Monthly Archives: September 2020

The Suicide of California

Posted on September 26, 2020 by Joel D. Hirst

Civilizations fail, and then they fall. That is the natural order of things. They fail because their ideas buckle; their discipline withers away; their common culture becomes brittle – an adhesive which no longer binds. Then they fall, a crash … Continue reading →

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The Sadness of Hong Kong

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Joel D. Hirst

“You need to visit Hong Kong” my parents would say. They were wont to go there; a waystop between the obsidian totalitarianism of Harbin and the nihilistic desperation of Nagasaki before heading into the ancient rotting darkness of Irian Jaya. … Continue reading →

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Discovering A Great Voice

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Joel D. Hirst

There is nothing more extraordinary, more exhilarating than the discovery of a great voice. A singular talent tucked away and unsung except for those who know, and those who search to fill that space within their souls that only is … Continue reading →

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On 9/11

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Joel D. Hirst

Remains true, so long as we remain optimistic: “We are sometimes naïve in our goodness – Americans are. It’s part of the nature of our life lived in a free society; part of our ‘social contract’ in which we each … Continue reading →

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Soviet Short Stories

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Joel D. Hirst

There are few like the great Russian masters. Perhaps its the harsh winters that encourage contemplation; maybe its the beauty of the Russian language itself, with its depth of tenses and tremendous descriptive power that encourages people to put ideas, … Continue reading →

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