Author Archives: smellincoffee

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About smellincoffee

Citizen, librarian, reader with a boundless wonder for the world and a curiosity about all the beings inside it.

The Muses speak not to spiritless silicon

Posted on November 29, 2025 by smellincoffee

Dear Leon and Charlie, In the story of the creation, God makes the world, and everything in it, in six days. On the seventh day he rests. The day of rest is significant because it suggests that the creation required … Continue reading →

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The Plain People of the Confederacy

Posted on November 28, 2025 by smellincoffee

The Plain People of the Confederacy takes a look at three often overlooked demographics of the South: poor whites, whom everyone forgets exist; women; and blacks. As it happens, Wiley has written volumes on each of these categories (poor whites … Continue reading →

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Billy has Gone for a Soldier: the Life of Billy Yank

Posted on November 26, 2025 by smellincoffee

Shortly after Bell Irvin Wiley penned The Life of Johnny Reb, a social history of southern soldiery, he wondered: what about the other fellows? What brought them to the colors, pulled them away from lives of comfort to march thousands … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday & Long and Short Prompt

Posted on November 26, 2025 by smellincoffee

WHAT have you finished reading recently? “Shadowlands“, a play about CS Lewis, Joy Davidman, and suffering. I’m also fairly close to finishing The Horse and His Boy, I think. I say “I think” because I am listening to the audiobook, … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday

Posted on November 25, 2025 by smellincoffee

As we approach the end of November, I’m afraid it doesn’t look terribly good for my SciFi month goals. I have a Heinlein novel I’m almost done with, but I keep pecking at several Star Trek and Star Wars novels … Continue reading →

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Shadowlands: A Play

Posted on November 22, 2025 by smellincoffee

C.S. Lewis died on 11/22/63, a week before his 65th birthday. Over the years, I have taken up the habit of spending “a week with Jack” — reading something of his in that space, to spend time with an author … Continue reading →

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Fresh Air with Terry Grosz

Posted on November 21, 2025 by smellincoffee

When it’s time for me to do my annual writeup in a month or so, I will have to mention the Black Swan event that was game warden-oriented books suddenly exploding onto the scene, bursting out of nowhere like a … Continue reading →

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For Cause and Comrade

Posted on November 20, 2025 by smellincoffee

The moment I saw this book at a university booksale I knew I wanted it, because in the second story of that same library I’d researched my senior seminar paper to earn my BA in history.  For Cause and Comrades … Continue reading →

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WWW Wednesday, SciFi Month Prompt 19, and Books that Shaped Me

Posted on November 19, 2025 by smellincoffee

WWW Wednesday WHAT have you finished reading recently? The Politically Incorrect Guide to the South, which was fairly mixed. Some interesting Civil War content that I’m still fact-checking, bookended by fluff. WHAT are you reading now? Double Star, Bob Heinlein. … Continue reading →

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Teaser Tuesday & SciFi Month

Posted on November 18, 2025 by smellincoffee

Today’s tease is from Robert Heinlein’s Double Star! “Before my revered father died, he made me promise him three things: first, never to mix whisky with anything but water; second, always to ignore anonymous letters; and lastly, never to talk … Continue reading →

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