Literary Legacies

Like Steinbeck, Jack London always intimidated me. He still does. I can’t bring myself to sit down and delve into one of his novels out of fear that it will fail to fulfill my romantic inclinations. Maybe, like Steinbeck, he’ll surprise me. Of course,  I can appreciate his work and recall it from hi

Her home was warm and welcoming. I always knew her kind smile and comforting words were close within reach. I was lucky to live just down the street from my grandmother for nine years, during which we  became close friends. She shared her experiences of living through the past decade, of the changes

The end of the year naturally evokes nostalgia, reminders of memorable moments from the past 12 months and thoughts of resolutions for the coming year. I thought I might set a few of these wishes for the new year to literature that has crossed my path in 2011… Live in the moment. Lesson learned from

Wine is in the air in the Napa Valley. Literally, at this time of year you can smell the scent of fermenting grapes in the autumn air. It’s one of my favorite things about this place, especially at this time of year, when all senses are engaged by the art of wine making. While wine [...]

I’m fairly certain that Ernest Hemingway would be right at home in the Napa Valley. Like his beloved Paris of the 1920s, modern-day Napa is a place of creativity, passion and celebration. You can find yourself at a party or event nearly every night of the year. People here work hard in order to enjo

My book club’s selection this month is Jane Austen’s Persuasion. I think it’s blasphemy for me to admit this in a literary blog, but. . . I’m having trouble getting through it. I’ve read the book before but her beautifully convoluted writing is harder to follow than I remember. It pains me to admit

I’ve always identified with my distant Scottish roots. It’s all in the name – Dalrymple. It’s a very Scottish surname and an actual town in Ayrshire, situated in the Scottish lowlands. My cousin Dan (whom inspired this post with a surprise phone call this evening) has spent an immense amount of time

There is a piece of art that has hung in my bedroom for the past twelve years. It’s become a fixture in my life, something I pass by daily and occasionally take a moment to consider more deeply. In the Spring of 1999 while working at a high-tech PR firm in San Francisco, I received [...]

The sky felt like an extension of the earth, almost as if you had to duck down to avoid hitting your head on the clouds. Walking on the Yorkshire Moors was like nothing I’d ever experienced. My friend Eric and I embarked early in the day upon the six-mile hike to Top Withens – an [...]