David Klein's Blog, page 41

Mistakes Were Made, But I Was Grateful

The other day I went for a run (some walking) at a trail network in town called Normanskill Ravine. True to its name, the single-track trail is steep. It doesn’t just go down into one ravine, but leads through a series of drops and climbs and switchbacks that lead you to the Normanskill, where you […]

The post Mistakes Were Made, But I Was Grateful appeared first on by David Klein.

Book Burning

“It was a pleasure to burn.” So thought Montag, the protagonist of Ray Bradbury’s dystopian novel “Fahrenheit 451,” as he hosed kerosene onto a burning pile of books. Montag has good company in contemporary America. Two members of a Virginia school board recently called for a book burning of “sexually explicit” books. A school board […]

The post Book Burning appeared first on by David Klein.

The Quest to Find Meaning

I’ve been in a philosophical mood recently, at times contemplating the meaning of life, and therefore have supplemented my usual reading of fiction with two books atypical for me: David Benatar’s THE HUMAN PREDICAMENT and Victor E. Frankl’s MAN’S SEARCH FOR MEANING. Both books operate from the premise that life is inherently meaningless, that there […]

The post The Quest to Find Meaning appeared first on by David Klein.

Duke Whips It Out

We’re practicing in the park across from the Zoo in the big meadow next to the golf course. Our Coach, Duke Donovan, has us run tackling drills over mud puddles. He blows his whistle and says huddle up men. It’s either a dirty joke or three laps for the fumble on the last play. We […]

The post Duke Whips It Out appeared first on by David Klein.

I’ve Been a Drug Addict

I’ve been a father who doesn’t take his heart condition seriously but instead focuses on preventing his daughter from marrying a man he doesn’t approve of. I’ve been his daughter, a recent college graduate who meets the wrong kind of guy and slides into drug and alcohol abuse. I’ve been that wrong kind of guy […]

The post I’ve Been a Drug Addict appeared first on by David Klein.

A Book Review Makes My Day

How do you discover the next book to read? For me, I look at my to-be-read pile teetering on the edge of my desk or my written list and choose from there, but the pile and list have origin stories as well. I read the New York Times Book Review every Sunday and receive the […]

The post A Book Review Makes My Day appeared first on by David Klein.

The Real Reason I Became a Writer

You asked me how I decided to become a creative writer. The four of us were sitting outside finishing our lunch, the chill creeping in, and your question caught me by surprise. It shouldn’t have, since I’m sure you’re in the throes of deciding what to do next with your life and it makes sense […]

The post The Real Reason I Became a Writer appeared first on by David Klein.

Just the Kind of Day You Want

Just the kind of day you want for a run, in the woods, by the stream, past peak, sun doing its trick slanting through the trees. Fallen leaves conceal roots and ruts on the trail and other spots are muddy and slick, and I have to pay attention more than usual, focus where my foot […]

The post Just the Kind of Day You Want appeared first on by David Klein.

Another Failed Diet

The most controversial item on the election ballot in the Town of Bethlehem this past Tuesday was Proposition 6. If passed, a 1.3 mile stretch of busy four-lane road between Elsmere Ave. and the Albany city line would undergo a “Road Diet,” funded primarily by federal and state money. Four traffic lanes would be reduced […]

The post Another Failed Diet appeared first on by David Klein.

Time for an Important Talk

They told their son he could become anything he wanted, and when he wanted to become a poet, they held their tongues and supported his dream. But now he was 27 years old, chronically underemployed, and didn’t seem to produce much work. Every three weeks or so the son would read to his parents a […]

The post Time for an Important Talk appeared first on by David Klein.