Monthly Archives: November 2012
15
Father and son, both shirtless, we stood in front of the mirror, razors in hand. He carefully mimicked my actions as we applied a thin sheen of Gillette’s best before he hefted the razor suspiciously. “You don’t need to rush this,” I offered. “These blades may be incredibly thin but they’re unimaginably sharp. So … Continue reading
Barbed Wire Butterfly
On first glance Jessica Kristie’s debut novel has a distinct Dickens’ like narrative: Kidnapped pre-teenage children living out a meager existence as slave labor of a shadowy manufacturing complex far removed from the caring eyes of civilized society. The child-laborers are coerced through beatings, rape, intimidation and starvation and should one falter then that … Continue reading
Kid Stuff
This essay originally appeared in the September 2002 issue of Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine The Beechcraft King Air 200 has shut down; the passengers disembarked and as the pilots are walking away I whisper into my 4-year-old son’s ear “Wave at the pilots”. It works like a charm. One of the pilots walks … Continue reading
Bits of Glass
I recently picked up one of my favorite books from my childhood, Edward Jablonski’s Flying Fortress. It’s a highly researched and detailed account of the brave American airmen that flew B-17 bombers during World War 2. I can remember devouring that book in fifth grade and hoping that one day I would also be … Continue reading
