Curations from the Human Jungle
[I got me a Jazz name--Step. My sister gave it to me when I was two and she was five. She was a precocious child, already learning to read, write, and spell before attending school. Baby brother's name is Stephen, my Mama said, and that's spelled like two words put together, "Step" and "hen." Henceforth,... Continue Reading →
[Paul Taylor is a college classmate. The feature photo is Paul taking his cuts at Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium. SB SM] This Is Getting Old is the memoir of Paul Taylor, journalist, lover, researcher, spouse, Dad, data geek, athlete wannabe, and lifelong resident of Fourth Lake, an Adirondack community of mostly seasonal residents. "This is getting... Continue Reading →
[Yes, the buds have now appeared on the trees, but it wasn't long ago that our lives were mired in mud, eternally stuck in a ditch. Before we lose ourselves in the glory of sprouting peas, let's give a final wave to the memories of mud. SB SM] By Stephen Morris, published originally in the... Continue Reading →
[Wow ... we've published a lot about Earth Day in Silverback Digest. We may be in a period of Instant Gratification at the moment, but don't forget that the meek shall inherit the Earth ... at least what's left of it. There's lots of great reading hidden within the post. SB SM] https://silverbackdigest.com/2022/05/01/two-books-and-a-forgotten-earth-day/ https://silverbackdigest.com/2021/04/23/earth-day-every-day-friday/ https://silverbackdigest.com/2021/04/22/earth-day-everyday-its-today/... Continue Reading →
Photo by Daria Ivanenko on Pexels.com [This short, eloquent story reminds me of some rock 'n roll songs from the 1950s that distilled teenage emotions down to a universal essence. "I was all right, for a while. I could smile for a while ..." There's genuine anguish behind those pimples. No one captures fat as... Continue Reading →
[It will surprise no one in The Jungle that one of my favorite Easter Stories is one I wrote myself. What's not to like? It has sunshine, mud, a lovable dog, and redemption ... and even a slice of Easter ham. SB SM] by SB Stephen Morris Easter is the spring holiday, a time of... Continue Reading →
Stick Season may be the hit, but Mud Season Romance was the original ode to Vermont's most fickle season. [It's a ritual that you, as Silverback and Silverbelles, Silverbabes, Silverbucks, and Silverpups, up with which you must put. This trio consists of Stephen Morris (approximately age 42), Jacob Morris (age 11), and Patrick Morris (age... Continue Reading →
[This week is all about two things- maple syrup and mud. The two are irrevocably intertwined at this time of year in Vermont. SB SM] From my "Auto-biografitti:" That's when it all came together ... writing, woodstoves, and Vermont's crappy weather When I joined Vermont Castings in January, 1979 I had a customer service staff... Continue Reading →
[When I was a commercial book publisher, we published a book by Alan AtKisson titled Believing Cassandra. This references the Greek goddess who was given the gift of prophecy while being cursed by the fact that no one believed her truths. Paul Ehrlich was her polar opposite, i.e. one who spoke in falsehoods yet was... Continue Reading →
[My grandmother on my father's side was a Leary and likely came over during The Famine, making me an official member of the Irish Diaspora. These days my favorite actor (Cillian Murphy), writer (Claire Keegan), musicians (Dropkick Murphys), and podcaster (Blindboy Boathouse) are all Irish, so their contemporary culture is officially hot. Below is a... Continue Reading →