PinnedBill SmootMy 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…5 min read·Feb 14, 2023----
PinnedBill SmootTwo Cheers for Happy EndingsDiscussing The King of Masks at San Quentin Prison5 min read·Nov 14, 2022----
PinnedBill SmootBarbara 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…3 min read·Sep 3, 2022----
PinnedBill SmootHands 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…4 min read·Feb 25, 2021--1--1
Bill SmootOdysseus 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…7 min read·Jul 12, 2023----
Bill SmootThoughts 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…5 min read·Aug 14, 2022--1--1
Bill SmootAfter 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…4 min read·Jun 1, 2020--1--1
Bill SmootElizabeth 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…5 min read·Mar 8, 2020--1--1
Bill SmootA 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…4 min read·Sep 16, 2019--1--1