Why write more when my home page
will distract you from the real me.
E-mail me here: (written out to reduce spam) ben(at-sign)benpollock(dot)com
“Falling-Down Cake” is my childhood name for Mom’s chocolate cake. Mom, as discussed previously, was a cook of post-War vintage, the Joy of Cooking, The New Settlement Cook Book and Thoughts for Buffets her references, with a handful of index cards copied from her BFF Isabel Marks. Her weeknight chocolate cake — the single pan […]
A full-scale, live television candidate debate just may be the pinnacle of unscripted yet predictable “reality TV,” with a local example as proof. It was a circus of tamed animals, no clowns. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor faced Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton at a University of Arkansas auditorium. Below […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Why were we here, besides for our writer friends and some sightseeing? To get better. Speakers at the 2014 conference of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists discussed politics, government and history, but the focus was on development of our skills. Hence, two wrap-up pieces. I tried to live-tweet a lot except […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Speakers at the 38th annual conference of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists could be separated into two general topics, with overlap: Some focused on Washington and capital news, and others on developing of crafting and marketing columns. Hence, two stories. I took a lot of notes and live-tweeted, except when I […]
This pasta sauce says summer to me louder than gazpacho soup. If you’re desperate for hot weather, this’ll be almost as good with canned tomatoes and dried basil. The temperature contrast between room temperature sauce and steaming pasta is deliberate. Here’s a quote from a 1985 newspaper recipe by Arthur “Food Maven” Schwartz: “Some uncooked […]
I have a real full-time job, near ideal actually, its long title notwithstanding. On June 12, I signed a formal offer to serve as 2014-15 Interim Assistant Director of the University of Arkansas Center for Ethics in Journalism and Instructor of Journalism. It comprises the same responsibilities and term as assistant director, without the “interim,” […]