A substantial Holiday Weekend Read: I always feel uneasy when finding myself in agreement with rightwing Catholic pundit Ross Douthat. But in his August 31 NYTimes column, he nails it, mocking the spectacle of : ” . . . generals and grand strategists who presided over quagmire, folly and defeat fanning out across the television … Continue reading A Quaker Theologian for Our Hard Times.
It was the headline that caught me: “Shocking and Ominous Talk,” it blared. Really? Such language was rare in the Selma Times Journal (STJ), but I found it there, on the editorial page of the New Year’s Day edition, for January 1, 1965. The Alabama headline shone up at me from a cloudy gray background, … Continue reading Back to my Future: Vietnam, Afghanistan, Wherever, Forever . . .
Jim Corbett was a fascinating guy, but like all of us he had his faults. In his amazing first book, he way overdid the self-deprecation: ”Goatwalking is a book for saddlebag or backpack —to live with a while, casually. It is compact and multifaceted, but for unhurried reflection rather than study. It is woven from … Continue reading Let’s Go Goatwalking, Friends
Two emissaries from America’s future came to visit and delivered a stern warning: “Grandpa, Nana — y’all & your friends gotta fix up the mess this country’s in! I started to answer, then they added, “But can we go to the park first?” (After that we distracted them with blueberries & whipped cream . . … Continue reading Saving the Country on the Fourth
As I begin this post, Portland and Seattle are roasting, a Florida beachfront condo has collapsed, the lake keeping Las Vegas afloat is disappearing, and many more out West are dreading the start of fire season. Here in the East we’re keeping a wary eye on Xs and Os on the Atlantic hurricane map; and … Continue reading Coming Soon: Maybe the Most Important Book I Never Wrote