Things
In Memoriam: On Cemeteries and the Memory of Ordinary Lives
Who could not be superstitious, sentimental, and impractical around matters of death?
The Woman Scared of Her Own Kimono
I feel unworthy to wear the uniform of my inheritance.
The Body Has Teeth: On Stephen King and Stand By Me
“If I were writing a book about a movie, it would be Stand By Me.”
Annie Dillard, Azzy, and Me: On Motherhood and Loss
“I was left dazed and sad and missing my cat while tending to a newborn.”
In Which the Magpie Delivers the (Fake) News from the Meeting of the Electoral College
An island receives an unexpected party . . . a prize is granted . . . a large problem is solved.
From the Magpie (lightsoftsheer neutralbetween)
“My nearly weeping when I watch Lil Buck dance is because I’m not sure this is allowed anymore.”
Ernest Hemingway and Me: Reflections of an Insomniac Writer
“Insomnia is the bitter digestif to a long day of living.”
From the Magpie (Work)
In which the Magpie finds direction in the grids of Agnes Martin.
Elena Ferrante and Me: An Irrational Essay
“I felt betrayed. Not because she was no longer anonymous; I had never cared about that. But because she is not Elena.”
Elegy for a Journeyman
Author Frank M. Robinson shamelessly proselytized great literature he loved.