For all is like an ocean, all flows and connects. Touch it in one place and it echoes at the other end of the world. --Father Zossima, The Brothers Karamazov As far as I can recall, I've only shared a political post on Facebook once. I came to regret it in an unexpected way. One … Continue reading Responsible for the Ripples: A Russian Monk’s Reminder
One of January's simple joys is looking back at last year's book list and planning the reading year ahead. The list I plan bears little resemblance to the list I complete, due mostly to the special merging of time, circumstance and interest along the way, telling me a particular book is the one I must … Continue reading Hitler in Fact & Fiction, Philosophy, History, and Backyard Birds: Favorite Reads of 2025
On the morning of August 9, 1945, physician and radiology professor Takashi Nagai was preparing a lecture in his office in the Nagasaki Medical College Hospital. Just a few days before, on hearing news of the atomic bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, Nagai had sent his children Matoko and Kayana to live with their grandmother four … Continue reading An “Absolute Refusal to Hate”: Takashi Nagai and A Song for Nagasaki
While division has always marked the human experience, "the speed, frequency and intensity with which we can now share ideas has brought us to a crisis of polarization - one that more and more threatens the future of civilization." Matthew Becklo had me from the opening of his new book, The Way of Heaven and … Continue reading Pointing Past Polarization: Matthew Becklo’s The Way of Heaven and Earth
Sometime in late April a few weeks before the close of another school year, I ask the children, gathered at my feet for a story to close their eyes. Most of them do, and it’s fun to see who’s peeking. “Imagine that you’re in your bed in the morning, and you wake up before anyone … Continue reading The Backyard Bird Chronicles: Amy Tan’s Log of Lore and Love
“It’s all been said before,” a charming English professor from my college days commented so often that the words surface each time I remember him. “But you can add your grain of sand," he'd add with a twinkle in his eye. Oh, those grains of sand! Where would our lives be without writers who take … Continue reading Highlights from 2024’s Reading List
My grandparents’ home held many fascinations. The gray-shingled parsonage contained old stamp albums and metal tackle boxes with bright lures bearing fierce barbed hooks. Gorgeous marbles rolled around in a battered metal tin. Real cornhusk dolls and a reedy African rattle were not withheld from curious fingers. When our family came for overnight visits, my … Continue reading Grandpa’s Watch: A New Year’s Confession
"Joy" is a bright, simple word. It tugs on the heart. The mere mention of joy reminds us of a deep lack in our lives. We live without joy more often than we'd like to admit. So I don't have anything against the political planner who came up with the notion of employing "joy" as … Continue reading Joy: God’s Utterly Uncontrollable Glimmer
When I'm talking with friends about a book I enjoyed, I sometimes catch myself sheepishly confessing, "Well, I listened to it," as if listening didn't count as reading. I still believe that reading a printed copy of a book, pen in hand, is the most satisfying and enriching reading experience and that reading a book … Continue reading Five (Plus Five) Favorite Audible Narrators
I once grabbed a paperback called 3 by Flannery O’Connor to occupy the hours on a road trip from Colorado to Missouri. My husband was at the wheel and our two sons, armed with snacks and action figures, were belted in the back seat. At the time, I was finishing my English degree at the … Continue reading Wildcat Was Worth the Wait
