Why I Write, with Apologies to George Orwell

About a week ago, Ambra Sancin at The Good, the Bad and the Italian wrote about writing, as part of what is called a Blog Hop. She invited me to do the same, so I have, but my format is slightly different, inspired as I have been by George Orwell’s essay,”Why I Write.” At the end of…

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Announcing My New Author Page

You know how sometimes you keep wearing the same old blue work shirt, your favorite wrinkled and threadbare pants, the ones that you bought when you cared more about fashion? It’s easy to just grab ’em and tug the waistband a bit this way and that to fit other things that might be changing. And…

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Tales of Alligator Flesh and Tails

Alligator meat is quite varied in itself The meat found in the tail is white and sweet, and can easily fried or sauteed. The leg meat is dark and less tender, with a color and texture similar to a beef shank, best used in soups and stews. The body meat is more like that of…

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Place and Food, Genius Loci and Terroir

Genius Loci* 1. The prevailing character or atmosphere of a place. 1.1 The presiding god or spirit of a place. ~ Oxford English Dictionary Years ago, psychologist Jon Kabat-Zinn published a book titled Wherever You Go, There You Are (1994). He certainly had a point, and a very, very apt one. You can’t shed your…

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Just a Few Pictures, and a Few Words

Florida is a state where nearly everybody hails from another place. (1) And that idiosyncrasy makes the state an exciting social laboratory for curious (nosy?) people like me. One of the most intriguing questions right now, out there in the wide expanse of the world, is how people deal with “other people’s food.” (2) The…

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