PROVINCETOWN — Within the silence of the snowstorm, I walk the frozen beach, boot-crunch the only sound accompanying me. The muffled white air swirls and eddies. And then I hear […]
The Year-Rounder
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
Food for Thought
On the pardoning of two turkeys
Only one of Donald Trump’s many actions in the four years of his presidency got my approval: his pardon for the Thanksgiving turkey. A local turkey was pardoned last year, […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
The Origins of Hatred
Can we overcome differences and preserve the republic?
My last column (“The Bradford Street Wave”) came out on Jan. 7. In it, I decried the threat of violence that hung in the air and pled for reaching out […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
The Bradford Street Wave
Are we destined to descend into tribal warfare?
PROVINCETOWN — Walking along Bradford Street with my dog, I see the DPW truck coming down the hill. I know many of the DPW guys, and one of them, Paul, […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
The Year We All Became Year-Rounders
Learning to love the saddest tree
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
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 […]
THE YEAR-ROUNDER
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 […]
