TreeHouseLetter

The Prologue of my upcoming memoir opens on the embassy roof as my father escapes with the U.S. Ambassador on the last helicopter out of Saigon in 1975. This is my origin story. Just how will those final hours and the iconic and tragic end of an era in U.S. history figure into her life and her daughter's?Listen to this excerpt of Raising Athena, a Memoir; A Mother and Daughter Attend West Point 30 Years Apart.

German romantic poet Friedrich von Hardenberg on teachers, Mathematics, and love, as highlighted in Penelope Fitzgeral's masterpiece, The Blue Flower.

On drifters and jobs, on Satoshi Yagisawa and David Foster Wallace, on the bookseller and the accountant. Learn about finding "the job" from both authors, about certain truths, about what real courage is. And study the Music in Prose in passages from their books.

On the yoga headstand and what I learned about writing. "You can only do so many things great, and you should cast aside everything else." Tim Cook

Alternate title: The Buddhist, the Catholic, and the Dying Man. Poetry for Emergencies, On happiness and desire, On reputation. It sounds like a bar joke but it's better, because there's more to this than a punchline. Listen to learn how these three gave me courage.

I like authors who make me laugh. Listen to three passages from Ann Leary's essay collection, with one on Bergdorf eveningwear, circa 2009. On writing humor.

Learn about the Japanese Proverb and welcome the New Year with thoughts on Kawaguchi's book, Before the Coffee Gets Cold, time travel, and the impact of one encounter with President Carter.

How long does it take for a snow flake to reach the ground? Poetry in winter and the end of year muse. Poetry for emergencies.

Giving Thanks is a ritual I look forward at Thanksgiving and one I stop to reflect on throughout the year. A text I received from a friend made me stop and consider the role of civility.

A text I received from a friend made me stop and consider the role of civility today.

Solitude and loneliness have been on my mind when this page came up in my reading. Thoughtful reflection on solitude: learning how and why to embrace it with insight from Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. 1 Book and series rec.

I'm not superstitious. BUT, numbers and patterns fascinate me, such as the modern use of 11:11 to make a wish. Why? Learn what the angel number, the armistice, and Veterans Day have in common.

On the Connecticut Polls today and what the example of one elderly woman--who fled the communist take-over of Saigon--can each us about elections.

On Gay Street in Baltimore on the way to Johnny's for dinner, I saw a large woman on the sidewalk, squatting at the wall. Poetry for Emergencies, 1 poem, a bit of Harry Potter, a bit of Poe, and a dream from the US Poet Laureate.

A curious thing happened last week. Learn of marigolds, of love, and of the unforgettable character an author writes about, Elzeard Bouffier. A story rejected by editors then printed and shared in languages the world over. "It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important." Antoine de Saint-Exupery On marigolds, on love, 1 book rec.

True story vs story and fact vs fiction; take a ride to Oklahoma and visit Whiskey 918. And, meet Macabea in Clarice Lispector's masterpiece, The Hour of the Star. 2 Book recs; On poverty; On music; Writer's Toolbox, ages 9 to 99

The evening with the 44th POTUS (President Of The United States) went about as planned. He was all business, in and out, no meal just speech. Sylvanus Thayer Award On a Strong Military and Secure Nation Toolbox: Speech and Rhetoric

Come along with me to the Five Points Neighborhood in West Buffalo for this Foodie special with confession. Explore "texture" in writing and Dante's Third Circle. As Oscar Wilde once wrote, "I am not young enough to know everything." But I know this much.

I want to share two moments with you, rendering them as best as I am able. They are startling in the manner that makes an imprint, a fully sensual memory. Perhaps what makes them so vivid is the sheer unexpectedness of the occurrences. Math geek alert. Pilot's Glory.

Who do you think won? I am back, working with Riverside Studio to share this True Story of Military Life. Thank you for listening, as always.

Happy Birthday to the United States of America. The Declaration of Independence is comprised of five distinct parts. Hear about them, the language, its length, and how the signatures are categorized.

"There are some things which men confess with ease, and others with difficulty. No one, for instance, will confess himself a fool or a blockhead . . . " Epictetus. If Epictetus were alive, he may be surprised to learn that I am No One. That No One who played the part of the fool and blockhead and figured you may benefit from my stupidity.

On narrative lust and the pleasure of rereading with C.S. Lewis. I've recently come across a few passages worthy of rereading, which is also a subject of this letter: a peek into Amor Towles 2024 short story collection, A Table for Two.

On travel and British Columbia in summer. EATS and FEATS: where to eat and what to do. And how I have changed after this particular trip. *Title is a play on the 1959 film from Alfred Hitchcock: North by Northwest.

Poetry for Emergencies. On grief. D. Adam Boaz with a poem from his anthology, Voices from the Second Life.

I gave this speech at New Canaan Town Hall on Memorial Day. I read it here for THL listeners, sharing stories which honor 7 local residents who died during the Vietnam War. Video recording of the speech is available on my site under Events tab.

Toolbox: On Speechwriting and public speaking. Research and preparation for the town Memorial Day speech. Finding the story and pulling it together... and, doing so as the first woman to speak at this event. The holy trinity of writing. Title quote from John McCrae's poem, In Flanders Fields.

Let's take a moment for teachers. That teacher, you know the one. Because, I have a confession to make. . . On poetry for emergencies, E. E. Cummings, and J.S. Bach. David Foster Wallace and This is Water.

On Kansas City, life in the middle, and a meditation on mothers.

We had not met before though we met in other ways, I suppose. On Vietnam and Operation Frequent Wind. And, honoring three marines.

Poetry for emergencies. Friends are leaving, selling their houses and moving away. Mary Oliver on things and Lau Tzu on excess.

I suppose it is the unexpected and the good which sustain us. Learn about a discovery in a second-hand book by Penelope Fitzgerald. In the process meet characters and listen to a cheeky retort from the protagonist.

Earthquake and eclipse may signify the end of times. For both to occur in a week, after a deluge of rain and flooding, it is easy to lose your moorings. Geography Instructor on the quake and Annie Dillard on the eclipse.

Nuts and nonsense. On Mixed Nuts, contronyms, and a classic film.

I love reading about the type of characters and situations I have encountered in my own life. What is less than pleasant is the recognition of less than admirable qualities that bear similarities to my own. George Washington's Rules and C.S. Lewis's Four Loves provide insight on civility and barbarism in an age when their relevance is more important than ever.

The importance of the English textbook and lessons on writing style. Part 2 of 5 with a book rec, a style guide, and passages from four writers: Confucius, C. Keegan, D. Grohl, and Lincoln.

Leo Tolstoy's classic story, C.S. Lewis and "The Four Loves", and a surprising message on the day of a military funeral.

The importance of the English textbook and lessons on writing style. Part 1 of 5 with a book rec, a style guide, and passages from four writers: Tolstoy to Grohl (of Nirvana and Foo Fighters).

Who is superior to the saint, the scientist, the philosopher, and the poet? Learn why reading novels--serious novels worthy of re-reading--enriches your life. Why the novel is in decline, what makes a novel great, where to start, and the 3 novels that damaged the prestige of Communism. The Novel, Who Needs It? by Joseph Epstein

Music and songwriting -- how writing for the senses breathes life into words. A live clip of five-part harmony and a look at the verses that make this song a classic.

"The town mouse and the country mouse. Distress and agitation of the town mouse." Aurelius. True story about coffee with the "town mouse" and Willa Cather on town versus country. 3 book recs, 1 film rec, The Music in Prose of O Pioneers! and wordnerd special.

Pickleball. And, passages from 3 short books by prize-winning authors, Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These (2021) and Willa Cather's My Mortal Enemy (1926) and Annie Ernaux's The Young Man (2022). Ernaux opens this book with "If I don't write things down, they haven't been carried through to completion, they have only been lived."

If you're looking for gifts or books to read over the winter break, I pulled these titles from the TreeHouse shelves and give you my short takes on 15 books from recent reading: contemporary fiction, nonfiction, books about writing, and for-the-serious/for-the-seeker.

If you're like me, you can use a bit of poetry. Tony Hoagland's poems make me re-think, calibrate to a new heading. Can you stand still and hear the worst of yourself from others? Disappointment. Patience. The song lyrics that "evolve" over the years: the words are the same but the message changes as you change.

What I learned about love this Thanksgiving. Three rules for life.

When working on an aspect of my writing, I pay attention for it in my reading. Improve your writing by tapping into the 7 senses--the 5 sense organs and 2 more. Examples in recent works: Horse by Geraldine Brooks and Zero-Sum Stories by Joyce Carol Oates. Writing exercise from the song-writing guide by Pat Pattison, music professor at Berklee.

Veterans Day, Operation Gothic Serpent, and the 160th SOAR. Elite aviators and family remember the Battle of Mogadishu, 30 years ago. Lessons learned, what the media missed, and the effect on the military family.

A text that gets me off my arse, a visit to the cemetery, and word work on three holidays: Hallowe'en, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day.

Take all the stuff of your life. Put what you think will sell in a 20 feet by 20 feet space. What's in your space? Learn about New England's largest flea market and a classic sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley on the folly of fame, legacy, and empire. Visit my site to get a book rec on song writing and link to an exercise to write through the prism of 7, yes 7, senses.

I'm not sure I like running, even when I was fit and fast. Running at mid-life: there's the pain of it, in the chest, in the knees. This letter explores the reasons I run and what I learn running a race the 7th time. And training with a focus on form and cadence, with an eye to effortless, injury-free running. Plus, four books on running and on living; visit the site for more info on books. Notes on gear.

On music and memory, on Norman Blake and Colter Wall. What do we learn from the Fall, from the songs of our lives?