All posts by Buffy

the most wonderful time


Christmas trees and lights, his mother’s ornaments – long, fat and Victorian – wreaths of garland and holly berry winding around door frames and banisters. Wrapping paper and bells jingle belling. Nat King Cole. Warmed mince pies covered in brandy butter – the kind that clears your head. Sparkling wine and sherry in thick little

what i want for christmas by buffy m holt


This morning I donned shades and neroli oil. Paid a visit to the Christmas markets. I held my nose against the German bratwurst and breathed in the smell of mulled wine. A Dutchman tried to sell me some cheese. A pair of tiny wooden shoes. Then Santa asked “What do you want for Christmas …

one sick puppy


I use to take some degree of pride in never having set foot in the Smokey Mountains. I preferred Paris to Pigeon Forge and Nuremberg to that Gatlin place. I was awful like that. Anyway, a few weeks ago I had to pay a visit to the University of Tennessee’s School of Veterinary Medicine after

new york times 10 best books


The New York Times just released it’s 10 Best Books List – You can check out the top 100 here. I’ll just touch on the fiction selections because there’s bound to be something political on that other ‘non’ one and to be quite honest, I don’t have the stomach for it today – am fighting

zadie smith. on buffy. on writing.


Zadie Smith once told me I had to be fearless if I wanted to be a writer. We were talking about television shows we adored and daughters we didn’t have when I said it: “I just quit my job. To finish that novel everyone and their mothers are writing.” I bit my lip because I

hell hath no fury


The first fruits of leap year shine forth in the case of Miss Belle Harper of Pucketts Ridge, West Virginia who shot a man because he refused her offer of marriage. Toler Tribune February 7, A few years back