On Chesterton’s fence
By BEN R. WILLIAMS
G.K. Chesterton, who lived from 1874 to 1936, was an English writer, theologian, and lover of paradoxes. He wrote dozens of books, created the...
The BRAT Pack
By BEN R. WILLIAMS
A few months back, my buddy Mike and I went to hang out with our friend Bill.
As fate would have it, the day we...
The long haul
By BEN R. WILLIAMS
When I got into the pinball hobby about three years ago, there was one machine that leapt to the top of my wishlist: Frontier,...
Lost in translation
By BEN R. WILLIAMS
I recently saw an old friend of mine and he told me a story. After repeating this story to pretty much everyone I bumped...
The Whine Cellar
By BEN R. WILLIAMS
A couple of months ago, my dad had laser eye surgery. To be clear, this is a surgery where they use a laser to...
The rise and fall of Frappy Lady
By BEN R. WILLIAMS
About ten years ago, I worked at a coffee shop just outside of Roanoke.
In a lot of respects (the pay not being one of...
Rudolph gets rejected
By BEN R. WILLIAMS
Letter dated Oct. 1, 1949
Dear Mr. Johnny Marks,
I received the single you sent me — “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” It’s got a catchy beat,...
The best worst comic
By BEN R. WILLIAMS
Some years ago, I was the general manager of a playhouse in downtown Roanoke called Studio Roanoke.
For a period of time, Studio Roanoke hosted...
The Gray Ghost Vs. Seabiscuit
By BEN R. WILLIAMS
My friend Doug has a lot of great stories. Today I’d like to share one that’s printable.
Doug lives in Roanoke, and for many years,...
The Labors of Nerdcules
By BEN R. WILLIAMS
As I’ve mentioned in this space before, my hobby is collecting, playing, and repairing pinball machines. It is a wonderful hobby that brings me...
