This carefully maintained dock holds a growing collection of the written word. Here, you’ll find thought provoking articles, unique stories, private letters, personal notes, deep musings, and occasionally, even poetry. Much of the content here has never been shared publicly. For whatever reason, some pieces were tucked away by the writer for years. Now, it’s all available for you.
My husband and I shared a sideways glance and silently mouthed a name that was loaded with low-class geekiness. We were listening to a live opera performance in the home of Vivaldi and Rossini, no less, and the name we whispered was “Bugs Bunny.” You can force the kids to grow up and let them roam around the world, but our American musical heritage will stay with us forever. Even if it was delivered by Saturday morning cartoons.
After several drought years, California has been deluged with rain adding up to one of the wettest winters on record. The rainfall has filled the empty reservoirs and swollen the creeks and rivers. The parched hillsides and canyons that sweltered last summer and sent fire warnings throughout the state are now dazzling eyes with vibrant green.
Watch and listen as Gloria Gaither (a former high school English teacher) and Andy Andrews (a former high school poetry hater) discuss Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If—.” This incredible piece touches on humility, patience, arrogance, triumph, disasters, and begs the question, are you as comfortable and real everywhere in your life—from one place to another?
A few years ago I attended my first Catholic mass in a busy church outside Birmingham. It was Easter Sunday. I sat in the nosebleed section.
In this new addition to the Writers Dock, Poetry Conversations takes a deep look at some of the best poetry ever written. Watch and listen as Gloria Gaither (a former high school English teacher) and Andy Andrews (a former high school poetry hater) discuss Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s sonnet “How Do I Love Thee?” Will Andy be swayed? Listen and find out! Also included is the tale of a Valentine Poem Gloria once wrote for her husband, Bill, that mentions “Browning” in the text.
The practice of becoming humble is one that can really be developed by making use of a simple yet very interesting and rewarding habit to add into your family’s daily life. First, let’s take a moment to discuss the roots of being humble. Because the roots of being humble are all about one thing—other people.
I drove out of Birmingham a little ways to meet my friend. I watched the interstate give way to pine trees. Pine trees gave way to farmland. Farmland gave way to cattle pastures. Somewhere deep in the sticks, my GPS went to be with the Lord.
Dandelions dotted my childhood. When the long Michigan winter began to admit defeat, there were dandelions, spreading their leaves like fingers, flat and broad, across the greening grass with their tiny fists of buds in the middle. Their first spring appearance was signal for my mother to grab a plastic bucket and a long-bladed kitchen knife and head for the yard and meadow to harvest those tender plants and buds for our first batch of dandelion greens.
The mall was crowded. I was maybe 5 years old. And I was lost. If you’ve ever been lost in the mall as a little boy you know true terror. I had somehow drifted from my mother. I had been distracted by—of all things—a magic show.