I've been writing these occasional essays for a little over a year. In them, I'm sharing the story of turning my manuscript into a book. It's been a long process, and every time I think it's gotten as long as it could, another thing comes up to slow it down again. Read Slow Telling 1, … Continue reading The Slow Telling of a Story 6: Downtime
We've all heard a lot about "Cancel Culture" lately, how Fox News and other right-wing media sources have decried the recent changes to such properties as Dr. Seuss and Mr. Potato Head. I was trying to leave it alone, trying to ignore it all, letting it just play out and eventually run out of fuel. … Continue reading A Parable about the Fight over “Cancel Culture”
Wake up, sheeple. There's something going on around us that you need to know about. So, I was minding my own business, just browsing through The American Dictionary of the English Language, when I noticed something that disturbed me. The word Democrat was listed before the word Republican. And not just a few words before … Continue reading A Conspiracy of Letters
Pinewood Men Productions, the "film" "production" "company" of which I am about 50%, has entered a new realm -- the political ad. See our inaugural offering below. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you feel a twinge (or more) of anxiety near the beginning of the video, do not worry. It's not going where you think. https://vimeo.com/469043611 Image … Continue reading A Refreshing Political Ad
Every time I read a book about being Black in the United States, I become sad at the horrible way that people of color have been treated, and continue to be treated, in what is so often called "the land of the free." Every time I read an article this year about the 100th anniversary … Continue reading How do you do it?
I had a wonderful weekend away at Bear Creek Camp, the Lutheran church camp I've been connected to in various ways for my entire life. My family and I went there for a special "Labor Day Family Camp," an event I last attended in 1987 or so. Wow. That's a long time. Anyway, while I … Continue reading Phones No More
I just read Wendell Berry's book The Hidden Wound, an extended essay about racism, told in part as a memoir of his childhood experiences with two Black people who touched his life. The Hidden Wound was written in 1969, but it's remarkable how applicable it is to today's world. Berry wrote this: I am trying … Continue reading Some Wounds are Still Open
So I've changed my mind about something political. I have to admit, this is something I didn't think was possible. I didn't think any of us could change our minds at all. But thanks to an article in my local paper, I did. It's about the Electoral College, the arcane tool used to elect presidents … Continue reading Electoral Change
I told you a few days ago about the rewriting process that led to a major overhaul of my book, Darkwater. (You can find that post here. Also, get caught up on Slow Telling of a Story 1, 2, and 3.) I did that rewriting, a huge burst of writing energy, right at the beginning … Continue reading The Slow Telling of a Story 5: The Further Slowdown
The very first creed of the Christian church was two words: Kyrios Iesous. Or, in English, "Jesus is Lord." That was it. At first, there was no Apostles Creed, no virgin birth, no Council of Nicaea, no Holy Trinity, no theories of the redemption. Just two words. Kyrios Iesous. It was a political statement. The … Continue reading God loves us. Why have we forgotten?
