In the land that is itself large and multitudinous, essayist Madeleine Johnson traverses one bright thread the mundane dub The New Jersey Turnpike, arriving at Aurelius's "living and enthusiastic sympathy with nature," best seen striking an uneasy armistice just off the shoulder.
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War bores at a party
It was just after the eightieth anniversary of the D-Day landings; the flags had barely been lowered, and already the [...]
Your inner weed
I have been doing a lot of weeding lately. As often happens when doing this kind of mindless chore, my [...]
Wares to sell
I got the auction bug when I lived in Milan and a friend invited me to join her at a [...]
Divorce or un-divorce?
An old friend recently filled me in on the details of a circle of friends and acquaintances that goes back [...]
Try this at home
I have spent the summer in my New England outpost, where it has rained so much that my yard has [...]
Dad’s heroes
My father was born in 1918. That birthdate put him squarely in what journalist Tom Brokaw called the Greatest Generation. [...]
The New Mrs. Malaprop
“And he will avail.” In this sentence about the outcome of a plot, the writer confused “avail” with “prevail.” The [...]
Two Battles of the Bulge
Going through old letters, columnist Madeleine Johnson encounters her long dead uncle, who was a soldier in his own private battle.
Bare male flesh
It was not my express intention, but during my travels this summer I saw a lot of naked male flesh. [...]
Tale of two authors
For a long time I have felt called to write about Jhumpa Lahiri, the London-born author of Indian descent, whose [...]