LEMON TREE, JONATHAN SWAN & DEATH OF READING

SHE LIVES!

Lemon Tree
Of all the blogs I’ve written, I get the most questions about the fate of the Meyer Lemon tree I decided to kill last year. Though I had planned to do away with it, what with all its health problems, I pruned it down to nothing and it surprised me by reviving, sprouting healthy-colored leaves and thus giving itself another chance. I am happy to inform you interested readers that I smuggled the little tree into California and it is now planted in a sunny spot by our front steps. I hope this will be a happy ending to our troubled relationship.

Jonathan Swan
I cannot seem to tear myself away from political news. It’s fascinating, even when the news is depressing. Recently I have become aware of an occasional “talking head” on the news named Jonathan Swan, national political reporter for Axios. Swan is thoughtful guy of considered opinions but what I like most is that he can’t seem to stifle his infectious giggle at the absurdity of our national politics. It’s refreshing.

The Death of Reading
Lately I haven’t been reading as many books as I used to. In addition, my attention span seems to have packed its bags and headed for unknown destinations. I am not alone. Last week, Philip Yancey wrote that “The death of reading is threatening the soul” in The Washington Post. It is well worth reading. My favorite part:

“When I read an online article from the Atlantic or the New Yorker, after a few paragraphs I glance over at the slide bar to judge the article’s length. My mind strays….and I glance at the bottom of the screen and scan the teasers for more engaging tidbits: 30 Amish Facts That’ll Make your Skin Crawl, Top 10 Celebrity Wardrobe Malfunctions..A dozen or more clicks later I have lost interest in the original article.

Have a good week.

 

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About Alexis

Alexis Rankin Popik, author of Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate, is an award-winning short story writer whose work has appeared in The Berkshire Review and Potpourri Magazine. She has penned numerous articles about local history that have been published in Connecticut Explored and the University of Connecticut School of Law and The Hartford Seminary publications. A former union organizer, Popik traveled the country educating shipyard workers about health and safety and founded a labor-management health plan before turning to writing fiction full-time. She lives with her husband in New England.
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