Original anecdotes, commentary, rumination, and occasional pontification.
SEPTEMBER 17, 2019 – On the Nilsson side, I have three brothers-in-law, each of whom is an avid reader. One, however, is the dean. In fact, his name is Dean. Late last week, I had the privilege of visiting with him about his extraordinary literary travels. I first met Dean when he was a student …
APRIL 27, 2019 – Last night I pulled from the shelf a small volume of short stories by Nikolai Gogol, translated into English. Inside the front cover I’d written, “Purchased in Moscow – October 3, 1981.” That was the day before the start of my seven-day rail journey across Russia—and seven days back—with layovers in …