TreeHouseLetter
By Veteran, Mother, Writer
TreeHouseLetterNov 30, 2022
Dirtman and Dillard on Signs of the Apocalypse
Earthquake and eclipse may signify the end of times. For both to occur in a week, after a deluge of rain and flooding, it is easy to lose your moorings. Geography Instructor on the quake and Annie Dillard on the eclipse.
Deez Nutz*
Nuts and nonsense. On Mixed Nuts, contronyms, and a classic film.
Who Does Not Prefer Civility to Barbarism?*
I love reading about the type of characters and situations I have encountered in my own life. What is less than pleasant is the recognition of less than admirable qualities that bear similarities to my own. George Washington's Rules and C.S. Lewis's Four Loves provide insight on civility and barbarism in an age when their relevance is more important than ever.
How to Improve Your Writing - Part 2: from Confucius to Lincoln
The importance of the English textbook and lessons on writing style. Part 2 of 5 with a book rec, a style guide, and passages from four writers: Confucius, C. Keegan, D. Grohl, and Lincoln.
What Men Live By*
Leo Tolstoy's classic story, C.S. Lewis and "The Four Loves", and a surprising message on the day of a military funeral.
How to Improve Your Writing - Part 1
The importance of the English textbook and lessons on writing style. Part 1 of 5 with a book rec, a style guide, and passages from four writers: Tolstoy to Grohl (of Nirvana and Foo Fighters).
Superior to the Saint, the Scientist, the Philosopher, and the Poet?
Who is superior to the saint, the scientist, the philosopher, and the poet? Learn why reading novels--serious novels worthy of re-reading--enriches your life. Why the novel is in decline, what makes a novel great, where to start, and the 3 novels that damaged the prestige of Communism. The Novel, Who Needs It? by Joseph Epstein
An Alabama Road
Music and songwriting -- how writing for the senses breathes life into words. A live clip of five-part harmony and a look at the verses that make this song a classic.
Town Mouse and Country Mouse
"The town mouse and the country mouse. Distress and agitation of the town mouse." Aurelius. True story about coffee with the "town mouse" and Willa Cather on town versus country. 3 book recs, 1 film rec, The Music in Prose of O Pioneers! and wordnerd special.
Living Outside the Page
Pickleball. And, passages from 3 short books by prize-winning authors, Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These (2021) and Willa Cather's My Mortal Enemy (1926) and Annie Ernaux's The Young Man (2022). Ernaux opens this book with "If I don’t write things down, they haven’t been carried through to completion, they have only been lived."
Books for the Casual and Serious Reader
If you're looking for gifts or books to read over the winter break, I pulled these titles from the TreeHouse shelves and give you my short takes on 15 books from recent reading: contemporary fiction, nonfiction, books about writing, and for-the-serious/for-the-seeker.
Involved and Implicated: Narcissism and Poetry
If you're like me, you can use a bit of poetry. Tony Hoagland's poems make me re-think, calibrate to a new heading. Can you stand still and hear the worst of yourself from others? Disappointment. Patience. The song lyrics that "evolve" over the years: the words are the same but the message changes as you change.
Giving Thanks for a Man I Never Met
What I learned about love this Thanksgiving. Three rules for life.
On Flesh-Eating Beetles and the Sins of the Mother
When working on an aspect of my writing, I pay attention for it in my reading. Improve your writing by tapping into the 7 senses--the 5 sense organs and 2 more. Examples in recent works: Horse by Geraldine Brooks and Zero-Sum Stories by Joyce Carol Oates. Writing exercise from the song-writing guide by Pat Pattison, music professor at Berklee.
In the Company of Heroes
Veterans Day, Operation Gothic Serpent, and the 160th SOAR. Elite aviators and family remember the Battle of Mogadishu, 30 years ago. Lessons learned, what the media missed, and the effect on the military family.
Spooky Hour with Spirits of the Dead
A text that gets me off my arse, a visit to the cemetery, and word work on three holidays: Hallowe'en, All Saints' Day, and All Souls' Day.
What's in your trunk?
Take all the stuff of your life. Put what you think will sell in a 20 feet by 20 feet space. What's in your space? Learn about New England's largest flea market and a classic sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley on the folly of fame, legacy, and empire. Visit my site to get a book rec on song writing and link to an exercise to write through the prism of 7, yes 7, senses.
Why Do I Run?
I'm not sure I like running, even when I was fit and fast. Running at mid-life: there's the pain of it, in the chest, in the knees. This letter explores the reasons I run and what I learn running a race the 7th time. And training with a focus on form and cadence, with an eye to effortless, injury-free running. Plus, four books on running and on living; visit the site for more info on books. Notes on gear.
Fall is Like a Country Music Song
On music and memory, on Norman Blake and Colter Wall. What do we learn from the Fall, from the songs of our lives?
Trailway to Heaven
Fall is my favorite season and I suppose it has something to do with the trees. A new poetry collection and farewell to a friend. Passage from Sidney Lanier and The Marshes of Glynn.
Through the Keyhole
A keyhole view of a week with the Literate Laundress. On laundry and language.
The Ever Restless Soul
This is for my friend K--- and M--- and for you, but I suppose it's for myself. Learn about my daughter's letter and the song she shared with insight into music and the restless soul. Billie Marten's song and Rick Rubin's book on Creativity.
Confusables, Contronyms, and Jane's Potato Salad
Learn about a real world example of a confusable. Discover a type of word with two opposite meanings. Word Nerd special. A reference and an essay recommendation. Bryan Garner and David Foster Wallace.
The Music in Stories: Pavan on Borges
Literature informs and inspires us, says Argentine guitarist and composer Carlos Pavan. This letter considers his suite of songs inspired by Jorge Luis Borges, how the songs reflect the stories: El Sur, El Fin, Funes el Memorioso. Melody, myth, perfect memory. Learn why song IS story and discover the Music in Prose of the literary legend.
Beyond Grade-School Sentences: Adding Depth and Texture to Writing
The four basic sentence constructions are simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex.* Like the 8-pack of crayons, this is the first order of business, tools we learn and use as children. Let’s face it: many never learn more than these. Add to your toolbox and improve writing immediately. Learn about loose (cumulative) and periodic (suspensive) sentences with inspiration from Vivian Gornick, Ernest Hemingway, and Ralph Waldo Emerson.
On Theft, Death, and the Moon
My friend was recently robbed. It made me sad and reminded me of a story about Ryokan. Learn about the Zen monk who lived on Mount Kugami, Rene Descartes Discourse Part II on Method and Part IV on God and the Human Soul. With a reflection on the death of a young soldier.
The Master Sentence and the Centenarian
A master sentence tends to be long though length is not its sole characteristic, nor is it a sign of a writer’s mastery. Like any art, the master sentence comes in infinite forms. Instead of trying to define what makes such a sentence, I share an example from the Book of Charlie, a memoir about a remarkable life. Understand the elements of artful sentence construction from a prominent writer.
Three Days in Sun Valley and the Best Writing Teacher
What I learned in Sun Valley about living and writing and friends. Impromptu visit of Hemingway haunts, who lived and died there. A hike into the clouds, a French hound dog, and a foodie's paradise.
Classic Prose: Thought and Presentation
Improve writing immediately. "In the classic stand on the elements of style, writing is neither a way of thinking something out nor an art that exists for its own sake..." Learn about classic prose from authors Thomas and Turner with passages from award winning poet and writer Ocean Vuong. Why classic prose resembles cooking with its preparation in the kitchen and consumption in the dining room. Two Book recommendations.
Biblical Times - Fire and Flood
We live in biblical times. Fires and floods. Plagues. Or, pandemics. Learn about flash flooding in the Hudson Valley and the First Noble Truth.
July 4th Declarations: a Nation, a Panda, a Soldier
What does July 4th mean to a fledgling nation and what kinds of people made such a nation possible? Learn about Mark Manson's book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, and how his superhero the Disappointment Panda helps us see ourselves against a stark backdrop, the life of the soldier as she finishes Air Assault training.
Goggins, Pushup Yoga, and the Art of the Paragraph
Learn about the 'toughest man on the planet' and improve writing with examples of the four types of paragraphs. Also check out the two strand or A/B structure. To see the four paragraphs and learn more, visit my website at TreeHouseLetter.com.
Where's Your Cathedral?
Some seem to know what they were meant to do. This is about finding purpose and meaning in your work. Learn about the origin of the parable of the brick layers made popular by Angela Duckworth, two book recommendations, and insight on the 10,000 hour rule.
Degree of Separation
Thought exercise for the day. How many friends between you and anyone on the planet? Topics: Social connection on Earth in 2023, Network theory, Math geek special, logarithm
In popular culture this number is often referred to as Six Degrees of Separation, that all people on the planet are at the maximum six or fewer social connections away from each other. The idea likely originated in a 1929 short story and became notable in 1990 in John Guare’s play of the same name, Six Degrees of Separation.
What makes a speech great?
A great speech is one you remember. This time of year you hear a lot of speeches and may have to give one of your own. So, give a speech worth remembering. I dissected a great speech to understand what makes it so and reflected on lessons I’ve learned as a speaker.
"It is precisely because life is so precious to me that I am prepared to die."
A soldier's own obituary, John "Alex" Hottell, III -- published in the NY Times 3 March 1971. A Memorial Day remembrance.
The Cure for Resentment and Cynicsim
Thoughts from a British headmistress, marine veteran, and college graduate. Two book recs, one podcast rec.
Weasel Words
What are they and why should we avoid them? Improve writing immediately. Bonus: two book recommendations on usage, grammar, and style
What makes a single person's death feel large?*
Four friends died recently and three were my age. Learn what makes the eulogy powerful and lasting from a personal vignette and from Vivian Gornick. An elegy on What is Dying? from Margaret Drabble to share with the bereaved. May they rest in peace.
Wild Horses Dragged Me Away
My road trip last weekend had a detour to Assateague Island. Learn about wild horses on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, a wild herd in Patagonia, and the chlidren's classic, inspired by the true story of Chincoteague Ponies.
Go Slow to Go Fast
Baking Sally's shortbread cookies with my nephew and a German proverb. Miles Davis's advice to a young jazz guitarist. How these ideas provide insight on creating, baking, performing.
Sleep on It: Darkness Helps Us See the Light
On dreams and patterns, a "Digit Dork" special with insight into Fibonacci and the Golden Ratio
A Day With the Night Stalkers
On a lonesome stretch of road north of Nashville..... Learn about the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), the Soldier and the Citizen, on the Ides of March
Hey, why aren't dogs alcoholics?
True Tale from Toxin Tails and the Pet Poison Hotline about Red, the retriever St. Bernard mix.
The Edgeless Sound and the Night Owl
Poetry for Emergencies and the Leonard Cohen translation of Roshi's Poem. A footnote depicts the lesser-known, closed to the public "Poe Arch" or Edgar Allan Poe Memorial at the archives at West Point
Belief is a Powerful Elixir
It's a powerful thing, belief. If a person believes in you, you can move mountains. Music as a gift, and a passage from Maya Angelou from her essay collection, Letter to My Daughter.
Presciption for Life and Rumi's Cow
Poetry for Emergencies. A discussion of Melody Moezzi's memoir, The Rumi Prescription, and how the mystic poet helps her deal with modern life challenges.
Two Things Everybody's Got to Do
This winter I received five books I own, four as gifts. What do you do when you receive a book you already own? One was Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. I pulled my copy off the shelf to read my notes, the marginalia, the pages underlined, tabbed, highlighted. What is Love? What are the two things?
#blackhistorymonth
Good Luck and Smooth Sailing in the Year of the Cat
Happy Lunar New Year! The Vietnamese celebrate the Cat versus the Rabbit. Learn about the difference and pick up a writing tip from the songwriter and musician Al Stewart from his hit song, The Year of the Cat.
"Good Luck and Smooth Sailing" in the Year of the Cat
Happy Lunar New Year! The Vietnamese celebrate the Cat versus the Rabbit. Learn about the difference and pick up a writing tip from the songwriter and musician Al Stewart from his hit song, The Year of the Cat.