“A man who carries a cat by the tail,” wrote Mark Twain, “learns something he can learn in no other way.” I have shelves and piles of books in our […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
This, Too, Shall Pass
After the pandemic, what will we have left?
I drove to the Evergreen Cemetery in Eastham the other day to try to see the rare clay-colored sparrow that has been reported there. I didn’t find it, but it […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Deep Time and This Day
What do we owe to the distant future?
I have been invited to participate in a (virtual) panel discussion at Ian Edwards’s Art-Science-Climate Broto conference scheduled for May 16-17 in Provincetown. The topic is “Deep Time and Climate […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Story Time for ‘Locals’
Gather round for a genuine feeling of connection
You are three years old. You’ve just had a good dinner and some milk and cookies, brushed your teeth, been tucked into bed, and now Mom or Dad pulls up […]
the year-rounder
‘How Slight a Shelter’
What would Thoreau have made of 2020 Cape Cod?
Henry David Thoreau’s residency, starting in 1845, in a 10-by-15-foot shack next to Walden Pond for two years, two months, and two days is generally considered by scholars as a […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
The Provincetown Identity
It’s about beauty, differentness, and openness — but mainly it’s the people
I have always loved Provincetown. From my very first day here, well over 50 years ago, I knew I belonged. I remember a long-ago conversation with the (late) cartoonist Howie […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Big Deal in Bird World
In winter MacMillan Wharf becomes a mecca
I have written about the centrality of MacMillan Wharf to Provincetown. I would get no argument in the summer, certainly, or even the shoulder seasons. Ferries first disgorge people, who […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Napi: An Appreciation
Back in 1969 we acquired a street dog named Napi. He was a real son of a bitch. I wanted to call him Walt (Whitman), but the name just wouldn’t […]
The Horrors and Hopes of Another Christmas
I am dreaming of a Commercial Christmas, just like the one we have every year. You are a hard one to shop for: you have everything, maybe two of everything. […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Shhhh: A Love Letter
The library is a place where we can just be ourselves
I love my library. It is a beautiful building in a beautiful town. A beautiful building that happens to be full of books — rooms and rooms of books, shelf […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
The Heroes Among Us
Acceptance, safety, and transformation inside a cramped room
There are heroes living among us, men and women who struggle and prevail every day with the demon of addiction. You may know one of these heroes; you may not. […]
the year-rounder
Looking for the Portuguese
Was immigration as accepted in the 1800s as it is discouraged now?
PROVINCETOWN — It is true that Provincetown was incorporated in 1727, but it was not much of a town then — more like an outpost. It really wasn’t until the […]
the year-rounder
Fishing Is Our Essence
Has Provincetown learned Mary Heaton Vorse’s lesson?
PROVINCETOWN — My late father-in-law was a wonderful man, with a simple palate, a real meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. Whenever any of his three daughters (each an accomplished and inventive […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Provincetown’s Fake Economy
Income inequality is all around us
PROVINCETOWN — I live in an unusual Provincetown neighborhood. There are 11 nearby dwellings, and eight of them are occupied year-round. (That’s 73 percent.) Two of my year-round neighbors own […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Sanctuary and Balance
Our hallmark should be respect for all, including ourselves
PROVINCETOWN — Sailing or motoring out of Cape Cod Bay, rounding Long Point and entering Provincetown Harbor, there is a sense of protected water. The harbor appears as a big […]
