Updike Worked This Way, And I Just

The Great Recession Is Not Imaginary, And The Effects Loom Large. There Was An Article In The Nyt About The Galloping Death Rate Among White Men In Middle Age. Higher Than Among Any Other Demographic, Etc. Mostly Death By Drugs, Alcohol, Or Suicide. Many Of Them Rural. My Feeling Is That It's Many People Who Haven't Been Able To Get Back Into The Work Force. Reg Morse Is An Example Of The Problem.

The Ice Storm, Because Of The Movie, Has Had, Or Is To Have, A Vigorous Life In Other Cultures.

Sadness Is Simply Something To Be Treated With Antidepressant Meds And Otherwise Need Not Be Spoken Of.

If I'm Going To Feel Estranged And Alienated And Away From Home I Don't Want Anyone Interrupting It To Debate Which Berries To Have In Their Pancakes.

I Sort Of Hate The Novel When It Doesn't Push, Restlessly, Against The Tradition And The Traditional.