Monthly Archives: August 2014

A Friendship that Transcends Language

Zulkuf knows perhaps a dozen words in English, which is roughly 11 more words than I can speak in Kurdish. Sipas means thank you, and that’s the extent of my Kurdish vocabulary. He is a 41-year-old Kurd from south-central Turkey. … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

A Little Hope amidst the Monastery Debris

The other day I watched an eight-year-old boy named Ulash (pronounced Oo-lush) spontaneously take a white plastic grocery bag and fill it with potato chip wrappers, cigarette butts, and crushed plastic water bottles. This was newsworthy not simply because small … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The big scary doll I pushed down the stairs

Recently I came across a photo of my mother introducing me to a doll about an inch or two taller than I am. It is Christmas morning and I am three years old. The doll is called Peter Playpal and … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

A little August eggnog? Unlikely.

We are now beyond the halfway point of August and nearing the final third of the season we call summer. The sun sets a little sooner. The gardens are going to seed. There’s a real chill in the air some … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

What’s in store on a book tour? People.

My late father used to ask me why I go on book tours. “Do you really sell enough books to make it worth all that wear and tear on your body?” he would inquire, a father’s remarkable love leading him … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

At Field Days, we’re all kids again

Later this week I will be facing one of my toughest decisions of the summer: Do I begin my visit to Addison County Fair and Field Days with a maple creemee or a maple doughnut? That’s right, Tuesday marks the … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment