I have a pet theory that's based on no proof and no research, only personal observation. I believe that we in the US are so overexposed to lies that we've stopped seeing lying and liars as bad. The US President lies daily. Your Congressperson and Senator probably do too. Sadly, many consider the response of the sophisticated person should be, "It's just politics."

Not "Don't do that." Not "I won't vote for a liar." Just "Oh, well."

That's not my theory, by the way. My theory is that our society...

The country is a mess. There is no hope that it will right itself in a month, or six months, or ever. So what should you do?

Write something. Write a poem, or a letter, or an essay, or a short story, or a book. It doesn't have to be a screed or a solution or an award-winning piece of literature.

Writing is cathartic. Focusing on putting "the best words in the best order" is calming. The end result is a lessening of stress. There, you tell yourself. I wrote it down.

You might improve it later....

My husband sometimes chuckles at my book-buying style. I want to go to an actual bookstore and wander through the shelves, picking up this one and that one, adding this one to my pile of purchases and returning that one to the shelf. I want to talk to the clerks and see what they're reading. I often strike up conversations with other browsers about whether such-and-such an author's latest book is a good one or lesser. I don't often buy books second-hand, and I don't sell them once I've...