HeyJaredJ.F. Riordan; Reflections on a Life in Exile
(Almost) daily reflections from novelist and essayist J.F. Riordan, author of the North of the Tension Line series, and of two books of essays on life, "Reflections on a Life in Exile" and "But Still They Sing". Frequent gratuitous dog photos.
- Indexed issues, last 90 days
- 19
- Latest publication
- Sep 29, 2026
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- Earliest in this view
- Aug 27, 2026
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The Speed of Time (opens the original)
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I read this essay at Untitledtown Book Festival this past weekend, and it seems appropriate for a fall day like this one.Subscribe nowI have been reading Frederick Buechner, who speaks of truth as silence.I realize how thoroughly I avoid silence. I fear it.I know now, why. Sound is protection. Silence strips away the distraction of noise, revealing old anxieties, regrets, sadness, and pain. Grief resurfaces and tears with sharp nails. These are hard things to embrace.Instead, I sit o
Let Autumn Come (opens the original)
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Things have changed since I’ve been away1. The leaves in our woods have begun to turn. The maples are always first, then come the beeches. The beech tree next to Dave is has begun to turn before the rest, but it’s dying, its trunk split almost in half. It is scheduled to be removed, preferably before it falls on the house. Or on one of us. Or, Heaven forfend, on Dave.<a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!YKEC!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progres
Rambling on the road (opens the original)
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Today is my last day of solitary writing. Tomorrow I head back down the peninsula for the Book Festival. I’m participating in three panel discussions and giving a talk, and I’ll also have a booth at the book fair. Come and see me, if you can. <a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2-98!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6c0d301c-2e47-414d-94f9-72766a24839c_3024x32
On dining alone (opens the original)
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I arrived in Door County late yesterday afternoon. I thought spending a few days alone, writing intensively, would be a good way to head into the book Festival this weekend. The signs of autumn are already more pronounced than at home further south, and the breeze off the lake is cooler than I expected, despite having expected it to be cool. I hadn’t done any real work—unless you call packing and traveling work—but, I wasn’t in the mood to grab a burger or a pizza. I hadn’t eaten much during the
How about a little trip to Green Bay? (opens the original)
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I haven’t made many public appearances lately, but I have several coming up I thought you might like to know about. I’ll be speaking at the UntitledTown Book and Author Festival September 25-27, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. On Friday, September 25th at 4pm I’ll be part of a conversation on writing for children at Lion’s Mouth Bookstore. And then at 6pm, again at Lion’s Mouth, I’ll be on a panel from wh
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