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From cold to warm and back again
February 28, 2022 I’m sure glad my wife and I had a safe room built into the basement of our house. We did it because we were worried about tornados and the dangers of climate change, but it’ll make a fine fallout shelter too. To someone who was born early in the Cold War and… Read more
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Very sincerely yours, Jesse Owens
February 15, 2022 For Black History Month, I’m unpacking a bit of history from the memorabilia in my closet, a program from a sports banquet and a personal letter to my father Don Swan, both signed by Jesse Owens. When we lived in Columbus, Ohio in the 1950s, Dad belonged to the local athletic club,… Read more
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A not-endemic diary: Unmasking the facts
February 10, 2022 My neighbors love to walk. From my desk in front of the window, I see a parade of them: solos, couples, pairs of women, and lots of folks with dogs. Yesterday while taking my own stretch break, I spotted four people and their pups out enjoying the sun on a Wednesday afternoon.… Read more
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A pandemic diary: Covid and tinnitus update
January 29, 2022 Last spring, we began hearing about Covid patients who were suddenly afflicted with tinnitus, a ringing or buzzing in one or both ears that sometimes persisted after other symptoms went away. Others who already had tinnitus found it had gotten worse. Like a lot of things about the pandemic, the connection wasn’t… Read more
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A face in the mob
January 5, 2022 Years ago I knew a kid named Mark. We both belonged to the youth group at our Methodist church, and the summer after my senior year in high school, a bunch of us traveled to the Kentucky mountains on a service project, helping people fix up their houses. Mark was a big,… Read more
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New year, new story: From The Moon To The Earth
January 2, 2022 The moon man is a legend in a small mountain town. He’s been around for years but is only seen at night. He might be a homeless person, a thief, or an apparition. To the young narrator of my new story, “From The Moon To The Earth,” he’s someone to fear. Thanks… Read more
Stories from the South and the subconscious