When you are on lockdown half a block from a murder, and later are told you probably know the shooter personally, it’s a bad week. When you are told the person who’s probably the shooter but who really knows has said he is so sorry, that is the next week, and it ain’t great, either. […]
Read More Toil and TroubleI cut wildly long passages from de Toqueville. Yes, it’s great for our juniors to read historical sources on the American character, but seriously, have you read de Toqueville? Whew. I added little pictures where we stopped during reading to answer questions such as, “Are Americans greedy or generous?” “Do Americans work too much, or […]
Read More In AmericaI don’t want to know the future, yet I stop at Zoltar’s machine every time I visit Coney Island. It’s been a while. I still have all my fortunes in a decorated matchbox, in case I need to consult them. It’s part of my fascination with animatronics, robots intended for fun, and the whole Pygmalion […]
Read More Zoltar, Who Isn’t RealI mention to the barista that I have to go back to school tomorrow. “I used to work at a school. First I was a preschool teacher, and then I was a janitor. I found whole apples stuck in the toilets.” Thus the summer came to an end. I chose Hawaiian coffee, because the sound […]
Read More Fish Were Jumping
