TreeHouseLetter

Veteran, Mother, Writer•treehouseletter.com

Rise above the tedium and join me in the TreeHouse. Sharing the best ideas and writing, MyLinh Shattan has a particular fondness for words, music, and the power of story. “I adore your podcasts; each and every one is a little gem. You never say three words when two will do. Everything you do shows unusual respect and appreciation for your listeners’ time and intelligence.” Buzz, former Managing Editor for News and Public Affairs Programming at WHRB-FM/Harvard Radio Broadcasting

Last refreshed: July 15th, 2025 at 5:50 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Learning to Run

Fall is the season for running. This story is about failure and mastery, how that became a commander's story.

Oct 08, 2020•16 min

Would You Kneel? A College Coach & a Veteran on the National Anthem

Thoughts on the anthem and the flag, what they mean.

Sep 24, 2020•10 min

Birthday and Death Day, Catholics and Customs

A graveyard visit on a father's death day and a daughter's birthday. Maya Angelou's advice on the legacy of departed loves.

Sep 05, 2020•14 min

The Vulgar Parrot

I've gotten to know my son better now that he's left.

Aug 12, 2020•24 min

On Becoming Sheepdogs, A Modern Fable

Today’s letter is about something that matters, an important debate happening in society right now. In the wake of recent events regarding the tragic death of George Floyd and the ensuing protests, this letter is more relevant than ever. It has been updated to relate my own experience and the role of the brave men and women who are called to the profession of arms, with a special thank you to those in the West Point Class of 2020 who graduated this weekend. These young officers have taken an oat...

Jun 14, 2020•31 min

Memorial Day Reflection - Two Poems and a Tribute

Death of a Ball Turret Gunner by Randall Jarrell and Twilight by Lucretia Maria Davidson A tribute to my Uncle, a South Vietnamese officer who never came home

May 26, 2020•5 min

Why Nursing Homes Suck

My story about a Nursing Home. Some Gorey stuff, some sad stuff, some crass stuff. What gives life meaning? what would great writers say?

May 17, 2020•17 min

Are We Killing the Fat Man? The Corona Trolley Dilemma

Consider the pandemic crisis and the moral claims of shutting down the economy. What are consequences, good and bad? How do COVID deaths compare to other mortality data?

Apr 17, 2020•15 min

For The Class of 2020 During the Pandemic

A pulse on High School and College Seniors, where they are and how they're doing. Taking comfort in poetry and a mother's wish.

Mar 23, 2020•7 min

The Three Gifts - What have you learned in 50 years?

A child's note, three gifts, and Leo Tolstoy's famous story

Feb 28, 2020•10 min

On Presidents, Politics and War, and Poetry

You ever have that moment when something you’ve believed for some time begins to shift and slip, leaving you a bit off-balance?

Feb 13, 2020•11 min

Raise Your Glass! A Toast by W.B. Yeats

Three simple toasts, suitable for most occasions, and easy to remember. And, a little about the semicolon.

Jan 31, 2020•10 min

The Light in Your Day - a New Take on Winter

How much light do you gain each day in January, over the month? and the next months?

Jan 17, 2020•8 min

Solzhenitsyn and the Gulag - A Russian Novel About Your Life

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Alexander Solzhenitsyn What can we learn from the Gulag? About the military, about the body and soul?

Jan 08, 2020•15 min

A Book for Everyone, Even Nonreaders and Grinches

With special guest Hayley Swinson, writer and editor, on how books help her get into the season. On receiving books and giving books.

Dec 06, 2019•25 min

Giving Thanks in 2019 - Looking Back on Life's Big Questions

A friend in hospice talks about time, love, friendship, and the search for meaning.

Nov 28, 2019•8 min

TikTok Connect the Dots - the United States and China

A college freshman and a Vietnamese centenarian on China. Hong Kong Protests, Confucian Centers, TikTok security.

Nov 21, 2019•11 min

A View From Above: Army Colonel Ken Mintz on Afghanistan

A true, gritty account of the American Soldier and a child's role, in the longest war in U.S. history. Visit treehouseletter.com to see photos.

Nov 08, 2019•27 min

You've tidied up your closet and your house. Why not tidy up your writing?

Thoughts on writing from Dreyer's English and Brandon Royal's Little Red Writing Book. Get rid of useless words. How many drafts until finished? Grammar Versus Style and the Big Three Nonrules

Oct 30, 2019•15 min

Murphy's Law and the Army Ten-Miler

Did you know that Murphy was in the Army?

Oct 15, 2019•16 min

On Poetry and Mondegreens and Teenagers

Why memorize poetry and what's a mondegreen?

Oct 10, 2019•11 min

The Making of a Myth or Legend - Stephen Siller

Do myths and legends shape the stories we tell? Hear Stephen's story and retrace the steps he took. A 9-11 memorial.

Oct 03, 2019•19 min

For the Love of Milk

Sometimes a search for one thing leads to another. Like this Burl Ives folk tune: On a summer's day in the month of May , what was the burly bum singing of?

Sep 24, 2019•18 min