The aspen glitters in the windand that delights us. The leaf flutters, turning.Because that motion in the heat of AugustProtects its cells from dryingout. Likewise the leafof the cottonwood. The gene pool threw up a wobbly steamAnd the tree danced. No.The tree capitalized.No. There are limits to saying,In language, what the tree did. It isContinue reading “Sunday Morning on the Planet: The Problem of Describing Trees”
Author Archives: Kit Stolz
Conservative: McCain-Palin is Bushism, not Reform
Daniel Larison, a columnist/blogger for the fascinatingly unpredictable American Conservative, in a column sharply points out (here) that the McCain-Palin ticket represents not reform, but a all-out continuation of "Bushism." In the warped universe of Bush Republicanism, McCain/Palin was the relatively moderate alternative to the extreme [Joe] Lieberman option. In truth, by choosing Palin McCainContinue reading “Conservative: McCain-Palin is Bushism, not Reform”
McCain Speaks, Nation Yawns
Well, maybe I’m a little biased. But that’s how it seemed to me. Charles Lane, on the Wa-Po’s Post-Partisan blog, called it (here) "a snoozer…easily the worst of this year’s four presidential and vice presidential nomination acceptance speeches." Another viewer counted at least nine on-air yawns from Republican delegates in the hall. Notable facts: MentionsContinue reading “McCain Speaks, Nation Yawns”
Sarah Palin Has Her Way with Matthew Scully
Sarah Palin’s speech this evening was written by Matthew Scully, a Republican speechwriter, says the WSJ. Scully is a fine writer and gave Palin an solid text, but anyone who has ever read Scully on hunting or factory farms must wonder how he really feels about writing for a candidate who is not only anContinue reading “Sarah Palin Has Her Way with Matthew Scully”
Sarah Palin: “Over” Before her First National Speech
Ever read a book that’s so great you just don’t want it to end? Sarah Palin is like that for lefties. Her crash and burn is so spectacular that the fun’s all but over before she’s even appeared on the national stage. That’s according to Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan, famed for her speechwritingContinue reading “Sarah Palin: “Over” Before her First National Speech”
An Ill Wind Named Gustav
What the GOP really is thinking about Gustav…according to Tom Toles:
John McCain: Vetting is for Wimps
Achenbach has an enviable sense of humor about the Sarah Palin pick: The Sarah Palin saga may be appalling for some viewers, and deeply disturbing, but I find it inspiring. Once again we see why America is a great country. You can be anyone, from anywhere, with any level of professional qualifications, including none atContinue reading “John McCain: Vetting is for Wimps”
21st Century Ghosts
Ghost is a word field biologists use to describe a species near the end of its time on earth. Often these endangered species are birds, but in a spectacular essay in a nature writing-themed issue of the English literary journal Granta, Robert MacFarlane expands the meaning of the word slightly. He visits an obscure regionContinue reading “21st Century Ghosts”
What Books Would Sarah Palin Ban if Sarah Palin Could Ban Books?
From Time we hear that as a newly-elected Mayor of Wasilla, Vice-Presidential nominee Sarah Palin tried to ban books from the town library: One thing all sides agree on is that the valley was in flux. The old libertarian pioneer ethos was giving way to a rising Christian conservatism. By shrewdly invoking issues that matteredContinue reading “What Books Would Sarah Palin Ban if Sarah Palin Could Ban Books?”
The Latest on Sarah Palin: “A Colossal Screw-up”
She was vetted by a Google search by the McCain team, according to the Los Angeles Times. One Republican strategist with close ties to the campaign described the candidate’s closest supporters as "keeping their fingers crossed" in hopes that additional information does not force McCain to revisit the decision. According to this Republican, who wouldContinue reading “The Latest on Sarah Palin: “A Colossal Screw-up””
Kit Stolz 