The Latest Stories from Walter Rhein

The “gears” of running are subtle, but you can use them to your advantage — Think of how much easier it would be to run a marathon if you were allowed to wear Heelys. In case you don’t remember, Heelys are those obnoxious shoes with wheels at the heel that kids used to wear to go scooting around at the mall (back when there were…

Toxic masculinity is so ingrained in our institutions that American men can’t recognize how sick they are — When I was around 16, I was driving somewhere with my sister and my friend Jeff. Jeff offered the front seat to my sister but she declined. This was one of those two-door beaters that most kids get for their first car. When Jeff sat down in the front seat…

Do not give your opposition ammunition to use against you — When I lived in Peru, a friend of mine came up to me after a long weekend with a startling confession. “I committed an act of vandalism,” she said. She lived on the outskirts of Lima, in a small town that had a reputation for being corrupt. The municipality made…

Wrongheaded right-wing thinking only contributes to a giant mess that liberals will have to clean up eventually — Conservatives love authoritarianism. They love being told what to do. As for me, I despise being told what to do. I also despise telling people what to do. All my life, I’ve tried to convince stupid people that their idiotic beliefs and behaviors were self-destructive. I’ve had confidence in the…

The hate rhetoric of right wing media and politicians cannot be allowed to continue — It’s another day in America. Another day when an innocent community has been torn apart by a senseless, racially motivated shooting. We’ve got a whole political party that regularly indulges in hate rhetoric and nobody does anything. We’ve got absurd gun laws that allow any unhinged racist to walk into…

You need to write every day, so why not write a review? — Time is money. Reading books takes time. Purchasing books costs money. We’re already down two and the game hasn’t even started yet. As much as I wish to be a champion for independent publishing, I can’t escape the harsh reality that people need to be compensated for their time. …

Why I haven’t published anything since Monday — A couple of my email subscribers noticed I’ve been silent this week and reached out to ask if I was okay. Kind gestures like that mean more than you can know. I really appreciate the people who I’ve met on this platform who regularly read and comment on my articles. …

Writing is therapeutic, but it’s important to recognize there are times you might need to talk to somebody — I am not okay. On Monday of this week, my community lost a 10 year old girl to a senseless, horrific, and incomprehensible act of violence. I’m writing this now in the middle of my grieving process. …

I told her I didn’t want to talk to her and she wouldn’t leave me alone — I’m still processing the trauma of a 10-year-old girl who was killed in my community. That’s not the type of thing that you wake up the next morning and forget. My community has put up ribbons, but they’re already starting to take them down. No real changes have been proposed…