Last Days of the Dog

\Here, as this Year of the Dog begins, we are the deciders, choosing which day will be the last for our 15-year-old Korean Jindo, Waits. How does one know when it is time? Is his life still a good thing, to him, if he cannot easily rise to drink water, if he cannot control his […]

Let’s Be Reasonable About Kratom

I used to take opioids for pain. Every day. Numerous times a day. I didn’t abuse the drugs; I was prescribed them for legitimate reasons and I used them as directed. Still, a human body becomes reliant on narcotic drugs like this, and over time it takes more for the same effects. It’s simple physiology. […]

The Last Word

Another week, another week of great reading here at LWON. We like to think so, anyway. Here’s what you missed: Rose expands on an excellent article she did elsewhere (Rose, how could you?) on virtual reality and empathy…how donning the goggles theoretically can make you care but in practice might do something else entirely. Ann […]

Adventures of an Occasional Goatherd

Baby, it’s cold outside! So I’m posting a little look-back at some warmer-weather fun on the farm. ————– I love goats. In many ways they’re a lot like dogs, and I love dogs. So, it follows. How are they like dogs? At least the ones I’ve met love attention. They want to be petted and […]

The Last Word

Happy 12th month, readers! Lurch with us into December with these fine offerings: On Monday Christie brought back a 2015 essay in which she reminds us that, sure, posting our most enviable moments for all to see is good fun, but it’s way less fun than the actual doing. “When we focus on the rendering,” […]

Redux: A Case of J-Shame

This post ran back in June 2016 after the shooting in the Orlando nightclub. I’m running it again because, sadly, it is as relevant as ever. The atrocities keep coming, and as a writer I continue to feel unsure of how to handle them. (Here’s what’s happened since then.) ———— I’ve been working on a […]

The Last Word

Did you miss anything from last week’s LWON joint? Have a look at the offerings. Craig gave us sand—in our hair, in our teeth, in the minds and hearts of children. He waxes poetic about his family’s tackling of Great Sand Dunes National Park. Eric, in a Redux, opens a window to a very personal […]