Why Do People Do This?

Our son invited my husband and me out to dinner on Friday night, his treat. He recently got rehired to a job he had been laid off from a few months ago when business was slow, so he felt like celebrating. And he’s much better at celebrating than I am, one of the...

Installment 11: The Corner Trumpet

Twenty-one December 1942   Charlie left again as quickly as he had come. The days marched toward Christmas, another Christmas without Charlie. Mama was nervous, Daddy listened to the radio, the girls fussed about decorating the house. I heard Mama and Daddy...

Installment 10 The Corner Trumpet

Nineteen August 1942   Slowly and quietly, Charlie was gathering his few things and getting ready to leave us. He had come home with only a duffel bag and his uniform, and he would probably leave with just the same stuff. Mama had washed and starched his sailor...

Is Archie Shepard an Anarchist?

One of Charlotte’s dilemmas in The Dilemma of Charlotte Farrow is what to do about Archie Shepard. Is he really somebody she can trust with her deepest secrets? Mr. Penard, the stuffy butler in the Banning household, also faces a dilemma about what to do with...

Mama Says: Special Presentation

Now don’t send me hate mail because you love your dog. I am about to tell you a story about my mother and her dog. Here’s the preface. My mother is fond of her dog. She recognizes that he has been good for her in the years since she’s had him. But today is her...