I spent the holidays on Cape Cod. It is a place where I can both be very productive and get as close to spiritual as a fan of Christopher Hitchens can be. I just read a book by Judy Dutra called "Nautical Twilight." It recounts, through the life of her family, the demise of the small coastal fisherman on Cape Cod.

I had met her husband, Dave, some years ago when a friend and I were admiring his wooden, 80-year-old side dragger. My wife, a person who Captain Dave would call a fish hugger, and the captain got into a bit of a debate on the need for regulation of the coastal fisheries. Neither side was able to convince the other of much.