A.D.Elliott

A.D.Elliott Writer and photographer documenting overlooked places, forgotten people, and the long memory of the road

05/30/2026

Good morning, my friends!

Twelve years ago, I started sharing my thoughts about the books I was reading.

I never imagined the archive would grow to this size.

This week, Rite of Fancy passed 1,000 book reviews.

There are classics, forgotten gems, modern bestsellers, history books, philosophy, theology, science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, biographies, and plenty of books that made me stop and think.

Some reviews are only a few hundred words. Others became essays in their own right. Together, they've created a reading journal that spans years of my life.

Building an archive like this doesn't happen overnight. It's the result of thousands of hours spent reading, writing, researching, and reflecting.

If you've ever visited Rite of Fancy dot Com, recommended a book, shared a review, or simply followed along, thank you.

And if you're new here, welcome. There are now more than 1,000 books waiting for you.

📚 Here's to the next thousand.

Good morning, my friends!And happy Friday!I've recently finished The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, and it was an exce...
05/29/2026

Good morning, my friends!

And happy Friday!

I've recently finished The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, and it was an excellent read. One of the things I loved most about it was its appreciation for the simple art of letter writing.

The book reminded me of all the times I've thought about starting a letter-writing club. There's something special about receiving a handwritten letter in a mailbox filled mostly with bills and advertisements. A letter takes time, thought, and intention in a way that emails and text messages rarely do.

I know it's old-fashioned, but I think letter writing is a tradition worth bringing back.

Do any of you still write letters?





Good morning, my friends!May your coffee be strong!
05/26/2026

Good morning, my friends!

May your coffee be strong!

Remembering the dead today. Especially the ones history forgot.
05/25/2026

Remembering the dead today. Especially the ones history forgot.

Good morning, my friends!It's the Friday before a three-day weekend. Life doesn't get better than this!
05/22/2026

Good morning, my friends!

It's the Friday before a three-day weekend. Life doesn't get better than this!

Hello, my friends!Sometimes travel is magical.And sometimes you spend twelve hours trapped inside O’Hare Airport watchin...
05/21/2026

Hello, my friends!

Sometimes travel is magical.

And sometimes you spend twelve hours trapped inside O’Hare Airport watching departure boards cycle endlessly between:

Delayed. Boarding Soon. Awaiting Aircraft. Canceled.

I flew back to Roanoke this past weekend to help represent The Friends of Old Lick at the Gainsboro Block Party and to spend some time with my youngest son. Originally, I planned to drive the trip slowly across the back roads through Missouri, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Tennessee.

Instead, because of ongoing health issues and exhaustion, Fish and I decided flying would probably be wiser.

I’m not entirely convinced we were right.

Between violent airsickness caused by a pair of EarPlanes, severe Midwest storms, thousands of stranded travelers, and fourteen exhausting hours trying to get home, the entire experience became a reminder of why I love slow travel so much in the first place.

There is something profoundly human about the back roads.

They ask you to slow down. To notice things. To wander a little.

Modern travel gets you there faster. (Maybe)

But I’m not sure it always gets you there better.

I wrote a new essay this morning about storms, O’Hare, slow travel, exhaustion, and why I still prefer wandering the long way home.

You can read it here:
https://www.takethebackroads.com/2026/05/twelve-hours-at-ohare-why-i-prefer-back.html or by heading to takethebackroads.com

Good morning, my friends!Have a beautiful day.
05/21/2026

Good morning, my friends!

Have a beautiful day.

Good morning, my friends!I took a break from NWA and spent the weekend back in Roanoke — visiting my youngest mini-me an...
05/19/2026

Good morning, my friends!

I took a break from NWA and spent the weekend back in Roanoke — visiting my youngest mini-me and helping represent The Friends of Old Lick Cemetery at the Gainsboro Block Party.

Then came the trip home.

After ten exhausting hours in O’Hare yesterday, watching flights delayed and canceled while thousands of tired travelers tried to figure out where they were supposed to go next, I was reminded that travel isn’t always romantic. Sometimes it’s cramped terminals, bad coffee, aching feet, and the slow realization that you may not be getting home anytime soon.

But honestly, the weekend itself was worth every bit of it.

The Friends of Old Lick Cemetery is one of the projects closest to my heart. Started in 2019 by Ellen Forbes Stick, the project works to preserve the memory of the people buried in Old Lick Cemetery and the surrounding neighborhoods that were forever changed by urban renewal. Many of these families and stories were nearly forgotten.

Projects like this matter to me because history is not just found in famous names or grand monuments. Sometimes it lives in old neighborhoods, weathered graves, family stories, and the people willing to remember them.

I suppose that’s part of what “Take The Back Roads” has always meant to me.

Not just choosing the slower road — but choosing to notice the things the world moves too quickly to see.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I need about three days of sleep after O’Hare. 😂

Fiiiiinnnnnaaalllyyyy!After a delightful (not) 10-hour day in Chicago, watching flights get canceled, I'm back in NWA. ...
05/19/2026

Fiiiiinnnnnaaalllyyyy!

After a delightful (not) 10-hour day in Chicago, watching flights get canceled, I'm back in NWA.

Sometimes travel is fun. Other times, you get routed through O'Hare. The crowds today reminded me why I always Take The Back Roads!

Round two!!Name the airport, get a gold star 🌟
05/18/2026

Round two!!

Name the airport, get a gold star 🌟

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Salem, VA

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