Contentment pervades those parts of me I can’t reach, can’t touch unless I ride deep breaths into my quiet heart or my relaxing mind when it slips into a neutral channel where pressure never can invade. There, I find peace, its wellspring.
Even though our winters might not be what they once were, especially the ones remembered by us “Boomers” of the 1950s and 60s, the fact that all of the leaves have fallen and been sucked up by the “great vacuums” of Danville’s department of public works by January is a sure indicator that Nature is... Read More
(Scene: Karma-Lita is a Karma Delivery Professional. Her personal motto is “Get karma’d.” Today she’s carrying a big book and delivering karma to George, an unsuspecting victim who works the night shift.) Karma-Lita (singing it out): Ring-a-ding-ding in there, Apartment 2-C! It’s not nice to keep Karma-Lita waiting in the hallway! Open the door and... Read More
Some people choose writing. For Barry Koplen, writing chose him. “It was a covenant,” Koplen explains, describing the inexplicable pull he felt toward the written word since childhood. “I simply could not disregard it.” Yet for decades, he couldn’t understand why. While other kids enjoyed football and crafts, young Barry found equal joy in putting... Read More
Not only a typeface, but also a massive gesture, daunting to ignore, revealing as a Christmas tree hung from buildings indicates significant steps toward its completion. Too, a daring kiss, a stolen embrace, new love.
Brokeback Mountain (9/10 Rating) Released December 9, 2005 (Limited) For rent/purchase on all major platforms. Genre: Contemporary Western, Period Drama, Tragic Romance R: Sexuality, nudity, language, and some violence 2h 14m Watching films from the early 2000s has reminded me how much American culture has changed in such a short period of time, but... Read More
Recently, I did some shopping at the Dollar Tree in Danville Plaza II on Mount Cross Road across from Walmart. While standing in the checkout line, I watched as the cashier rang up the purchases of several customers in front of me. These “Dollar Tree treasures” were of a Christmas Season nature; plastic branches and... Read More
(Scene: Mamie is zinging around the house like a pinball accelerating off rubber backstops. Solly is watching and trying to calm her down.) Mamie (puffing): …Lists…I need lists…I’ll never get done in time… Solly (inner brows angling downward): What’s wrong, Mamie? Why are you so very frantic? M: It’s the holidays, Solly. I’m not very... Read More
Nate Hester is living his dream. The visual artist, whose work explores the rich tapestry of American landscapes and the dynamics of modern home life, has found an unlikely muse in Danville, a city whose layers of history, texture, and everyday beauty have become integral to his artistic vision. From Deep-Fat Frying to Fine Art... Read More
Harvest time when cherry trees, shaken by machines, drop their fruit, both red and green. All the greens are packed to go, to be dyed, disguised as bright red maraschinos. Their bottles hold bold delights, cherries red and merry, once green, hiding in plain sight.
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