Reflections
Life in Galesburg, Illinois and the world
by Bill Monson
Bill Monson passed away on June 18, 2005. This archive of his columns will remain online indefinitely for historical reference purposes.
- What do I miss about Galesburg? (published posthumously)
- The Monarchs: an autumnal miracle
- A Galesburg Thanksgiving
- The red in blue California
- A weighty issue
- Here comes Halloween
- The first rain in Pismo Beach
- Some thoughts betwixt the tremors
- Galesburg, Knox and alcohol
- 1950s Galesburg: Early Battles Against Demon Rum
- California volcano
- Try to remember your kind of September
- Galesburg writers
- Media misinformation
- The Saturday matinee serial
- More on the Saturday matinee serial
- Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative irony
- Speed demons
The cross-country trip
- Disaster flicks, parts I and II
- Afterfest
- Carl the columnist
- Justice delayed
- Survival!
- Old time basketball
- Alistair Cooke and "Omnibus"
- When Irish eyes are glaring
- Surf's up!
- Arnold's first 100 days
- Old man with fever
- Couch cowboys
- Dr. Harold Shipman
- Return to Paso Rables
- A trip to London, 2004, parts I, 2 & 3
- 1953: a half-century review
- Earthquake in California
- Christmas sled
- Memories of Christmas windows
- Purple time
- Arnold meets backfill
- Recyclables
- Evolutions
- Some thoughts for a rainy afternoon
- Wildfires
- Some halloween thoughts
- Illinois place names
- Leftovers from my 50th high school reunion
- Reunion weekend
- A bad Fall day
- GHS Class of 1953
- All that jazz
- Gray who?
- Gubernatorial gallop
- The cat-killers of Los Osos
- Encounter with two masters of comedy
- The American movie western
- Part I, a genre is born
- Part II, the genre grows
- Part III, the myth-makers
- Part IV, streamlined westerns
- Part V, the singing cowboys
- Part VI, sidekicks
- Part VII, the Duke
- Part VIII, the man who killed the western
- Part IX, Western movies in Galesburg
- Part X, Out of the saddle
- A train buff rides again.
- A Pain in the Middle East, parts I & II.
- The new colonialists.
- Holy warrior.
- A bomb and a book.
- Slots, punchboards and pinball.
- The Sheltons: downstate gangsters.
- The camera does lie!
- A California Morality Tale
- What's a "Clinker"?
- Don't ring dem bells
- Death by animals
- Top stories of 2002
- 1952: A year in review
- Letters to Santa
- A December Memory
European Adventure 2002
- Knox Homecoming 2002
- A tale of snails
- Planet Weird
- 11-12 on 227
- Dog days
- Grandpa and the Fair
- A letter from Ralph
- God and Country
- Mom
- A tribute to The Duke
- Spread the word about Railroad Days
- Sex, $$$, cars!
- Ugly anniversary, parts I and II
- Lincoln actors
- Assembly-challenged
- More bird pests
- Something to crow about
- Milton Berle, 1908-2002
- Vernal thoughts
- Malicious March
- You know you're getting old when...
- Porn
- Pebble Beach
- Backpacks, lockers and study hall
- Lefty
- Year-end review: 1951
- Oh, Christmas Tree
- Holiday food rant
- The Welcome Center welcomes you
- "Over the River and Through the Woods" (California Version)
- Nervous November
- Made in Galesburg: The Silver Streak
- Homecoming memories in Ladybug Land
- Devil's Hole
- The Greater Jihad
- The Great Satan
- Hammering Hank is gone
- Growing up with radio.
- I'm scientifically challenged: nasty to nasturtiums.
- The Second, Fourth and Nineteenth of July.
- When Gielgud came to Galesburg.
- Talking to things.
- There are more memories of Alumni Hall.
- There are some problems with Alumni Hall.
- Alumni Hall memories.
- Notes from economy class.
- Grandpa's cigars.
- No more mañanas for Monkey Ward's.
- More memories.
- Good-bye Lucille, an ode to Oldsmobile.
- Downtown Galesburg Christmas shopping.
- Sweet tooth.
- December sky shows.
- Turkey attack!
- November.
- Halloween.
- October.
- The natives of Illinois.
- To throw or not to throw.
- You're an old-timer if you remember...
- Railroads (yawn).
- Corn.
- Tecumseh.
- The real "Fighting Illini".
- In praise of P.E.
- Food (and other commodities) for thought.
- Hot dogs and memories.
- Galesburg, rail city.
- Best Pictures should make you feel good.
Last updated August 20, 2005