’ve been asked most frequently by people who know I recently retired from a career in education is: “How does it feel not to be going ‘back to school’?” In some cases, the question is based on the mistaken assumption that I’ve been teaching for the …
