Ernestly Speaking
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The Trap of the Withywindle
Have we fallen asleep, lulled by nefarious forces into giving up? Rise and continue the quest. Thankfully, Samwise saved the day for Frodo. I frequently need to hear familiar stories of faithfulness in these dark days. Continue reading
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Lights, Music, Imagination
Winter can seem a fallow time for writers, at least those who live in the lands of shoveling, ice cleats, and short days. There is Advent, hot chocolate, Christmas preparations, and St. Lucia day (for the Scandinavian among us) to combat depression, but winter still seems a time of “blech” to me. Each year, more Continue reading
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Les Malois
A literary vacation in the summer of 2024 took us to Oxford, the Isle of Guernsey, St. Malo, and Paris. Among other reasons, St. Malo is famous as the setting for Anthony Doerr’s sumptuous book, All the Light We Cannot See. St. Malo made headlines at the end of World War II when it was Continue reading
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O Antiphons
I am currently working on a collection of poems based on the O Antiphons—those titles given to the Messiah we await (O Emmanuel, O Root of Jesse, O Morning Star, etc.). The collection reflects images of Christ/Jesus I had, was given, or came to understand in childhood, youth, and adulthood, whether true or false, helpful Continue reading
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“Give me your tired, your poor. . .”
I have been thinking of this beautiful song a lot lately, here sung by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. My high school choir sang it and I’m sure many reading this post have sung it. The song was written by a Russian refugee, Irving Berlin, who understood so well the difficult path of the weary and Continue reading
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Writers’ Museum, Edinburgh
On a corner in a winding walk in the old town portion of Edinburgh stands a 17th century home, now a museum dedicated to the three most Scottish of writers, Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott, and Robert Louis Stevenson. A narrow, steep staircase connects three floors of exhibits containing personal items of the authors, pictures, Continue reading
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Ode to the First Readers
I really thought I was finished. The draft was well edited and re-edited. Spelling and grammar errors were found and fixed. Transitions were clear. Fact-checking blanks left open ‘until I had time to look it up’ were filled in. The three-character dialogue made sense. What was imagined in my head transferred to the page in Continue reading
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What’s on Your List?
What are you reading these days? Some years ago, I began keeping a list of books I read. It was a tiring process that always ended up lacking complete information and dates (which really means, I was lazy and undisciplined). Technology has made the task easier. Choosing among many options, I downloaded an app called Continue reading
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Stout Hearts
Cemeteries can tell us a lot about the living. The practical Shakers of NH put markers flat to the ground so mowing was easy. If they needed a sidewalk elsewhere, they knew where to get what they needed. Victorian cemeteries have cherubs and angels, whereas 17th century graves might have skulls to show the seriousness Continue reading
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Words – Worte – Ord – les Mots – Geiriau
Whatever language you write in, words are often multivalent. I am currently sitting at the Detroit airport waiting for a flight to a reunion with friends from Vienna. I happened to sit next to a German mom and her daughter. The young daughter lives here. The mother is visiting. The waitress brought their check and Continue reading
Ernestly Speaking 