Author Archives: Gavin Stevens

About Gavin Stevens

Humptulips County is the wholly fictional on-line residence of Stephen Ellis, a would-be writer, an avid fan of William Faulkner and his Yoknapatawpha County, and a retired lawyer.

Here We Go Again

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Gavin Stevens

โ€œAny act by which severe pain or suffering , whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him, or a third person, information or a confession, punishing him for an act he … Continue reading →

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Popping Noises

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Gavin Stevens

“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. ” Dylan Thomas, Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good night Dylan Thomas died … Continue reading →

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A Request for Your Money and Time

Posted on April 8, 2009 by Gavin Stevens

Well I don’t mean to be complainin’ Lord You’ve always seen me through And I know you got your reasons For each and every thing you do But tonight outside my window There’s a lonesome mournful sound And I just … Continue reading →

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Searching for Harvey

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Gavin Stevens

“Pooka. From old Celtic mythology. A fairy spirit in animal form. Always very large. The pooka appears here and there, now and then, to this one and that one at his own caprice. A wise but mischievous creature. Very fond … Continue reading →

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A Rant: Whither or Wither the American Spirit?

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Gavin Stevens

“This perpetual change which goes on in the United States, these frequent vicissitudes of fortune, accompanied by such unforeseen fluctuations in private and in public wealth, serve to keep the minds of the citizens in a perpetual state of feverish … Continue reading →

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Poking the Elephant

Posted on February 24, 2009 by Gavin Stevens

“Simply put, to get to the heart of this country, one must examine its racial soul. Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been, and I believe we … Continue reading →

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Peanut CEO Takes The Fifth

Posted on February 11, 2009 by Gavin Stevens

The above is the title of a breaking cbsnews.com article about the President of The Peanut Corporation of America who is under subpoena to testify before a Congressional Committee today and who is refusing to testify, citing his Fifth Amendment … Continue reading →

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Traps For the Unwary Philosopher

Posted on February 11, 2009 by Gavin Stevens

While I am always amazed at the traps we create for ourselves, even more amazing to me is our inability to see that most traps are of our own creation and that the easy way out is simply to decide … Continue reading →

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Can Stumbling Be a Good Teacher?

Posted on February 9, 2009 by Gavin Stevens

While patience can be a virtue, it certainly hasn’t served me well these last two weeks as I have watched, waited and wondered at what our new President might do next. While it seemed for a time that he was … Continue reading →

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Actions Do Speak Louder Than Words

Posted on January 21, 2009 by Gavin Stevens

“As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of … Continue reading →

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