Long Ago & Far Away
Here you will find explorations and observations about the history, literature, art, and thought processes that inform my imagination—the raw materials of my writing and visual art.
Where noted, these articles were previously published via my Substack newsletter (Long Ago & Far Away), but revised to standalone here as evergreen essays. They will give you a sense of what the newsletter provides. If you would like bi-monthly updates and the opportunity to interact with other readers, you can sign up for Long Ago & Far Away via the link below.
Among the discussions, you’ll see that I rarely write proper reviews. What interests me more are the connections between stories and other tangents, rather than formal examinations of individual works. You will, however, get a sense of what feeds my soul and what I recommend for my readers and why it might interest you.
Writing Farewell, O Syria
I came to writing Farewell, O Syria as an outsider—in time, obviously, but also in place, and even in confession. I am a low-church Protestant stumbling through the world of Late Antique Christianity, with all its liturgical and doctrinal variations, the earliest days…
From the Holy Mountain & The Spiritual Meadow
The travel log and commentary, From the Holy Mountain , was published in 1997 (UK) from notes made during William Dalrymple’s 1994 journey through modern Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Egypt. His purpose was to follow the decades-long path of John…
The Secret Chord & Silence
Finding Grace I’ve noted before that I write few true book reviews. I am more interested in the connections between stories. As they simmer in my brain, I’m often struck by similarities that are less obvious at first glance. Of course, my own lens affects what I…
Cloud Cuckoo Land and Girl with a Pearl Earring
Whatever novels I read back to back, no matter how disparate, my brain goes into a compare/contrast mode. I’m often surprised by the connections, so I offer them to you in a non-academic ramble. Cloud Cuckoo Land, Anthony Doerr, 2021: historical, contemporary, and…
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
A family saga set in 20th-century Kerala and Madras, India I try to discuss books without giving away spoilers because, for me, they deflate some of the magic. I don’t even read the back matter and certainly not reviews before reading a novel. I want the story to…
Water for Elephants, West with Giraffes
Frame Stories, Care-giving & the Power of Fiction This essay first appeared on my Substack eleven months after my mother’s swift and shocking death from pancreatic cancer in 2022. I am republishing it here without revisions because the impact of these two stories…