Columns

Tim Rumsey 2 min read ,

Happy as a Clam

West seventh All-Star cab driver, William “Texan” Dubois is a happy man. Ever-wise, calm, alert and ready. Knows who he is and what he is doing.

Tex is happy… I’m pretty sure.

I asked Tex once if he was and he said, “You bet” and then he laughed hard. “I’m 64 years old, still standing, working. My elimination functions are under control. No debts. Nothing to run from.”

OK, good.

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Jacket cover of “On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson” by William Souder
Beatrice Cosgrove 2 min read ,

The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson, Part 2

And so we continue our journey with Rachel Carson. Welcome back to my two part review of “On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson” by William Souder. The second part of the book opens as Carson navigates the publication and success of her new book “The Edge of the Sea” while examining the ups and downs of her personal life, including her romance with Dorothy Freeman, the death of her sister, Marjorie and multiple health complications. 

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Tim Johnson 3 min read ,

Paying Attention

The moral of the story was pay attention. At least, that was what my dad suggested as the take away lesson. It was hard to argue with that conclusion. I was at a home town basketball game. I had a front row seat, a great spot to watch the game. The ball slamming me in the face caught me totally off guard. My broken glasses lay on the ground. All eyes turned toward me to see if I was OK. I was caught between shock, embarrassment and the sharp stinging on my face. As my dad later that night rightly observed, when you are sitting in the front row, it might be a good idea to pay attention to the game rather than chatting it up with your friends. You never know when an errant pass might be coming your way. 

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Jacket cover of “On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson” by William Souder
Beatrice Cosgrove 3 min read ,

The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson (Part One) 

The opening line of “Under the Sea Wind” underwhelmed me. I wasn’t sure I could make it any further, the next page or so was a jumble of 1940s nature writing I had never previously cared to read. I put it down, staring at the small cover plastered with a giant sticker reading “Interlibrary Loan.” I sat and wondered why I had decided to do this in the first place. The great outdoors was never something that called to me. I like civilization (a lot), but somehow, the seemingly fictional Rachel Carson reeled me in, and I found myself devoted to William Souder’s “On a Farther Shore: The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson.” 

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