Author Archives: paulefallon

About paulefallon

Greetings reader. I am a writer, architect, cyclist and father from Cambridge, MA. My primary blog, theawkwardpose.com is an archive of all my published writing. The title refers to a sequence of three yoga positions that increase focus and build strength by shifting the body’s center of gravity. The objective is balance without stability. My writing addresses opposing tension in our world, and my attempt to find balance through understanding that opposition. During 2015-2106 I am cycling through all 48 mainland United States and asking the question "How will we live tomorrow?" That journey is chronicled in a dedicated blog, www.howwillwelivetomorrw.com, that includes personal writing related to my adventure as well as others' responses to my question. Thank you for visiting.

Objecting to the Truth as I See It

Posted on 03/31/2015 by paulefallon

The following essay was published in WBUR Cognoscenti on March 31, 2015: Narrative non-fiction is not an objective undertaking; the author determines which facts to include and shapes their interpretation. So how does a writer flesh out the virtues and … Continue reading →

Posted in Haiti, Personal | Tagged Architecture by Moonlight, John Berendt, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, narrative non-fiction, non-fiction, Partners in Health, Paul Farmer, Roy Peter Clark, The Free Dictionary, WBUR Cognoscenti | Leave a comment

Audiobook Orgy Part 4: American Theocracy

Posted on 03/26/2015 by paulefallon

Kevin Phillips has a grand, sweeping thesis: three interrelated factors are bringing America down. First there is oil. The energy that drove the unlimited aspirations of the American Century is showing its limits in the 21st. Second, there is religion. … Continue reading →

Posted in United States | Tagged American Theocracy, Christianity, debt, fundamentalism, Kevin Phillips, oil | 2 Comments

Counting Every Step

Posted on 03/23/2015 by paulefallon

I’m a good little doobie. When the voice of authority tells me do something, I do it. Even when that voice is distant (I never call anyone after 10 p.m., per my mother’s directive circa 1966). Even when that voice … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal | Tagged 10000 steps, alzheimers, Apple, Apple Health app, digifit, digifitMVP, iPhone, Talenti, Talenti Gelato | Leave a comment

Audiobook Orgy Part 3: In Defense of Food

Posted on 03/19/2015 by paulefallon

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” These seven words address everything Michael Pollen has to say in defense of food, but seven words does not a book make, and so he continues on for 200 more pages. Mr. Pollen … Continue reading →

Posted in United States | Tagged Big Food, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollen, obesity, The Omnivore’s Dilemma | Leave a comment

Hampton Inn Art

Posted on 03/16/2015 by paulefallon

I know, I know, it’s a cookie cutter hotel chain with ubiquitous facilities. When I wake up in a Hampton Inn, which I have in half-dozen cities, it takes a few minutes to remember where I am. However, among its … Continue reading →

Posted in United States | Tagged Bowling Green KY, Hampton Inn | Leave a comment

Audiobook Orgy Part 2: Green Metropolis

Posted on 03/12/2015 by paulefallon

What is the most sustainable place in the United States? Boulder, Colorado? Davis, California? New York, New York? David Owen, New Yorker writer and master of counterintuitive arguments advocates for the latter. Per capita energy use in New York City is … Continue reading →

Posted in United States | Tagged David Owen, Death and LIfe of Great American Cities, Green Metropolis, Jane Jacobs, Manhattan, New York City, sustainability | 2 Comments

Spring Forward Yoga

Posted on 03/09/2015 by paulefallon

We set our clocks ahead for spring on Sunday. But with the ground covered with several feet of snow, the roads covered with black ice and temperatures below twenty degrees, I couldn’t bike to yoga. So I walked. A single … Continue reading →

Posted in United States, Yoga | Tagged Aladdin Auto, Cambridge, Cambridge MA, Fresh Pond Plaza, thelighter, thelighter.org | Leave a comment

Audiobook Orgy Part 1: Road Trip!

Posted on 03/05/2015 by paulefallon

I went on a road trip – 2400 miles through 11 states in 8 days. Along the way I visited family and gave a few book lectures. But mostly I drove. And listened to audiobooks. I’m drawn to center-left history … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, United States | Tagged American Theocracy, David Owen, Green Metropolis, In Defense of Food, Kevin Phillips, Michael Pollen | 2 Comments

The War in Snyder’s Grocery Store

Posted on 03/02/2015 by paulefallon

Jack Fallon died twenty years ago last week. He was an eccentric and endearing character. When the rest of his World War II generation were busy conforming to grey flannel suits, he marched to whatever voices resonated in his head. … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal, Uncategorized | Tagged The War in Snyder's Grocery Store, World War II | Leave a comment

Rise and Shine – for the 21,897th Time

Posted on 02/26/2015 by paulefallon

Last Sunday was my birthday. I turned 60. Everyone who knows me steers clear of me on that day. It’s not that I mind getting old – being 60 suits me as well as Gloria Steinem turning 40. It’s just … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal | Tagged 60, 6oth birthday, birthday, Rise and Shine | 2 Comments