Category Archives: Uncategorized

Mother’s Day

This Mother’s Day made me feel sad. Our family’s last grandmother, my step-mother-in-law Grace, died last year. Also, the news all around us conveys so much grief for and about mothers—Sandy Hook, Boston, and now Cleveland’s horrendous news of abducted and … Continue reading

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Ordination, Irish Women, and the Pope

The Roman Catholic Church officially offers seven sacraments, but, as a friend of mine always says, men have seven sacraments, whereas women have only six, because ordination to the priesthood is not an option for Catholic women. Lots of people … Continue reading

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Gun Control on Easter

Nothing says “holiday” like a family discussion about gun control. After the dishes were cleared  and relatives had made their cases, I came home to the Cleveland Plain Dealer and a sobering op-ed by Leonard Pitts, Jr. Pitts writes that … Continue reading

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Bliss

Today’s episode of “Radiolab” on National Public Radio, replayed from December of last year, related to happiness and its definition. The show explored the idea of bliss, including a fascinating story about a man named Bliss. Here’s the show, well worth listening to. While I … Continue reading

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Ann Patchett’s “Run”

Novelist Ann Patchett was here in Cleveland last week. She’s a polished, funny speaker, and the crowd loved her. I got to ask her a question about her novel Run and decided to rerun my review of that book from … Continue reading

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The Kindness of Strangers

I just returned from a quick visit to Boston and New York City–not a vacation or a whirlwind shopping trip, but an effort to keep my daughter company as she underwent fairly serious surgery. I rarely travel on my own. … Continue reading

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Eclectically Bleak

I own a tee shirt which proclaims, “I survived Satantango.” Given to me by a sympathetic friend, it refers to a seven-hour, black-and-white film by Hungarian director Bela Tarr. Its tone is called “miserablist.” Yes, not only seven hours, but seven … Continue reading

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Good Movies Galore

I have fond memories of Jean de Florette and its sequel, Manon of the Spring,which came out in 1986. The brilliant Yves Montand and Daniel Auteuil conspire against a thin, handsome (even with a hunchback!) Gerard Depardieu and, playing his daughter, the spectacularly beautiful … Continue reading

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Too Many Choices!

I’m seeing The Last Days of Pompeii, based on the novel by Edward Bulwer-Lytton, this Friday (7:00 pm) at the Cleveland Museum of Art, for several reasons. First, I teach Latin and am interested in the subject. I have invited … Continue reading

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Dr. Phil, Jinda, and Me

I diagnosed a woman with borderline personality on Dr. Phil last week. First, let’s dispense with a mea culpa regarding Dr. Phil. During his first couple of seasons, I watched religiously, and, embarrassing as this admission is, I felt I was … Continue reading

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