RattleBag and Rhubarb

Train to Nowhere

"We were young and we were keen; Europe was in flames, and we were ready for whatever came."  “I used…

7 hours ago

A Bonfire in the Dark

When I was in the emergency room last year having busted my elbow, a nurse asked whether I had ever…

2 months ago

Locked Out

Most of us have done it at some point or another - accidentally locked ourselves out of the house.  Raymond…

2 months ago

The #1970 Club: Germaine Greer and The Female Eunuch

Thanks to the #1970 Club, I've spent the spare moments of the past week immersed in The Female Eunuch and…

2 months ago

The #1970 Club: Language and Learning

The #1970 Club is starting tomorrow (October 14th) and I'm prepared with some reading and re-reading.  1970 offers a rich…

2 months ago

How do they live with themselves?

How Do They Live with Themselves? This was the question Roger Rosenblatt asked in The New York Times regarding the…

2 months ago

On the Road

"The pleasure [of motoring] is seeing Nature as I could in no other way see it; my car having ‘tops',…

3 months ago

September Round-Up

We've been lucky with the weather in NYC this September. Many bright, warm days The aftermath of the powerful hurricane…

3 months ago

Meaning Loss

In Meaning Loss, Sanje Ratnavale has written a practical and timely contribution to an important debate that all schools should…

3 months ago

Up Queer Street

Our friend Carol said we just had to read David Sedaris in the  September 9, 2024, New Yorker -  “The…

3 months ago