I was recently listening to a Scientific American podcast (you did realize I’m totally geeky, right???) and they mentioned a blog post of theirs that refers to a NYTimes article about men and women’s sexual orientation.
While I couldn’t read the NYTimes article (because I don’t have an account and I refuse to get one more [...]

Posted in life, sexuality, women Comments

americanlife in poetry: column 103
by ted kooser, u.s. poet laureate, 2004-2006
One of the ways a poet makes art from his or her experience is through the use of unique, specific and particular detail. This poem by Rick Snyder thrives on such details. It’s not just baseball caps, it’s Tasmanian Devil caps; it’s not just music [...]

Posted in poetry Comments

I didn’t know about the shootings until quite late yesterday. I get to work at 6:30 in the morning and from that time on, I’m listening to podcasts, downloaded audiobooks, or music. I don’t get radio reception in my office and I rarely listened to streamed radio reports — typically they are about [...]

Posted in events, life, the world Comments

american life in poetry: column 102
by ted kooser, u.s. poet laureate, 2004-2006
Those of us who have hunted morel mushrooms in the early spring have hunted indeed! The morel is among nature’s most elusive species. Here Jane Whitledge of Minnesota captures the morel’s mysterious ways.
Morel Mushrooms
Softly they come
thumbing up from
firm ground
protruding unharmed.
Easily crumbled
and yet
how they shouldered
the [...]

Posted in poetry Comments

american life in poetry: column 101
by ted kooser, u.s. poet laureate, 2004-2006
Those big cherry flavored wax lips that my friends and I used to buy when I was a boy, well, how could I resist this poem by Cynthia Rylant of Oregon?
Wax Lips
Todd’s Hardware was dust and a monkey–
a real one, on the second floor–
and [...]

Posted in poetry, sunday songs Comments