Sean Paul Kelley

I don’t read a lot of contemporary “literary” fiction. I find most of it otiose, self-referential and far too pre-occupied with the banalities of suburban white folks’ unhappy marriages. But every now and then I stick my toes in the water, or rather, I try reading some new stuff from new young authors again, just [...]

The past year was a good year for reading. As in past years I try to read a book a week. This year I exceeded that goal slightly, having read 58 books. Much of that was due to rationing my internet intake, little to no blogging, little tweeting and even less Facebook, all massive timesucks. [...]

. . . I would write him thusly: I went on the road because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not [...]

I haven’t had much to say in the recent months. Not quite sure why, and I am surprised I have so little to say these days. Mostly I guess it’s because I’ve said what I wanted to. Then again, I do get the hankering to say something, but it usually seems to be about some [...]

The Homeric texts–the Iliad and the Odyssey–are foundational texts regardless of how Westerners feel about them. They are much like the Ramayana or the Mahabharata in that they are troubling reminders of a past when violence was glorified. (The present, for argument’s sake, has amazingly subtle ways of justifying violence while simultaneously condemning it.) So, [...]

Question posed in the New York Times a few days ago: ?If life is messy and unpredictable, and documentary is a reflection of life, should it not be digressive and open-ended too?? Simple answer: no. Longer answer for those with a more philosophical nature: humans evolved to tell stories, to create narrative. Narrative, I believe, [...]

The most common fatalities of the West Nile Virus are not humans, but birds. All too often since the virus entered the United States whole flocks of corvids have been eviscerated. This Blue Jay–from our back yard–died from West Nile Virus two months ago. Most of our ten strong scold, the collective noun used for [...]

This week it’s been solidly above 100* every day. It’s the first week of September. The worst week in central Texas if you ask me. The anticipation for the inevitable cold front has been building since the first week of August. The front normally arrives second or third week of September, but until it does [...]

I’m headed to Lake Tahoe then Squaw Valley tomorrow. So, instead of spending my Saturday nights on the computer visiting my favorite websites, playing roulette at Party Casino, I’ll be able to really hit it in Reno. Then for some hiking in Yosemite and then a nice drive across California to San Francisco for a [...]

The Brunette are heading down to the Lower Rio Grande Valley this week for our spring break. Here are the place we’ll be staying: El Rocio Retreat, Mission Texas, Chachalaca Inn, Los Fresnos, Texas, Alamo Inn, Alamo Texas. And here are some of the parks we’ll be visiting: Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, Las Palomas Unit, Boca Chica State Park, Palo [...]