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A reader shares completing Joseph Frank’s single-volume biography of Dostoevsky and beginning Carol Sklenicka’s biography of Raymond Carver, briefly noting Dostoevsky’s admiration for Dickens and the contrast in the two books’ lengths.

The author coins and defines the term “quadracious” through vivid examples from recent travels in Japan and Malaysia, including climbing an erupting volcano, eating raw chicken in Osaka, and discovering sharks in a restaurant’s men’s restroom.

The author recounts a whirlwind three-week journey spanning the Italian Alps, the mountains of northern Thailand (dubbed the “Thai Alps”), work at the Asian Amateur Championship near Tokyo, a seminar in Okinawa, and finally the Northern Japan Alps on the Nagano-Gifu border.

A traveler describes trying a notably spicy Burger King burger featuring a thick layer of red chili peppers, encountered repeatedly at Thai airports during a trip from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and Pai.

A tongue-in-cheek monthly golf report reveals that the author played no golf in September, humorously spinning the absence of play as an “undefeated” record and good preparation for fall matches.

A writer on a working holiday in Florence reflects humorously on their “restraint” — limiting themselves to one gelato and one digestif per day while also writing, running through the hills, and indulging an irresistible fascination with grasses found along the city’s sidewalks and pathways.

A writer reflects on their slow but steady progress reading Joseph Frank’s single-volume Dostoevsky biography while living in Florence, Italy, savoring its dense literary analysis in small doses while balancing writing work and enjoying the city’s inspiring views.

A visit to Siracusa’s Teatro Greco reveals common bermudagrass and seashore paspalum growing among the ancient ruins, while an apartment kitchen allows the author to prepare a simple Sicilian pasta dish featuring sun-dried cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, and pesto.

A writer shares early impressions from a working trip to Ortygia, Sicily, sampling gelato flavors, affordable local wines, and a puppet museum while productively completing articles for Golf Course Seminar magazine.

A golfer recounts his August record of two wins and one draw across courses in Manila, Hanoi, and Bangkok, highlighting clutch performances despite minimal practice time and challenging conditions including an early morning tee-time and tropical storm weather.