Article Archives: Words with Woods

Gunfire

February 14, 2019 | by CJ Woods III

In The Stingray Shuffle, a 2003 novel by Tim Dorsey, a character reads the news, and notes to his companion, “Second-grader brings gun to school. Jesus, what ever happened to just sticking out your tongue?” That same character, later in the novel, recites a seemingly random list of pleasures, which … Read More

And Now, a Word From Our Readers

February 7, 2019 | by CJ Woods III

“Hi!” The woman’s voice was bright and open, and her greeting, aimed at me, was surprising. I was at a celebration of First Friday and was passing the 5th grade boy who was playing the old piano in the Harrison Center when she beamed her smile at me. I responded … Read More

Telling Stories

January 31, 2019 | by CJ Woods III

Phil Lofton came up to me at the Harrison Center on First Friday, January 5th, and said that I looked familiar. “Do you spend time at Ash and Elm?” I laughed, then averred that I did spend time at my favorite cider house. After we exchanged names, I remembered that … Read More

Political Correctness

January 24, 2019 | by CJ Woods III

This column first appeared in the May 18, 2012 issue. A talk radio personality cast aspersions on a woman and publicly sneered at her point of view on an issue he views with contempt. People objected to his crude characterization of her; some of those who objected were accused of … Read More

Fathers and Daughters

January 17, 2019 | by CJ Woods III

An associate of my youngest daughter expressed incredulity: “Your father is watching her?” Lauren told me that she replied in the affirmative, with some complimentary words about me, the father who is the weekday caretaker for her 8-month-old daughter. When Lauren’s older sister was four years old, her mother went … Read More