Suffolk County, New York, late 1980’s.
I had Ms. Hateau in the 10th grade, Mr. Bigham in 11th and Mr. Anderson in the 12th.
These pictures come courtesy of my great old friend, Carrie Schor (who was Carrie Harbach, back in the day).
[Update — my alumni who do NOT have dementia have reminded me that I had Bigham in the 10th grade, and Hateau in 11th.]
Hey, gang — you can order Local Gems Press’ newest poetry anthology from Amazon; see the link below. Its title is Empire Poetry Verse: A New York State Poetry Anthology, and it features poems from nearly 200 poets who have ties to New York. (I am one of them; if you happen to order the book, please check out my love poem, “Like White Plumeria Petal.”)
“A Bridge Too Far” (1977) was one of those war movies that my Dad enjoyed; it would have appeared on television a couple of years after its theatrical release (1979? 1980?). Back then, I thought of it as a “really old movie” — which was understandable, because my father liked some truly old movies, even by 1980’s standards. But “A Bridge Too Far” actually hit the screens at roughly the same time as the original “Star Wars,” which most kids in my neighborhood had seen in the theater.
I found it online and finally watched it in its entirety — it’s actually a really good film. (Adapted from its eponymous 1974 novel by Cornelius Ryan, it’s a three-hour, meticulous depiction of Operation Market Garden — the Allies’ 1944 invasion of German-occupied Holland.)
The cast list is astounding — it’s basically a lengthy “Who’s Who” of 1970’s cinema. (Seriously, look at it.) If you enjoy period war films, I recommend this.
I’m honored today to see Lothlorien Poetry Journal publish three of my poems. The first is “Confession,” and the latter two are haiku.
You can find all three right here.
Lothlorien Poetry Journal is a truly superlative independent literature magazine, at which I am always proud to see my work accepted. Thanks once again to Editor Strider Marcus Jones for allowing me to be a part of this community.
And, hey — Lothlorien even ran one of my favorite paintings to accompany the poems! It’s Caspar David Friedrich’s “Wanderer Above the Sea of Fog.” I’m not sure if the editor knew that (I’ve posted it on Facebook), or if it’s just serendipity.
I’m joking, of course. (I was already dead inside!) 😀 But, seriously, Season 7, Episode 1 was some heartrending stuff.
This show could give “The Last Of Us” a run for its money and there’s not a fungal-brain zombie in sight.
The second word was “diaspora” and the third was … I forgot. Which admittedly is not a good sign.
I’m honored today to see The Galway Review publish another poem of mine — this time “Smiling Among Inert Shipwrecks.”
The Galway Review is the city’s leading literary magazine, and a wonderful cultural resource for Ireland and the world. As always, I am grateful to the journal’s editorial staff for allowing my work to appear in such a distinguished periodical.
Roanoke, Virginia, April 2025. Pictured is the First Evangelical Presbyterian Church.
No, I can not hold a phone or camera steady. It will never happen.
Damn.
The heavily accented guy at the bodega cheerfully informs me that “NEW CEREAL SHIPMENT COMES *TOMORROW,* SIR!”
So evidently they know me as “that cereal guy.” Not sure how I feel about that.
[Update — now all my Facebook friends are cracking the various requisite “serial” jokes. I should have seen that coming.]
Eric Robert Nolan, Author 