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 […]
Category: American Culture
Mass, Pop, High, Low — that’s for starters
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. […]
Guest column, 1st run 23 October 1994 in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette By Ben S. PollockCopyright 1994 Ben S. Pollock Jr. “Come on, baby, light my fire. Come on, baby, light my fire. Light my fire. Light my fire. Ooh. Ooh.” Jim Morrison Not infrequently, especially in Hollywood, that quasi-mythical land of broken cliches, talent continually […]
Mirthology column, 1st run Thursday 6 August 1992 in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1992 Ben S. Pollock Ever wonder what you’re doing wrong if you’ve never been asked to one of those fund-raising roasts? Me, too. Why, I’m almost an executive. So where’s the invitation? Why is success in a community […]
Mirthology, 1st run Thursday 4 June 1992 in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1992 Ben S. Pollock Jr. DATELINE MIRTHOLOGY — Now that the country has been broadsided once again by mass violence, we either can get together and clean up the mess, or stay in our seats and ask ourselves who […]
Mirthology column, 1st run Thursday 2 April 1992 in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1992 Ben S. Pollock One of the most annoying things about the rest of the world suddenly agreeing with us Americans is guilt. Just about everybody is freely electing presidents and legislators, and writing constitutions, just like we […]
Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 9 May 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock (The finale, Part 3, go back to Part 1 or Part 2) * * * Because the teenager was not easily discouraged, Y.D. reminded wise Oscar Hapgood of a self-reliant cowboy, and so years […]
Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 9 May 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock (This is Part 2, back to Part 1, go on to Part 3) * * * Young at heart, Oscar Hapgood was a match for his budding flower children, 11-year-old Duff McDuff and the […]
Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 2 May 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock (This is Part 1, on to Part 2 and finally Part 3) * * * The older stories were the favorites, and 11-year-old Duff McDuff and his teen-age friend Y.D. often insisted on them […]
Mirthology column, 1st run Wednesday 10 January 1990 in the Arkansas Democrat By Ben S. Pollock Copyright 1990 Ben S. Pollock Everybody at work knows my business so well that sometimes I’m the last to find it out. I mean, if privacy is a constitutional right, what’s left? Today, for example, I called on a […]