For more than five years, I wrote a weekly opinion column for The Perry County Times and its affiliated papers in southcentral Pennsylvania. I saw this as a way to give something back to the rural community where we have a little farm called Pencil Creek, but the columns become an important part of my writing rhythm. In the world of novel-writing, where six months’ work can vanish in an instant and completion dates are reckoned in years, it’s not a bad thing to have a weekly deadline.
From time to time, when I wrote on a topic of regional or national interest, I published one of these pieces in a larger newspaper, but mostly they’re a reflection of my state of mind in any given week. Not to mention a launching-pad for my curiosity!
Here’s a complete archive of my Op-Eds. There are over 300 of them. Perhaps you’ll find one or two that agree with you…
It’s Elementary, My Dear Mendeleev…
One of the great pleasures of having a high schooler in the house -- and no, I’m not being facetious -- is being reminded of my favorite subjects, minus the adolescent drama and classroom tedium. Case in point: the periodic table. You may remember the periodic table...
How Tough Times Can Lead to Bad Choices
A roofer shoulders a load of shingles and climbs onto the slippery rungs of a ladder. He knows he ought to double-check the ladder’s footing, but all he can think about is the cost of gas, and how he’s going to fill up his truck without another payday loan. An...
Back When Saying “I love you” Cost Thirty Dollars
Say what you like about your monthly phone bill, we live in a golden age of telecommunications. Take our daughter’s recent trip to Portugal. She traveled with her laptop, which is practically fused to her fingertips by now. At the end of a long day of swimming,...
On Capitalism and its Kissing Cousin, Philanthropy
One of the pleasures of researching last week’s column, which included a passing mention of the laying of the first transatlantic cable, was learning about Cyrus West Field, the American businessman who was the driving force behind the effort. The son of a...
A Simple “Thank You” That’s Not So Simple
People think of writing as a solitary activity, and for the most part, that’s true. I’ve yet to meet the novelist who can write while talking on the phone, although such a multi-tasking wonder probably exists. Even if you’re forced, like Toni Morrison at the beginning...
From the People Who Brought You Sadism and the Étude
I had a French teacher once, a charming mustachioed former footballer, who delighted in tormenting his students with tongue-twisters. “Prenez!” he’d say, thrusting one hand under his blue blazer, Napoleon-style, while waving the tobacco-stained fingers of the other....
Holding the Curve, Poems by Melody Davis
Holding the Curve, a lovely new book of poems by Perry County native Melody Davis, owes a certain debt to Robert Frost, whose poem “Devotion,” was, I presume, the source of Ms. Davis’s title. With apologies to Ms. Davis for quoting another poet in her review, here is...
Conjuring Ghosts at the New York Public Library
Walk into a public library these days, and you’re as likely to see someone hunched over a computer as you are to see a reader cracking a book. This isn’t necessary a bad thing, merely a reflection of the degree to which human knowledge has become digitized. Some...
Tales from the 21st Century Bazaar
A few years ago, in Asheville, North Carolina, my wife and I wandered into a repurposed brick warehouse in the River Arts District and came out with a treasure: a clutch purse made out of a piece of a kilim rug, trimmed in black leather. I call it a “treasure” for a...
Let it Rain, Let it Rain, Let it Rain
Our ancient metal roof was in sorry shape. The panels were sagging and streaked with red, as if they’d been raked by the claws of a winter storm. Rust was bubbling up through the paint. In fact, in some spots, a thin layer of paint seemed to be all that was standing...
The Gatekeepers of War and Peace
Last week on Veteran’s Day, as I was meditating on the deep sacrifices our country asks of its military families, I came across a documentary called The Gatekeepers. I’d read about the film when it came out and was reminded of it again at this year’s Academy Awards as...
Olshan’s Top Ten Holiday Gifts
There’s a good chance you’re reading this the day after Thanksgiving, having finally metabolized yesterday’s monstrous meal. I can only hope you see it before you’ve finished drawing up battle plans for today’s holiday shopping. I don’t like anything about “Black...
Virtual Coins with an Age-old Agenda
I'll never forget my first Ponzi scheme. The year was 1978. I was a pudgy and shy sixth grader -- or “A-former,” as sixth graders were called at the St. Albans School for Boys. It was my first year at the school, which made me new meat. Also, I was a choirboy, a...
In the Deer Stand, the Readiness is All
For lifelong residents of Perry County, the matter is simple: deer season (antlered, rifle) opens; everything else temporarily grinds to a halt. But for my cousins in Washington, D.C., the idea of hunting is mind-boggling, almost as fantastic as the thought of owning...
The Story of My First Deer
Last week I wrote about the challenges of restraining one’s self in the deer stand; that is, taming the powerful impulse to shoot when shooting isn’t allowed. This week the story is a little different. This morning, December 12th, at 7:44AM, I shot my first deer. As...