PROVINCETOWN — Once upon a time there was come unto the land a plague of broad proportions, a pestilence that brought death, desolation, and disruption, and caused many in the […]
The Year-Rounder
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Tuna: A Little History
This magnificent fish is more than just ‘seafood’
PROVINCETOWN — What a gorgeous monster! First, its size: over nine feet long and over 700 pounds. Then, its unreal color: dark steel blue with green reflections, merging into gun-metal […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
My Hoary, Helmeted Head
Happy to live in a town where everyone rides a bike
When I was in my early teens, in Pennsylvania, I worked: I had a paper route, was a stable boy, did door-to-door sales, and I saved my money. Finally, I […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Clamming: Opening Day
Our collective tension vaporizes on the flats
PROVINCETOWN — Friday morning, Nov. 6, 2020. Under a serene and cloudless wide blue sky, with a temperature in the high 50s, a scene reminiscent of the work of Breughel: […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Broken Wing
The ways of nature can be difficult to witness
Three days in a row, in late September, I went out to Race Point Beach in search of a couple of rare gulls. Three days in a row I failed […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
A Reckoning With Evil
The real story is not Trump but his supporters
I meant to write this in time for last week’s paper, but I missed the deadline. That means you will be reading these words on Nov. 5. Between this day […]
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Alleyway
The place without a name, perfect for random excess
In every soul there is an alleyway. And every town has one: at least one place like this. Even in beautiful Provincetown, full of narrow winding lanes, lovely gardens, charming […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Almost Cut My Hair
What is a haircut for, anyway?
PROVINCETOWN — I have not had a haircut in at least seven months. My hair is almost as long as it was 50 years ago. It doesn’t really matter; I […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Hope Is the Thing With Flowers
A blossom survives in the corner of a playground
I aspire to be a writer. My two young granddaughters, though, ages four and seven, would not care if I never wrote another word. They are staying with us now, […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
The Summer of Our Discontent
Whose heart does not ache in these fearful times?
PROVINCETOWN — Nothing in life is perfect. I woke up this morning unrefreshed. The weather has been too damn hot, even at night. I ran out of full-strength coffee and […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
The American Dream
Recognizing a broken system for what it is
PROVINCETOWN — The American Dream rides high out on the gray waters of Provincetown Harbor this morning in the form of an immense yacht. Actually, I can see five yachts […]
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What Makes a Story Important?
Just one of the hard questions local journalists must ask
Look at what you are holding in your hands (or reading online). It is the creation of a group of people dedicated to bringing you the stories of the Outer […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
A Higher-Stakes July 4th
Confronting instead of celebrating American history
The Fourth of July has come and gone and I am not quite sure what to make of it. There was celebration and merriment — always a good thing, I […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
What Work Is
The existential costs of being unemployed
The first time I really focused on the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, I was about eight years old. The rabbi explained that the two […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
A Dead Seal
The evidence of danger just beyond the beach
The immense corpse lay on its back on the upper beach, eyes heavenward, although unseeing. Its full abdomen, up-thrust chin, bristly whiskers, and jowly throat suggested a human quality; if […]
