Curations from the Human Jungle
[I didn't know Dave personally, but I feel like he would have liked being a Silverback. I don't really know the author, either, although he is a college classmate. He's Silverback-worthy, too. We steer clear of politics here in The Jungle, but this a touching story of personal transformation, well told. Welcome to The Jungle,... Continue Reading →
[I've told you before ... If I ever offer investment advice, run the other way! This stops short of that. Kiva.org is an irresistible portfoloio of appealing, deserving people who can greatly benefit from a little spare change that you have lying around. I find it entertaining, and inspirational to read about the individuals and... Continue Reading →
[The bane of my gardening existence is something called bindweed-- Convolvulus arvens-- an insidious member of the morning glory family. It thrives in my blackberry patch. Somehow the juxtaposition of delectable berries, lethal thorns, and a choking vine creates a biblical situation that I will write about ... after my forearms and legs heal. SB... Continue Reading →
[I violate this rule constantly. Maybe reading this will help me mend my wicked ways. SB SM] Defending Adverbs Exuberantly if Conditionally Lincoln Michel May 28, 2025 https://countercraft.substack.com/p/defending-adverbs-exuberantly Recently, I’ve been thinking about adverbs. Everyone hates adverbs. But I say they hate them foolishly and incorrectly. I called this newsletter Counter Craft because I wanted to offer... Continue Reading →
[As Gorillas, we live idyllic lives. Come the end of the day we just create a nest of nearby branches and flop down, surrounded by other members of the troop No blankets, no fires, no security systems, no screens ... this is life in The Jungle. Contrast this with the typical Icelander at the turn... Continue Reading →
[The summer of 1967. I was, against every fiber of will in my19 year old body, enrolled in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Candidate program at Yale University. I was fulfilling my obligation for 6 weeks active duty, serving onboard a destroyer escort--can't remember the name of it, godammit-- in the Caribbean on an August... Continue Reading →
And I did. Saved by the bell. I need more funny stuff for Saturdays! https://silverbackdigest.com/2025/07/26/saturday-silliness/
[My wife and I and our 3 month old son, Jacob, relocated from the suburbs of Boston to West Brookfield, Vermont in the spring of 1979. West Brookfield was our Brigadoon, a Vermont hamlet on a dirt crossroads with a church and a one-room schoolhouse. It was the village of my dreams. The village of... Continue Reading →
[This one is off the pen of SB Bill (Hinesburg SBs) and does a remarkably good job of discussing an unpopular subject these days-- eating meat. LEST WE FORGET ... Gorillas are vegetarians who eat chutes and leaves, but we recognize that among our membership are those who enjoy and occasional hyena burger, or what... Continue Reading →
[Now, there's a click-bait worthy headline!! I do consider myself a writer, and I agree that the creative process is very different when recording thoughts on paper versus on the keyboard. Where I take exception, however, is when writers turn the act of recording their thoughts into a religious experience that becomes an end in... Continue Reading →