Dave’s Diaries: Life, writing and more

  • Period present

    I wish I could take my mother to see the new movie about Lincoln. I’ll never forget the night when we watched the segment of Ken Burns’ “Civil War” that included the Gettysburg Address, and the version Sam Waterston read was somehow different than… Read more

  • A binder full of the blues

    A few days ago I invited you (yes, YOU. The whole Internet) to join me in “Blues by Committee.” For those of you who actually have lives away from Facebook: “I’m going to give y’all the first line of a blues song that’s just begging to be written … Read more

  • Blogger block

    Am I taking the easy way out by blogging about the fact that I can’t think of anything to blog about? Dan Fader, who wrote wonderful books and was one of my creative writing teachers at U-Mich long ago, said this when asked how to deal with writer… Read more

  • Boomer bust

    Browsing the New York Times website today, I was greeted with, in big red letters: “Booming.” (Hint: this isn’t about the economy). You guessed it: a proud, shiny new section of the Nation’s News(?)paper dedicated to my g-g-g-generation (sorry, I … Read more

  • Turn your phone into a what?

    I try to keep my geezerhood in check, but once in a while I see something that makes me channel my inner Andy Rooney, and this is one of those things: an article about some new apps that can “make your smartphone into a walkie-talkie.” PLEASE tell… Read more

  • Stipulations

    Stipulations

    Stipulate: Law . to accept (a proposition) without requiring that it be established by proof: to stipulate the existence of certain facts or that an expert witness is qualified (from Dictionary.com). Party A stipulates – at probable great cost to … Read more