Author Archives: jimmcgarrah

1. The first ancient members of my family seem to have originated somewhere in the Scottish Highlands. Like peering through a fog in the early dawn, only vague suggestions and inferences can be drawn to assume what you think you see is accurate in that regard. All that is known for sure is the factContinue reading “Two Separate Notes to Consider For this Sunday, November 21, 2021”

 On November 11, 1918, the United States declared Armistice Day, a day that saw the end to the most horrific four years of bloodshed and human atrocity that the world had ever seen. It was the day of peace for the war to end all wars. Sadly, it had to be renamed World War OneContinue reading “Veterans Day, 2021”

The great storyteller, Flannery O’Connor once gave a lecture to fledging writers in which she remarked how natural the act of telling a story was. She believed everyone could do it. But Flannery got fooled when she read their horrible attempts at creating coherent narratives. Her amended statement went like this – “I believed theContinue reading “The Demonstration of Abstraction”

In the universe there are gods, the four elements, the dumb beasts, and the plants. Each fulfills the point of their existence fully by virtue of acting in harmony with their one individual and perfect quality. Humans possess the qualities of these entities that make up the universe. The problem with humans is rooted inContinue reading “The Question of Balance”

It’s been raining for four days here in Athens, Georgia. It’s probably some god trying to balance out the fact that we have a perfect football team in the Georgia Bulldogs with some imperfect weather. Gods don’t like humans to be too happy. Anyway, the rain put me in a somber mood because the constantContinue reading “Drilling for Jesus”

The following event occurred more than once during my youth. But that was sixty years ago and so, I don’t claim this memory to be a historically accurate record of facts. It is simply a fading memory of those events in composite, or one narrative scene in which all my memories are combined and entwinedContinue reading “The Shit War”

Consider the fact that the population of our country was around 2 million two hundred years ago. Yet, we had statesmen, men with intimate knowledge and brilliant ideas regarding how the country should be governed. Forget their religion. Forget their politics. Forget their sexual mores. I’m talking about taking a new country into a worldContinue reading “A Brief Note on the Cost of War”

If you don’t know whether you like contemporary American poetry that doesn’t adhere to a formal rhyme scheme, this isn’t particularly polite, that seeks an honest explication of what it means to be human, and if you don’t know whether or not you like Jim McGarrah, then you might possibly find the answer to bothContinue reading “Reading is a Vitamin for Your Soul”

What no one has explained well is why we find mystery, music, beauty, maybe what Lorca would call writing that exhibits an author’s Duende in one story or poem, but not in another. And, that’s true even if the writers both are writing with clarity, good craft skills, and use similar vehicles for content. WeContinue reading “The Importance of Class”

It isn’t difficult to understand the obesity problem in America when you consider our penchant for  fine dining at Truck Stop and Chinese and Golden Corral Buffets. I am as guilty as the next epicurean. So, if you feel picked on, or fat-shamed, remember I’m including myself in this observation. You’re not alone. A bigContinue reading “The Buffet Epidemic, or Super-size My Ass”