An oil painting of a lit candle.

Sight Unseen

A blind expat's musings on life, death and the Trump era

April 23, 2026 | Rome, Italy

Gold medal art

Vying for Olympic glory and the art of fine writing are not so different if you look to their cores.

After the "Evil Empire," important openings.

The Green Knight

When a literature professor retired 35 years ago, he rued a world of ruffled civility. Little could he imagine the next phase.

Governments by musical chairs.

Cui bono

The way Italian politics has been conducted for decades can help American seeking the how's and why's of flip-flopping Donald Trump.

Airports tax adults to the limit, and sometimes beyond.

Annoying at any age

Some parents unfairly bash their kids for misbehaving in endless airport lines. But who wouldn’t be bored, if not exasperated?