Sometimes the truth of a story is found between the lines, between the words, even. Not that the words are not true, but that there is a larger truth behind […]
The Year-Rounder
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
White Christmas Dreams
Provincetown winters — and much else — are not what they used to be
In December, I kept hearing the familiar Irving Berlin tune: “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know….” Of course, what we had was […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
In an Outer Cape Bubble
How can it be that we are so far out of the mainstream?
I have never written a political column and do not intend to do so now. We will see if I succeed in that. Provincetown is one of the bluest dots […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
A Heritage of Nicknames
Reflections of a time when Dutras and Silvas were ‘as thick as the air’
A small notice in the Nov. 18 edition of this paper caught my eye and started me thinking. It announced a memorial for Joe Corea, a good man. The notice […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Sometimes, Beauty Is Not Enough
Nature in itself cannot heal every human heart
I am not happy today. Don’t ask me why. I didn’t rest well last night; perhaps the magic balm of sleep did not take place. Or am I getting sick? […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
The Strong, Thin Line of Remembrance
On keeping watch in the dark
I am standing outside our beautiful town hall on a chilly, dark evening — late afternoon, actually, in this damnably short-day time of year. There are flickering candles all around […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Laughing Matters
A well-told joke is a lot like poetry
The old woman brought her toddler grandson to the beach and watched placidly as he played in the sand at the water’s edge. Suddenly, a huge wave washed the child […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Over the Bridge
Two weekend trips to a foreign country
I believe I have mentioned my fierce love of Provincetown. I believe, too, that I am not unique in this respect. Indeed, one of the defining attributes of people on […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Dog on a Beach
The satisfactions of immeasurable love
The British inventor Lord Kelvin famously said that if you can’t measure something, “your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind.” I heartily disagree. The most important things in […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Drinking in Provincetown
On the civic purpose of taverns
Roughly 80 percent of American adults drink alcohol. It is by far the most destructive drug in our society but also the most enjoyed, and many would agree its moderate […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Life Among Artists
What is it that compels some people to dare to make art?
I was born in Harrisburg, Pa. and grew up there around the middle of the last century. In my young life, I observed the adults around me: the women were […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
The Music in Us
What is left behind after the instruments have been packed away?
A wedding party celebrated on a large East End deck on a sunny Sunday afternoon and on into a moonlit evening, with a live local band — Steve Morgan and […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Swimming for Our Lives
Whether you live or visit here, the water defines your experience
Many years ago — 55, to be exact — I was on the island of Mykonos, in the Aegean Sea. I had met a young British woman there, and we […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Welcome to the Whale’s World
How we love them, and how we fail them
On a still day in late March out at Herring Cove Beach, dozens of people faced the water. Low voices traveled over the sand. The crowd was hushed, as it […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
The Summer Invasion
Walks, guts, family meals, and important small moments
I have been away from my desk. Instead of writing a column, I took a child for a walk on the beach. It was early morning low tide. She is […]
