Categories
American Culture

Who’d’ve-Thunks

Copyright 2012 Ben S. Pollock I knew what to expect of The Artist, a “silent” film, meaning no talking, though it did have sound effects and music (and beforehand, ironically, the loudest-volume trailers since those running with Avatar). Still, the teenage box office cashier warned My Beloved and me, while giving me $7 change for […]

Categories
Life Lessons

My Friend Jeff Zaslow

When you’re middle-aged, what the hell is a friend, anyway? Some of my favorite people I see for one long weekend every year, a conference. In between there will be a handful of emails and, these days, rather more frequently, single-sentence repartee on Facebook. I often have met their spouses, briefly, but damn if I […]

Categories
The Course of Words

No Taking Ulysses for Granted

This column first was published as the “President’s Message” in the February 2012 newsletter of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Spring — OK, this is winter but I’m an optimist — is busy-time for the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. • We’re halfway through gathering entries for the annual Column Contest. Have you sent […]