Enter to win one of ten signed copies of my new novel, The Object of His Affection—a captivating story of love, music, ambition, and rivalry! This Goodreads Giveaway runs from October 17 through November 7, 2024. Goodreads Book Giveaway The Object of His Affection by Donald Proffit Giveaway ends November 07, 2024. See the giveaway… Continue reading Book Giveaway
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13 Ways of Looking at a Piano
13 Ways of Looking at a Pianoafter Wallace StevensIAmong twenty drowsy Musicians,The only moving thingWas one hammer of the piano.III was of three minds,Like ten fingersPlaying on three pianos.IIIThe piano clinked in theAuditorium’s silence.It was a small part of thePerformance.IVA left hand and right handAre two.A left hand, a right hand and aPianoAre one.VI do… Continue reading 13 Ways of Looking at a Piano
Elektra
“Ich war ein schwarzer Leichnam unter Lebenden” “I was a corpse among the living” I was mesmerized in the balcony as my eyes followed the suspended Sputnik chandeliers’ dreamlike ascent toward the ceiling, passing right in front of my face as their lamps gradually extinguished and the house settled in anxious darkness. I had a… Continue reading Elektra
Return to Alaska 3: Writer’s Block Bookstore & Café
After more than fifty years, I returned to Anchorage for the Alaska leg of my Hardship Alaska book tour. Special thanks go to Dawnell Smith and Vered Mares at Writer’s Block Bookstore & Café for hosting me and creating a wonderful space for book lovers and writers of all ages.
Return to Alaska 2: St. Mary’s Book Talk & World Café
Pure and unexpected joy filled my heart during the Hardship Alaska book talk and World Café conversation at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Anchorage on June 6, 2023. I even reunited with four folks who knew me when I lived in a closet in the church’s basement fifty-plus years ago. Longtime friend and musician Mary… Continue reading Return to Alaska 2: St. Mary’s Book Talk & World Café
Return to Alaska 1: Homecoming, June 3-10, 2023
I recently went back to Alaska—the first time in over fifty years. I returned as part of my Hardship Alaska book tour. The book chronicles my life as a Vietnam War-era conscientious objector as I set off on two years of exile, service, soul-searching, and self-discovery in Alaska’s rugged, unforgettable beauty. The trip north was also… Continue reading Return to Alaska 1: Homecoming, June 3-10, 2023
Martha Graham
The city’s black steel and concrete-gray buildings sparkled in the rain, their dark hues vibrant; even the dirt and trash-filled gutters glistened as if wrapped in a high-gloss clear coating. Nearly blinded by this dazzling display, I thought I heard an angel speak, her voice cutting through the light. I couldn’t make her out as… Continue reading Martha Graham
Death is not the worst of evils
Every morning, weather permitting, I drive the six miles from my house in Trenton to Washington Crossing State Park and walk the paved drives that cut through the historic site connecting picnic groves, parking lots, a nature center and an outdoor amphitheater. There’s also a small museum with Revolutionary War artifacts which are housed in… Continue reading Death is not the worst of evils
Under a Bali Moon
Under a Bali Moon Among treetops under a Bali moon moist in the heat after dusk, I’d sat in this spot the year before, came back with a friend in tow. I waited while she lifted her spoon in anticipation. “Luscious.” She licked the caramelized crust, spoon dipping deep scooping up what lurked below. Its… Continue reading Under a Bali Moon