Columns

The Mindful Bard – Dante’s Inferno

DVD: Dante’s Inferno Theatrical release: August 26, 2008 Production Company: Ricochet Starring: Dermot Mulroney, James Cromwell Director: Sean Meredith Paper Doll Puppets Enact Mythos of Medieval Christendom ?Okay, let’s see . . . organs . . . guts . . . insides . . . It’s?insider trading! Woo-hoo! Where’s my Buick?? Dante in Dante’s Inferno… Read more »

Porkpie Hat – What Comes Next: Some Thoughts on Aging

The accepted milestones of passing time are meaningless. What are birthdays? What are New Years’? It’s all nothing but noise and cake. One day, your life is a bright red balloon, clutched tight in a snotty-nosed kid’s little fist. There’s a distraction, something shiny catches your eye, the grip is relaxed for a moment, your… Read more »

From Where I Sit – Signature Redefined

Several years ago I wrote a column entitled ?Signature? in which I raised the idea of adding a new definition to our understanding of what signature may mean. I suggested: ?the definitive way one distinguishes oneself? should be the new, grown-up definition. This passionate belief arose directly from my experience as a federal census taker… Read more »

Porkpie Hat – Of Smoking

It’s been more than 11 years now since I ground out my last cigarette beneath the heel of my boot, but I still miss smoking. A vile habit it may be, but to me the act of smoking was always a series of small, profound pleasures: the carefully observed ceremony of drawing the smooth white… Read more »