Vermont "spring" always seems like a contradiction in terms. While many communities gleefully report the appearance of buds on trees and emerging landscape greenery, central Vermont must patiently wait out the first weeks of April before bearing witness to any similar phenomena. There are, however, some geographically-specific signs of a more uplifting change in seasons, …
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Review: Wellness by Nathan Hill (BOTM October 2023)
Did Generation X sell out? This is one of the key questions Nathan Hill explores in his sophomore novel, Wellness. Wellness is a long read into what is a very thorough telling of a story that confronts its own complexity head-on throughout. Spoilers ahead Wellness focuses on the relationship between Jack and Elizabeth, a pair …
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Review: Lisa Jewell’s None of This Is True (BOTM August 2023)
Warning: Spoilers for Lisa Jewell’s novel None of This Is True. . . . . . . . . . . . . . None of This Is True is the latest book by English author Lisa Jewell. Published this year in July, it is a thriller/mystery focused on two main characters, Alix Summer and …
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Unwelcome Overnight Guest
For about a decade, my husband and lived in the southeast, specifically in Miami, FL, while I pursued my PhD, and in Charlotte, NC. And, in the south, air conditioning is a ubiquitous fact of life. Miami weather was generally intolerable, both in temperature and in humidity, most of the year, forcing one to shift …
Pandemic Problems: Moving, Part I
I heard a knock on the door. "Honey, it's bad news." I hesitated for a minute--maybe I could delay the onset of the consequences to come if I remained in ignorance for a moment longer. The desire for certainty, however, quickly took over, and I entered the bedroom, ready, as much as possible, for what …
PASSED
Finally. . . *finally!!* my exams are over. Here, comprehensive exams incorporate two steps, a written section and an oral section. The written section involves three four-hour test sessions, one for each of three historical fields, and the oral section is one two-hour session that must take place after the written section has been completed …
The Most Difficult Day
My partner is a merchant marine. And, he returned to work today. Stephen has been sailing ever since he graduated from college. Originally interested in a career in the military, he attended Maine Maritime and became a civilian sailor. Overall, he has done very well in his career. He has visited countless corners of the …
Happy #TRT – Tummy Rub Tuesday (Week 33)
Proud to see my special friend, Anne, featured on Katzenworld's "Tummy Rub Tuesday!"
Me v. Ants
This image requires some explaining. My partner and I rent a house just outside of the city of Miami. I rented on my own for a long time, and I always strove to be a good tenant. Just recently, the garbage disposal system stopped working, and we contacted the property manager to find someone to …
One Year Countdown: Comprehensive Exams
A decade ago, I spent the winter applying to MA programs in medieval history in the US and the UK. My subsequent experience at the University of York was a great one, but I was absolutely convinced after a year of Latin, palaeography, research, and writing that academia wasn't for me. I returned to the …
Medievalist in the Making 