Quoting Good Words

...the page in the purity of its possibilities; the page of your death, against which you pit such flawed excellences as you can muster with all your life's strength: that page will teach you to write. Annie Dillard The Writing Life

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Tag Archives: History

Remebering Labor, Entering Rest

To truly make this a holiday, to truly rest in praise of the goodness, truth, & beauty of Labor Day, requires contemplation.
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A National Day of Listening

Only connect. Don't let the mundane stand in the way. Make the time. Be curious and honest, and keep an open heart. Find others to encourage and support you in this practice. It's simple, but it can mean the world.
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Studs Terkel, 1912-2008: A Lifetime of Listening

Studs Terkel, that great & generous soul, has passed on. For me, the voice of Studs Terkel will always symbolize a combination of passionate curiosity, prophetic conviction, and deeply generous, fatherly love. He delighted in the people of the world, and shared his delight with us.
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August, 1945

Sixty-three years ago this week, the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The enormity of the event, the inhuman scale of both this power and its consequences, is nearly impossible to communicate. How can one understand the power of a thousand suns unleashed upon whole cities? It became one of the defining stories for generations [...]
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Black History in June

Celebrating Juneteenth and Loving Day: freedom marches on.
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On Manifestoes

So here are some manifestos of the present day on books, education, faith, and civic life. Though their weight for good or ill, for much or little, is as yet unknown, these are some of the words that will shepherd us into our shared future.
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Why True Stories Are Important – Elie Wiesel

Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future. --Listen to the whole testimony: A God Who Remembers
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Arranging a Memorial Service for Dr. King

April 7th, 1968: "You can't have it here," the man snapped at my father as we walked toward his study at the church on Sunday morning. "This is our church, and you cannot have it here. This ain't your church, Vernon, this is our church. And I am telling you right now, you ain't having no Martin Luther King service in our church...You can't have a church full of niggers in here. This is our church."

"The last time I checked, it was God's church," my father replied...

Posted in Blood Done Sign My Name, Mind & Society | Also tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Audacity of Strategy

I wonder if Barack has read Condi's book?
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Family, Heroes, and History

One thing that Aldo Leopold did to become great was find, and use, his voice. His family was in many ways similar to mine and to thousands of others here in Wisconsin; his famous shack seemed completely familiar to us--just like Grandad's place up north. But he made a difference in the world by figuring out what he had to say that was worth saying, and saying it wisely and well.
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