Tag Archives: character study

The time Jeff led worship

Posted on December 30, 2022 by maradanto

Back when we were in college, my close, personal friend Jeffrey Holton and I were part of the local chapter of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. There’s an interesting story about how the chapter broke away from InterVarsity when the parent organization … Continue reading →

Posted in religion, Stories and vignettes | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Ruth, my fair weather friend

Posted on October 28, 2022 by maradanto

I first met my close, personal friend Ruth Hersey in August 1993, when we were both new hires at an English-speaking school in Haiti. The island had just been through some pounding rain that had let up only two days … Continue reading →

Posted in Stories and vignettes | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spork at the reception

Posted on September 15, 2022 by maradanto

It’s been four years since I ate wedding cake with this tiny wooden spork, and four years since I stabbed my close, personal Rykie in the eye with it. Much has been spoken of that night during the ensuing years, … Continue reading →

Posted in Stories and vignettes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Anthony takes out the bank

Posted on June 29, 2021 by maradanto

Ah, how distinctly I remember this afternoon! The stars soon would be in alignment and the moon would be new, opening the ancient gates so the Old Ones would return. Anthony, feeling the weight of history upon his shoulders and … Continue reading →

Posted in Stories and vignettes | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Minx on the severity of paper cuts

Posted on August 6, 2020 by maradanto

Never cross Minx McCloud. Minx was a colleague of mine at Forbes Newspapers, whose free-lance work I used regularly as a managing editor with The Packet Group. She’s an excellent writer, a stickler for accuracy, and savage when she wants … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

11 facts about Steve Learn

Posted on August 1, 2020 by maradanto

A few interesting things about my brother Steve Learn: 1. Apollo 11 landed on the moon to commemorate his birth. Typical for NASA, they got the date wrong and arrived an entire year too early. 2. St. Stephen the martyr … Continue reading →

Posted in family, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Character study: Darren Nye

Posted on April 15, 2020 by maradanto

A few years ago when I was in a show he was directing, Darren Nye came over to have a talk with me. He explained that some of the other cast members were complaining that I was intimidating. I didn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in Stories and vignettes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Character study: Emily Russo

Posted on April 8, 2020 by maradanto

Say what you will about Emily Russo, she is always level-headed in a crisis and prepared for worst-case scenarios. Several years ago, Emily directed a stage production of “A Charlie Brown Christmas” for a local theater, and I got to … Continue reading →

Posted in Stories and vignettes | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Character study: Ruth Hershey

Posted on April 3, 2020 by maradanto

They called her Two Chains. I hadn’t met Ruth Hershey yet, but her reputation preceded her. Everyone from California to New England had heard about Two Chains, the tea-swilling card shark with a real estate license in Tennessee. There were … Continue reading →

Posted in Stories and vignettes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Character study: J.D.

Posted on April 2, 2020 by maradanto

The first time I met JD Robinson, I was working at the neighborhood supermarket. He would come in every day and say, “Mister, can I have a loaf of bread, a container of milk and … and …” and he … Continue reading →

Posted in Stories and vignettes | Tagged , | Leave a comment