2006

I read in The New York Times Sunday Style Section not long ago that knitting is cool. Cooler, the article said, than needlepointing or quilting or any of the other handcrafts. And that trendy yarn shops are opening up in Manhattan to cater to the young and the hip who follow the fashionable inclinations that constantly waft through the city.

It's always good to have one's existence confirmed by The Times Style Section. Since I'm a knitter, I read the article with great interest even though I didn't need The Times or anyone else to confirm the merits of knitting. I've understood them for a long time. I knitted my first sweater when I was 11 years old. It was a white cabled tennis sweater with navy and maroon bands around the v-neck. It ended up being too big and I had to give it to my father who probably never wore it. But I remember two things about that sweater-two things that have kept me knitting to this day: the feel of the yarn and the needles in my fingers and something I think of as "the vision." » read more

John Merwin and I began working for Stratton Magazine at about the same time -- which goes back further than either of us would like to think about. The magazine had another editor then. He became ill and, eventually, died at a tragically young age. I was named editor and was understandably apprehensive. » read more

This time of year, it seems that just about everything in Vermont is hopeful. The sky is blue, the birds are singing, and the flowers are blooming robustly. The furnace has quit running non-stop. » read more