Archive for December 2016
A philosophic interlude at Le Fumoir
A philosophic interlude at Le Fumoir by David Benjamin “Homer tells us also that Sisyphus had put Death in chains.” — Albert Camus, The Myth of Sisyphus PARIS — Something about this joint gets me to over-thinking. Maybe it’s the art on the walls. My favorite is a painting of two gauzy and anorexic art-deco…
Read MoreIt's happening here
It’s happening here by David Benjamin PARIS — While visiting from Brussels, my 14-year-old godson, Benjamin, grew exasperated with the alarmism at the dinner table. He said, “All grownups do now is sit around, eating, drinking and talking about Trump.” Hey, music to Donald Trump’s ears. And Benjamin is right. No political figure in my…
Read More"Believe (in) me!"
“Believe (in) me!” by David Benjamin He said, “Picture this: the Oval Office. A dozen news cameras are rolling. The new president ushers in an eight-year-old girl named, let’s say, Jenny. He sets her up on his desk. He proceeds to strip her down and molest her sickeningly for ten minutes. Within an hour, a…
Read MoreHe's ba-a-a-ack!
He’s ba-a-a-ack! by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis. — Sirens screaming, lights throbbing, Car 54 jumped the curb, dodged several trees, skidded violently and spun in a circle before lurching to a sudden stop in a snowbank just shy of the playground. By several inches, it missed flattening a little boy in a purple snowsuit. Officer…
Read MorePapa's thumbnail
Papa’s thumbnail by David Benjamin MADISON, Wis. — My grandfather’s hands fascinated me. Papa, as we called him, put in fifty years at the Milwaukee Road frog shops in Tomah. He was a machinist, repairing switches and the huge steel “frogs” that intersected rail lines. When he arrived home after his eight hours, I would…
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