PinnedMy great-great grandfather owned slaves. What do I do?It felt like a kick in the stomach. Exploring an ancestry website, I discovered an 1860 Slave Schedule showing that my…Feb 14, 2023Feb 14, 2023
PinnedTwo Cheers for Happy EndingsDiscussing The King of Masks at San Quentin PrisonNov 14, 2022Nov 14, 2022
PinnedBarbara Ehrenreich — her life, her exampleI have arrived at an age where I find myself blindsided by obituaries of people who are my peers. It happened yesterday when I read of the…Sep 3, 2022Sep 3, 2022
PinnedHands first, then mindsI was driving home on the freeway when a motorcycle screamed past. Ahead, a van and a big rig were traveling side by side, and the…Feb 25, 20211Feb 25, 20211
Odysseus at San QuentinThe opening of The Odyssey describes Odysseus as polytropos, a man “much turned” and “much turning.” He makes much happen, and much happens…Jul 12, 2023Jul 12, 2023
Thoughts on little kids playing baseball…The adults are the first to arrive. From the back of their SUVs they carry to the field two batting nets and a spring-loaded pitching…Aug 14, 20221Aug 14, 20221
After the Protests: Learning from the SixtiesWe are approaching a junction. When the protests over the murder of George Floyd subside, what will remain? What, if anything, will change…Jun 1, 20201Jun 1, 20201
Elizabeth Warren’s loss — misogyny or red panda?In 1978 a red panda escaped from the Rotterdam Zoo, and an appeal went out for the public to report any sightings. Hundreds of good faith…Mar 8, 20201Mar 8, 20201
A novelist and his character walk into a bar…In classrooms and cafes, at book clubs and in essays, people discuss literary characters with as much passion as they discuss their…Sep 16, 20191Sep 16, 20191
