Author Archives: johndiestler

I’ve been watching the news again. The reactions are real—raw, immediate—but there’s something else underneath them. A kind of surprise, as if this moment arrived without precedent. As if we haven’t been here before. We don’t always declare war anymore, … Continue reading →

Time has come today Young hearts can go their way Can’t put it off another day I don’t care what others say They say we don’t listen anyway Time has come today (Hey) Oh The rules have changed today (Hey) … Continue reading →

In Truckee there sits a remnant from the age of glaciers—a broad, smoothed stone surface, polished flat by ice long gone. At its center rests an immense boulder, improbably balanced. For thousands of years it held there. Not fixed—balanced. Most … Continue reading →

 There is a room with a chair. It sits three-quarters along the far wall, next to the table, near the front window. It is well worn, wooden, and in the style of ladder-backed. The front legs are straight and narrow. … Continue reading →

What happens when a culture no longer has the freedom to have fads? That might seem like a bold statement. Who took that freedom away? More importantly, why would anyone take that particular thing away? Is it possible the answer … Continue reading →

Today I left the house without my jacket. In the Midwest, a blizzard is swallowing highways. In California, someone is ordering a Blizzard to cool off. We move through weather whether we’re prepared or not — wind, heat, stillness, the … Continue reading →

A few months back, I wrote a one-act about a chair. I was partly inspired by Sarah Bernhardt, but mostly by the imagined possibility that common objects might carry some faint aspect of sentience. It was important that the chair … Continue reading →

Summertime filing, sanding, and polishing. Braided wire wrapped over leather, solid grip in wet circumstances.

Multitasking We have all heard that the secret to life’s success is to do a lot of multitasking. Meaning, I suppose, that whatever you are doing, learn to do two or three things simultaneously, in order to get ahead and … Continue reading →

I attended a jazz recital last night. Our music department generally has a performance to celebrate their student’s accomplishments. Our jazz quintet, “Jazzology”, was the featured performer. We also had a guest performer, Kallil Wilson, a great voice, with amazing … Continue reading →