Categories
2002 Pulitzer nominee News, Spin

9-1-1, a National Call to Emergency, and We’re Low on Gas

Loose Leaves column, 1st published Sunday 16 September 2001 in The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas By Ben S. PollockCopyright 2001 Donrey Media Group TUESDAY — Here it is, 2 p.m. Gas-station shenanigans hold up everything. Earlier today, I was wrapping up some family business in Fort Smith, and after lunch was driving along and […]

Categories
2002 Pulitzer nominee School & University Life

There’s No Time Like Show Time to Fake What You Know

Loose Leaves, 1st published Sunday 9 September 2001 in The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas By Ben Pollock Copyright 2001 Donrey Media Group Spring is no time for commencement addresses: Who can pay attention in the excitement of graduation from one course, looking toward the next beginning? September may be a better time. Where you’ll […]

Categories
2002 Pulitzer nominee School & University Life

Head for Hills, Hogs Coming — But We’re in the Hills

Loose Leaves, 1st published Sunday 2 September 2001 in The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas By Ben Pollock Copyright 2001 Donrey Media Group In days, Northwest Arkansas will be overrun by large vehicles flying fluttering red pennants indicating — not the communist overthrow or seduction of Gov. Mike Huckabee –the return of far-flung University of […]

Categories
2002 Pulitzer nominee American Culture

They Don’t All Do It and They Don’t All Lean on Voters

Loose Leaves column, 1st published Sunday 26 August 2001 in The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 2001 Donrey Media Group Would a man who would lie to his wife — and lie regularly and evidently successfully for a good year — lie to voters? Did someone say Bill Clinton? It’s […]

Categories
2002 Pulitzer nominee Life Lessons

The Heck with the Little Guy, Let’s Spend Time with Mr. Big

Loose Leaves column, 1st run Sunday 5 August 2001 in The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 2001 Donrey Media Group Wal-Mart has ruined me for others. By its clout, it can buy in huge quantities and entice us by passing the savings on to us. As you and I know […]

Categories
2002 Pulitzer nominee News, Spin

Chandra Levy Taken by White Slavers Hired by Crazed Politicians

Loose Leaves column, 1st run Sunday 15 July 2001 in The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 2001 Donrey Media Group It wasn’t even Friday the 13th yet, but the week wrecked me from the start. Somebody said something vaguely insulting. The home repair was delayed a few days, again. My […]

Categories
2002 Pulitzer nominee Life Lessons

Take My Hand, I’m Scared; Let Me Go, I Can Do It

Loose Leaves column, 1st run Sunday 6 May 2001 in The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 2001 Donrey Media Group I am paranoid or sensible enough to fasten the seat belt every time I get in an automobile, without caring that most states, including Arkansas, mandate wearing them. My family […]

Categories
2002 Pulitzer nominee Poetry

Cheating the Greeting Cards with Revolt for Originality

Loose Leaves column, 1st run Sunday 22 April 2001 in The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 2001 Donrey Media Group BIG CEDAR LODGE, Mo. — What can be worse than amateur poetry? Perhaps only off-key singing by a relative you dare not criticize. On the other hand, what is better […]

Categories
2002 Pulitzer nominee Life Lessons

Go and Sin Some More: You’ll Be A Better Person For It

Where’s the Sin in Synonyms? Loose Leaves column, 1st run Sunday 25 March 2001 in The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 2001 Donrey Media Group There may be seven deadly sins, but we don’t hear much about most of them. The reason is that they have important uses, if not […]

Categories
2002 Pulitzer nominee American Culture

Is It Just My Imagination, Or Is Everybody Paranoid But Me?

Loose Leaves column, 1st run Sunday 4 February 2001 in The Morning News of Northwest Arkansas By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 2001 Donrey Media Group Tomorrow, I’ll return Stephen King’s “On Writing” to the library so you can check it out. In it, King summarizes his youth to show how he came to his profession. […]