Henry Chappell just emailed to tell me that John Graves, Texas writer and living legend, just died at (I think) 93. John was a true Texan with deep roots, a civilized man, a WWII vet who had lived in Europe but eventually preferred his roots, a conservationist and localist before such things were chic, and …
Author: Steve Bodio
J P recovers…. SLOOOWLY– and other writerly blog matters
Get over to Jameson Parker’s to read the latest installment in his account, at times hilarious, always eloquent, sometimes horrifying account of his horse wreck and slow recovery. God, do I identify with him– I am not as hurt and hope I never will be, but my Parkinson’s can at times provide an analogy; and …
Old- Fashioned Ornithology
Before there was Birding, there was Collecting, with a shotgun. Many people don’t realize that type specimens still must be collected to be valid; even a blood sample for DNA is not considered sufficient. And skins of common birds that die are useful for education, and as beautiful as a kind of mortal art. The …
Dog family
Shiri had to leave Larissa with us for a couple of days when she flew to San Diego for a friend’s play opening there. Rissa behaved like a lady– she has obviously gained some poise being the sole queen in a house of boy dogs rather than the third rank female. We hope to breed …
More guns: a preview
One like this maybe (Russ Chatham had one)… And you remember this one? Watch this space…
Serious quote
From Rob Sheffield in the current Men’s Journal: “When you marry somebody, you are guaranteeing that you will have real problems, a future full of them, the kind that involve death and disease and grief… I know other husbands are afraid of this stuff. I have been afraid of it too, and when bad things …
Writing quote
“Among the professional hazards of being a book critic is the nap. Naps sneak up on you. They are beautiful but, like recreational drugs and termites, they can undermine the foundations of your existence. Comfortable armchairs are murderous traps.” Dwight Garner, NYT
Quote with a little melancholy
Is it true? From James Salter’s new All That Is. “The power of the novel in the nation’s culture had weakened. It had happened gradually. It was something everyone recognized and ignored. All went on exactly as before, that was the beauty of it. The glory had failed but fresh faces kept appearing, wanting to …
Some more talented friends
Lest anyone be confused about who is who (see comments not too far below), two southwestern greats, artists, horse folks, friends: photographer Jay Dusard, printmaker and pastel artist Nance McManus, A couple of favorites by Nance: “Prophet”, and a Dinosaurian heron And two by Jay. The first is of rancher- houndman- conservationist Warner Glenn, who …
Once and future?
Passenger pigeons at the Denver Museum by Reid. They will be back, here at least. But why do those who would resurrect them plan on using Columba (Bandtail, now) genes for a template for such obvious Zenaida relatives?