Archive for May, 2008

Just who is Bill Duncan?

Friday, May 30th, 2008

By BILL DUNCAN
The View From Here

The university I graduated from in the 1950s recently asked me to participate in a student study called a personal characteristics survey.  It seemed like a worthwhile project so I answer a detailed questionnaire. The university assured me that [...]

Book Review/The Widows of Eden

Friday, May 23rd, 2008

 The Widows of Eden A novel about friendship, faith and small-town miracles By George Shaffner Hard Cover $21.95 Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill 
By BILL DUNCAN The News-Review 
By his writing style you can immediately see the influnence of a [...]

Burying the wrong cat in the rain

Friday, May 23rd, 2008

By BILL DUNCANThe View From Here

Why is it that town folks believe all us country folks need mousers for our barns? Some city slicker just dropped off at my back door a box filled with five kittens. I refused to get attached to the critters, hoping they’d just go away. They [...]

Growing up without seat belts

Thursday, May 15th, 2008

By BILL DUNCAN
The View From Here

Looking back over my growing up years it’s hard to believe, in light of the laws on the books today to protect children, that I have lived as long as I have. In my generation children rode in cars without safety seats, seat belts or air [...]

Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

Friday, May 9th, 2008

By BILL DUNCANThe View From Here

There will be all kinds of tributes to mothers come this Sunday as America celebrates a unique holiday, Mother’s Day. One of the most unusual ones I found recently was in a photo meditation by a Maryknoll priest, Rev. Joseph R. Veneroso in the May/June [...]

Book Review/A Monk Jumped Over a Wall

Monday, May 5th, 2008

A Monk Jumped Over a Wall By Jay Nussbaum A novel Toby Press Paperback $14.95 
By BILL DUNCAN The News-Review
Despite the religious sounding title, "A Monk Jumped Over a Wall," is a legal thriller dealing with legal issues as current as today’s headlines. The book opens in a [...]

Book Review/Miraculous Interventions in Life

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

Miraculous Interventions in Life by Carol Ledford Xulon Press Paperback $14.99
By BILL DUNCAN The News-Review
Writing a memoir is a revolutionary challenge for anyone, but to lay your soul bare is a challenge most of us would not take. That is exactly what Carol Ledford of Canyonville does in [...]

Book Review/Last Child in the Woods

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

Last Child in the Woods Saving our children from nature-deficit disorder By Richard Louv Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill Quality Paperback $14.95
By BILL DUNCAN The News-Review
"Last Child in the Woods," is an updated and expanded version of Richard Louv’s national bestseller first published in hardback in 2005, a [...]

Book Review/My Mother’s Garden

Friday, May 2nd, 2008

My Mother’s Garden A collection about love, flowers and family Chamberlain Bros. A division of Penguin Group (USA) Publishers Paperback $9.95
By BILL DUNCAN The News-Review
Gardeners are special people and at this time of year their green thumbs itch to get into the soil. The collection of gardening [...]

Godly Grammatical Gaffes

Thursday, May 1st, 2008

By BILL DUNCANThe View From Here
I have always believed that God has a sense of humor, else why would he create something as ridiculous looking as the giraffe. I also believe he welcomes laughter in church.
On April 18, I wrote a column about grammatical gaffes I find when I read today. From [...]