Books recall the history of World War II
The Bibliophile On May 8, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of V-E Day, marking the Allied victory in Europe and North Africa. These books shine a light on that theater of combat. World War II Map by Map, by DK and Smithsonian Institution, 299 pages, DK hardcover, 2019 After the United States entered World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt urged Americans listening to his... READ MORE
Find wilderness in the urban landscape
Eight years ago, Cory Cone and his wife, Nathalie, wandered into Mount Washington’s Clyburn Arboretum, where they were drawn to a collection of stuffed birds. Among them was an indigo bunting, a bird known for its vibrant azure hue. “I was completely amazed that a bird that beautiful could be seen in the city I lived in,” Cone said. He immediately began a quest to find a bunting... READ MORE
Train to become an environmental leader
Woody Merkel, 69, a lifelong resident of Woodstock, Maryland, says much of his early life was spent outdoors. Appreciation of nature, he said, is “part of my genes.” online pharmacy purchase cenforce without prescription with best prices today in the USA So, a decade ago, Merkel, a retired personnel manager in the Maryland state government, signed up for classes at the Howard... READ MORE
For teens and seniors in the dating game
Alexis Bentz is a senior at Wootton High School in Rockville, Maryland. She has been writing this column encouraging intergenerational communication since middle school. On television or in cinema, romantic comedies are relatively formulaic: Two people meet, instantly hit it off, go through minor relationship drama that may involve pouring rain or an airport chase scene, and then... READ MORE
Country singer, songwriter Karen Collins
Karen Collins loved singing along to records as a kid. Growing up a coal miner’s daughter in southwest Virginia, she struggled for years to get an instrument until her mom saved up enough S&H stamps to buy a guitar with Green Stamps. Decades later, she has recorded five albums and leads three bands, including her own Karen Collins and the Backroads Band. Now living in Takoma... READ MORE
African American stories in the spotlight
The Bibliophile D.C. Emancipation Day is celebrated on April 16, when, in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the act that ended slavery in the District. These recent books reflect on different aspects of the black experience: Notes from a Young Black Chef: A Memoir, by Kwame Onwuachi with Joshua David Stein, 288 pages, Vintage paperback, 2020 Award-winning chef Kwame... READ MORE
Laughing at old age on the golf course
Roto-Rooter has a great business model. Systems do need to be cleaned out now and then. Writers do, too (including the guy typing this). After long hours poring over a keyboard, they need a break, a re-set, a Roto-Rootering. Which is how I found myself in Arizona for two days, watching older guys play professional golf. No deadlines. No editors. No worrying over narrative arc and ... READ MORE
Budding poets find inspiration in nature
Marsha Owens taught high school English for half of her nearly 40-year career in education, but she didn’t flex her own writing muscles intensely until she retired. “I no longer had an excuse not to write,” said Owens, now 74. Owens launched her passion for writing by joining James River Writers, an organization for writers of all ages and abilities in central Virginia. Because... READ MORE
Writer Isabel Allende still believes in love
Over the last year, Isabel Allende has been coping with loss and grief after the passing of her mother, a stepfather whom she “adored,” and an ex-husband. But not everything was bad, she said: “On the other hand, I also got married last year.” At 77, the Chilean author still believes in love. “I am not afraid of it,” she said, laughing when talking about her third... READ MORE
