Author Archives: Kit Stolz

Knitters gone wild: “Guerilla grannies” surprise Ojai

Thanksgiving is the heaviest on food of all our national holidays, and perhaps the lightest emotionally — coincidence? Not sure, but for the Ojai Valley News, here's a fun story that I think fits the occasion, about the latest in organic chic — yarn bombs. Other descriptors: Yarn bombers. Guerilla knitting. Yarnstorming properties. Guerilla granies, Here's anContinue reading “Knitters gone wild: “Guerilla grannies” surprise Ojai”

The only ones who know spring is coming: Jack Gilbert

The poet Jack Gilbert died this week, after a long illness (which usually means cancer, but in his case meant Alzheimer's…a story well told in the Los Angeles Times).  Gilbert was brilliantly eulogized in Andrew Sullivan's irreplaceable blog, and in passing Sullivan mentioned the name of his poetry editor Alice Quinn, formerly of The NewContinue reading “The only ones who know spring is coming: Jack Gilbert”

The little girl and the Beasts of the Southern Wild

Without doubt the movie this year that most effectively dramatized the precariousness of life on the environmental edge in these United States, including sea level rise, was Beasts of the Southern Wild.  Below is a central image from that powerful film, and an explanation of a story told in glimpses. You can't take your eyes ofContinue reading “The little girl and the Beasts of the Southern Wild”

How to start a conversation: David Brooks

David Brooks, the conservative columnist for The New York Times, can be irritating to a Californian:  During his first term, President Obama faced a wicked problem: How do you govern in a highly polarized, evenly divided country with House Republicans who seem unwilling to compromise?  The GOP did not "seem" to be unwilling to compromise.Continue reading “How to start a conversation: David Brooks”

The great and the small: Mary Ruefle

From a spectacular essay in Poetry by Mary Ruefle:  I remember John Moore, another teacher, who did the damnedest thing. We were studying Yeats, and at the beginning of one class Mr. Moore asked us if we would like to see a picture of Yeats. We nodded, and he held up a photograph of YeatsContinue reading “The great and the small: Mary Ruefle”

McKibben stands up for the climate against Obama admin

Bill McKibben vs. Obama administrators: In March, 2009, the White House invited leaders of environmental organizations to a meeting. The invitees thought they were going to hear about the president’s strategy on climate change, in preparation for the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December. And they did — aides to theContinue reading “McKibben stands up for the climate against Obama admin”

The one-liners of election night 2012 (mostly comedy)

Seems like we've been hearing a lot of pissing and moaning about the horribleness of the election season; well, now that it's over and the President and a lot of other decent people have carried the day, may I confess that I've rather enjoyed it?  Here are just some of the lines of election nightContinue reading “The one-liners of election night 2012 (mostly comedy)”

Why Romney deserved to lose: Daniel Larison

Daniel Larison writes a fitting political epitaph for Mitt:  Romney represented almost everything that was wrong, misguided, and self-destructive in the Republican Party and the conservative movement. His defeat is a good outcome for the cause of peace and liberty in the country as a whole and within the Republican Party. The public rejected aContinue reading “Why Romney deserved to lose: Daniel Larison”