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A Creature of the Underworld
“Badgers are the creatures of the underworld, denizens of earthen darkness…It is in the hidden places under the night sky or in the twilight hours that they are most commonly to be found…Symbolically they inhabit the forbidden domain of the dead, the dangerous destination of [those] who journey to the underworld in search of treasure.” Read more
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The war is three years in
The war is three years in. A charismatic leader of the attacked nation rallies his citizens, but looks to the United States for survival. The oppressor has made large territorial gains but seems to be stalled in its tracks. Who knows how long the war will last? Who knows how much more sacrifice is to Read more
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The Golden Spruce
If one book could be chosen to represent an entire geographic entity, and for the sake of argument, the entity was the province in which I live, British Columbia (BC), this book would likely be that choice. Toronto: Vintage Canada (a division of Random House), 2006 The Golden Spruce was the local library’s book club Read more
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In Praise of the Short Story
“The slaughter hasn’t started yet.” Thus begins a short story by Lee Abbott, called “One of Star Wars, One of Doom”, published in 2001. Is that a great beginning or what? There’s no way one turns away from such an opening – a sense of real foreboding and mystery. And the use of the present Read more
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Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays
Last winter (Dec. 9, 2023) I mentioned the many gifts I’d received from my godparents. That got me taking a look at my old Rupert the Bear annuals, which came out at Christmas time. Bringing back many happy childhood memories, they seemed the perfect visuals for my annual holiday greetings. This one is from an Read more
