I’M SITTING OUTSIDE AT THE MOCHA BERRY CAFE, talking to Vickie Steward, author of one of the most eclectic blogs out there, about one of the most eclectic towns in Britain, Glastonbury. Normal For Glastonbury is the blog, and Vickie has the enviable job of documenting the goings on in this peculiar little place. A […]
Excerpts from William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer’s Night Dream,” 1595-96
Shakespeare’s A Midsummer’s Night Dream is likely the most influential fairy tale of all time, albeit geared towards adults. It also gave us three of the most famous of all … Oberon, Titania and of course, Puck. Oberon has an odd provenance, starting with ties to the Merovingian dynasty, who are rumored by some to be […]
Eating Poe: Poe in Baltimore, his last act on the mortal stage, living and dying in the shadow of the sea
And so we find Edgar Allan Poe in Baltimore. Those who look to unravel the mystery of how Poe died here are chasing windmills or chasing a buck. There’s a good reason we’ll never know the truth about Poe in Baltimore on his fateful last visit. It’s none of our business. Dying is a private […]
The Secret of the Raven: At the end of Poe’s life, one finds the unexpected … hope
I spent much of the past eighteen months living with Edgar Allan Poe. I can’t say I knew the man when I first started. I had some travel experiences with him, basic biographical sketches and of course, his tales and poems. But it wasn’t enough. I wanted to get into his skin. I needed his […]
The Secret Life of Photographers and Trees
I live in southern Illinois. The middle of nowhere. There’s not much in the way of dramatic subject matter to shoot around here. Once spot looks pretty much like the rest. The difference is in the small details. And in the weather. There’s not a lot to recommend this place, but we do have four […]
A True Ghost Story for Christmas: Abigail of Montauk Point Lighthouse
Montauk Point Lighthouse, c. 1796, Montauk, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York It’s a curious phenomenon that people who live far from the ocean are obsessed with lighthouses. Here in southern Illinois, my mother collected lighthouses. At an art fair a while back where I sold my wares, the only prints I sold were two […]
