Memories of the Decadence

During the Decadence we gave up sexual intercourse, substituting for it various kinds of fetishism. We refined our tastes, narrowing their range and fantastically increasing their complexity. Certain people… More

On Fear

I think FDR had it right, as he did so many things, that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—the fear of participating fully in our… More

The Flood Notebooks

This is another summer of the VanishingA summer of the country turning from more loss. Switch off the TV, power down the computer, stop the conversation.Everyone is tired of… More

Scorched Maps

Scorched MapsI took a trip to Ukraine. It was June.I waded in the fields, all full of dustand pollen in the air. I searched, but thoseI loved had disappeared… More