Putting the control of government in the hands of a single political party is a singularly effective way of putting a brake on legislation that will benefit the electorate fairly. Today we’ve allotted so much power to Republicans that we’re at risk of weakening the foundations of our democracy. The battle against DEI is a case in point.
Following an election there’s always a post mortem analysis by the losers about why they lost. The analysts need to find the flaws. And there are several places to look. At the candidates, the party, the voters, the messaging, or just because the time wasn’t right. .
Anne Enright’s novel, The Gathering, concerns the death by suicide of the narrator’s brother. The gathering refers to the mostly family mourners at the funeral. The suicide was conflicted, of course, but also described as the kind of person you search out for friendship. He reminded me of my also deceased partner.
An appreciation of Howard Norman’s novel Come to the Window, with relevant tie ins to my own birth and disjointed trajectory into old age.
An appreciation of Howard Norman’s novel The Bird Artist with a side note or two of additional appreciation for the real artists of Change Islands, Newfoundland, where I lived idyllically for a while.
The lesson learned from trying to be something I was not; that is, an actor.