I went to see the documentary The Queen of Versailles this afternoon and highly recommend it. It is the story of David and Jackie Siegel, who live in the billionaire world of South Florida and who were building the largest private home in the United States before the housing bubble burst and life started changing…
Tag: timed writing
Flash Essay: From Reluctant to Willing: A Journey in Faith
I am a spiritual person. I like to think I am, at least. Just this very morning, I was up at 6:30 and at church by 7:15 so that I could lead morning prayer and then serve as the acolyte at the 8 am mass. I wear a black robe with a white cotta and…
Flash Essay: A Must-See Photo Exhibit If You Love Rock & Roll
We just returned from the Annenberg Space for Photography in Beverly Hills where we saw an exhibition called, “Who Shot Rock and Roll.” This featured 166 photos from the top rock photographers of the ’50’s – present, with photos of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Boy Dylan,…
Flash Essay: Born to Clean
Today I tackled an unsightly and rather unsavory task in our 1954 Spartan Manor, aka old trailer, up in Ojai. I tracked down all the old ground squirrel nests tucked into the out-of-the-way spots in the cabinets and swept up all of their droppings. Yuck. My work required a mask, gloves, a broom and dust…
Flash Essay: A TV Series Worth Watching
I would like to highly recommend the new HBO series The Newsroom. The acting is first-rate, the dialogue real and strong, and the story lines compelling. I would not be surprised if a whole crop of young people are inspired to head off to journalism school as a result of this series. Not only does…
Flash Essay: When Inspiration Isn’t Coming
I am struggling to come up with something to write tonight. My mind is blank. I have had several false starts already, meaning I’ve picked a topic, written half a page, then deleted the whole paragraph. I don’t usually do that, but tonight appears to be one of those nights, where all ideas seem not…
Flash Essay: Back in LA after Two Productive Work Days
We’re back in LA after a productive, but hot couple of days in Ojai. We are well on our way to getting organized up there; our plan is to return next week and spend two more days working. Ray has already gone to bed (he went up at 9), the dogs are both sacked out…
Flash Essay: The Consequences of being “Nice”
When I was growing up, there was an admonition: “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.” This came mainly from my father, who arguably was an extremely decent person, and one who followed his own advice. I don’t recall him ever talking badly about anyone. My mother had her own…
Flash Essay: The Value of Being Good and Tired
it is 9:03 and I am beat. I feel as if I am always talking on this blog about how tired I am. Sorry about that. Part of the problem is that I am writing at night and my days tend to be full. The other is that I’ve never been very good at pacing…
Flash Essay: Saturday, Belief, and Ray Wylie Hubbard
Mid-afternoon here in LA on Saturday, the temperature a perfect 76 degree and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. I am sitting in the back yard so the dogs can poke around and hopefully do their business while I write. In just a bit, Ray and I are headed off to two different places:…
20 Minutes a Day 