Category Archives: Commentary

Music is so essential to the Cuban character that you can’t disentangle it from the history of the nation. the history of Cuban music is one of cultural collisions, of voluntary and forced migrations, of religions and revolutions. – Ned … Continue reading →

Brown eyed women and red grenadine the bottle was dusty but the liquor was clean Sound of the thunder with the rain pouring down and it looks like the old man’s getting on Robert Hunter’s‘Brown-Eyed Women‘ Sorry ’bout the delay … Continue reading →

Time is never called in my recurring dream of pubs. — Ciaran Carson in Last Night’s Fun: In and Out of Time with Irish Music I’m Iain, the Librarian here at the Kinrowan Estate. I‘m settling in for a quiet day of … Continue reading →

She’s looking for the music. She can hear it but she can’t find it. There are candles everywhere. Some parts of the room are low-ceilinged and high-cushioned, just right for kissing and gossip and splitting a bottle. Some parts are … Continue reading →

Things are bound to get a whole lot worse before they can get any better. Let’s have a drink. — Robert Heinlein’s “Logic of Empire” I’m Jill, one of many, many House Jacks and Jills here down the centuries. Some … Continue reading →

One day I walked the road and crossed a field to go by where the hounds ran hard. And on the master raced: behind the hunters chased to where the path was barred. One fine young lady’s horse refused the … Continue reading →

Remember, pain is not a test. Knowledge is not enough. Catherynne M. Valente’s The Orphan’s Tales: In the Night Garden The tulips such as the one in the vase on my desk here in the Estate Library are the predominant flowers … Continue reading →

I hate misplaced apostrophes. Detective Sergeant James Hathaway on the Lewis series. MacKenzie here. One moment while I feed Hamish, our resident hedgehog, his live grubs. I keep trying to convince him to try woodworms, but a hedgehog is really not … Continue reading →

“There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a … Continue reading →