Upcoming Events:
Thursday, 22 August, 1 pm
Book Talk, “Why Books?”, Fitchburg Community Center, 5510 Lacy Rd., Fitchburg, Wis.
Thursday, 19 September, 6:30 pm
Book Talk, “Why Books, and Why This Book?”, Oregon Public Library, 200 N. Alpine Parkway, Oregon, Wis.
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The Weekly Screed
The skeptical shepherd by David Benjamin 1 A long time ago, on a cold winter’s night that was so deep, a certain poor shepherd was keeping his sheep and trying to catch forty winks. But it wasn’t easy. He was haunted, almost every time he nodded off, by visions he didn’t understand. The shepherd’s friends…
Read More...Snapshots and graven images by David Benjamin “… In the souks, however, the price that is named first is an unfathomable riddle. No one knows in advance what it will be, not even the merchant, because in any case there are many prices. Each one relates to a different situation, a different customer, a different…
Read More...Gregor Samsa for president? by David Benjamin “… Gregor was a member of the family, despite his present unfortunate and repulsive shape, and ought not to be treated as an enemy… on the contrary, family duty required the suppression of disgust and the exercise of patience…” — Franz Kafka, Metamorphosis PARIS — Based on the…
Read More...“…Darkness is cheap, and Scrooge liked it…” by David Benjamin “… If I could work my will,’ said Scrooge indignantly, ‘every idiot who goes about with “Merry Christmas” on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart…’…” — Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol PARIS…
Read More...Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Mia Love by David Benjamin “Mia Love gave me no love and she lost. Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.” — Chuckles I disapprove of recycling my own screeds. But, in light of this month’s “blue wave, “ including the defeat in Utah of the GOP’s lonely black Congresswoman,…
Read More...A note of ambivalent thanks by David Benjamin “Lord every year we gather here/ To eat around this table/ Give us the strength to stomach as much/ As fast as we are able…” — Loudon Wainwright III MADISON, Wis. — Thank God that’s over. At some point on every third Thursday in November, it dawns…
Read More...A morning stroll through the genuine news by David Benjamin “It’s important that people from across the political spectrum speak out about the country’s commitment to the rule of law and the core values underlying it — that the criminal justice system should be nonpartisan and independent, that a free press and public criticism should…
Read More...The Goliath dialog by David Benjamin “Anybody throwing stones, rocks, like they did… to the Mexican police, where they badly hurt police and soldiers of Mexico… we will consider that a firearm, because there’s not much difference where you get hit in the face with a rock.” — Donald Trump MADISON, Wis. — Strangely enough,…
Read More...Halloween… before parents by David Benjamin Time was, Halloween was kid turf — just kids. The grownups’ job was to hunker inside, answer the door and fill bags. On any given Halloween in those Wild West days, a kid could cover every prosperous block from Lemonweir Creek to Elizabeth Street and not spot one adult…
Read More...“Seashells and balloons” by David Benjamin “Those (bleepin‘) balloons are staying up there.” — Bill Russell, NBA Finals, Game 7, 5 May 1969 MADISON, Wis. — A dinner with my former boss Patrick inevitably cycles ’round to sports talk. We’re both sports mavens. Our conversation often settles into a comforting cadence, an argot and vernacular…
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