Reflections – Kenneth A. Baldwin

A Farewell to Arms: Why Hemingway’s Work is More Relevant Now Than Ever

Latest Reads, ReflectionsSeptember 14, 2022304Views 0Likes 0Comments

This blog post was originally featured on an old blog I managed called Back to Being Gentlemen. That site is now defunct, but on a quick read, I found the content worthy of republication here with minimal edits. Hemingway is a bit of an acquired taste, but his influence on modern literature is unquestionable. His use…

Autumn Has Come a Month Too Early

Poetry, ReflectionsSeptember 6, 2022201Views 0Likes 0Comments

Autumn has come a month too early. When I was flying down the road and a cool breeze slid from its hiding place to tug at the sides of my shirt, I could not ignore it. It was the face of a friend and mentor rapping my knuckles to prepare me for its lesson, as if to say, it's time to put away…

Things Cancer Taught Me

ReflectionsJune 7, 2022226Views 0Likes 0Comments

Today is Cancer Survivor Day, which is a day I didn't know existed until my mom texted me with a heartfelt message of gratitude. It's been almost ten years since I was first diagnosed with Stage III Melanoma. I will never forget sitting in a dermatologist's office with my spouse, looking around at the doctor's family…

The Picture of Dorian Gray: A Must-Read for Modern-Day

ReflectionsDecember 7, 2021410Views 0Likes 0Comments

This blog post was originally featured on an old blog I managed called Back to Being Gentlemen. That site is now defunct, but on a quick read, I found the content worthy of republication here with minimal edits. If you haven't read The Picture of Dorian Gray, it is one of my absolute favorites.…

Why I Love David Whyte Now

ReflectionsSeptember 21, 2021319Views 0Likes 0Comments

Once upon a time, I ran a blog that encouraged me to seek out and memorize meaningful poetry. For whatever reason, I gravitated toward poets who have anchored themselves in the annals of tradition and time. Poets like Henley and Longfellow and Dickinson. Somehow, the poems of the modern age often strike me as…

My Summer as an Actor in Evermore Park

ReflectionsAugust 9, 2021334Views 0Likes 0Comments

This past summer, I spent my weekend evenings working as an actor in Utah's Evermore Park. If you haven't heard of it, it's an immersive adventure fantasy park. The park is designed as an old Victorian English town, which if you know me, sounds like heaven. In Evermore, portals open up to different realms,…

The Silver Currant

Gaslamp Trinkets, ReflectionsJuly 31, 20204Views 0Likes 0Comments

In just a few days, The Silver Currant, sequel to The Crimson Inkwell will be available to readers. It has been a wild ride. Second installments of trilogies have a longstanding tradition of being lame. There are exceptions, of course. I tried to study my favorite second children out there to see how they kept…

From Your Politically Moderate Friend on FB

ReflectionsMay 8, 2020180Views 0Likes 0Comments

The term "echo chamber" is enough to send chills down your spine. I know I just got goosebumps thinking about it. When I was kid, I saw The Truman Show, starring Jim Carrey. If you haven't seen it, the show's premise is pretty simple. Jim Carrey plays a man whose entire life is a…

Don’t Fail Your New Year’s Resolutions

Instead of Writing, ReflectionsJanuary 6, 2020140Views 0Likes 0Comments

This week on Instead of Writing, I'm taking my background in business operations to offer you a strategic approach to actually accomplishing something through your New Year's resolution this year. There are a lot of problems with the way most people go about setting their resolutions. That's probably why more than 80% fail. If…

From the Files: Early Memory

ReflectionsSeptember 1, 2019150Views 0Likes 0Comments

My Marie Kondo kick is ongoing. I don't think she ever suggested taking this long to go through her several-step declutter process, but here I am nine months later. It's the "papers" stage that has really got me slowing down because I keep finding these old humiliating gems I thought would be important to keep.…