In Rory Kennedy’s new documentary film, Last Days In Vietnam, a jowly Henry Kissinger pontificates about how the 1973 Paris Peace Accords provided the best agreement the US could negotiate – what Richard Nixon called “peace with honor.” It’s the same language Chamberlain used in 1938, and the follow up results were not dissimilar.

This is the same devious, Rasputin-like, Kissinger who engineered the 1969 carpet-bombing of Cambodia and then had the balls to accept the 1973 Nobel Peace Prize for his work on the Paris Peace Accords. The North Vietnamese negotiator, Le Duc Tho, who was also awarded the prize refused to accept it. He at least had some integrity. He knew it was a sham and wasn’t going to pretend that it was something it wasn’t. read more

This is the first in a series of 30 minute essays – part of the 30/30 Writing Challenge put forward by Richard Hugo House asking writers to commit to writing for 30 minutes each day for 30 days. The idea is to get friends and family to pledge money in support of the effort.

Here goes:

Just back from New Orleans: Marilynn had never been there and I hadn’t been there in 15 years. It was as I remembered – hot, muggy, noisy, falling apart and fabulous. This time we had 5 days to eat our way through a Cajun and Creole checklist – file gumbo, jambalaya, alligator sausage, boiled, grilled and fried shrimp, catfish, chicory coffee, beigniets, etouffee, and muffuletta sandwiches. All so good. read more

When I saw this Roz Chast cartoon in the New Yorker it reminded me that I never discussed it with my children either. I don’t even know how to think about discussing it – especially when it’s my death and the audience is my own family. Still, it did remind me that there are some practical details and arrangements that need to be made, and discussing them might ease minds on both sides of the equation. It also occurred to me that the conversation might be an opportunity to talk about how good life continues to be. But, that may be wishful thinking. read more