Accents
In my interior memory I hear the drawl of leisurely Southern voices. Best spoken by women, black or white, who come to call, but also possible to appreciate from the lips of a gentleman. Where did this languid, inviting speech … Continued
At the Edge of the Continent
posted in: Mother, Social Commentary, Father, Travel, Childhood, Environment, Growing up in the South, Race |
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At the Holiday Inn Riverview, I look down twelve stories onto a sweep of Ashley River and marsh. Charleston, South Carolina, where I grew up, is chilly this December. My parents, from Pittsburgh (father) and Hankinson, North Dakota (mother), used … Continued
Christmas in the Old Country.
When Geraldine Page creates “Souk” in Truman Capote’s most wonderful work, “A Christmas Memory,” she rises into film legend. Forget Capote’s nonfiction novel from the late 1960s about a family’s murder in Kansas, or even his “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” with … Continued
Thanksgiving
In the Norman Rockwell version, a huge bronzed turkey lies on its side under carving knife and fork wielded by the family patriarch, while up and down a long table wait the solemn yet rosy faces of three generations. Way … Continued
Study Abroad
A dear friend, retired from teaching Art History at the University of Minnesota, leads “study abroad” courses to Florence or Rome for undergraduates. Usually his students are native Minnesotans, attending the “land grant” university where their own parents may have … Continued
The Step-mother of the Bride
Thanks to the suavity and generosity of the upcoming bride and groom, the parents involved in this soon-to-be wedding have sat down to a meal together. It was a heady affair, at least for the older generation. We discovered paths … Continued
Danish Gymnasts, African Students & American Political Hype
In Minnesota Scandinavia, the Danes figure, along with their more populous cousins the Swedes and the Norwegians, as contributors of delectable (and hard to make) holiday treats; civic accountability; spare, appealing furniture design; and the Danish Gymnasts. Friends took me … Continued
The Girl with the Snow Queen’s Kiss
Yes, I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo when it first came out. We were in the Hawaiian Islands, on Kauai, and I sat in the garage-lanai the first morning and afternoon, mid-December, bathed in easy warmth, a flowering … Continued
Nonsense/Cat Sense
Often this time of year when the light fades and mornings are very dark, my mind wakes up with songs or ideas already formed. This morning it was Edward Lear’s “The Owl and the Pussycat.”Years ago, when I first awoke … Continued
Close Connections
Italy’s regions hold fiercely to their cooking. Polenta made of corn in the Po Valley, region of immense corn fields. The Veneto influenced by French, wine-based meat sauces. Olives and bread in Sicily. Cheeses throughout, especially cheeses made from goat’s … Continued