Here you’ll find a collection of some of my essays, nonfiction magazine articles, as well as random reflections (collected under “Letters in Glass Bottles”).
It’s 90 miles from Nazareth to Bethlehem. Are you willing to make the journey to see God in the flesh? “Isn’t there anyone who can tell me what Christmas is all about?” That’s the famous question Charlie Brown asks at … Read More
Their friendship transcended their ideological differences. Will we follow their example? Twitter exploded in the most predictable of ways following the announcement of the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It took minutes, not hours, for some users to unsheathe … Read More
Millions of Americans say they could justify violence in the wake of an electoral defeat. To stop a post-election nightmare, we need to act now. Does anyone else wake up at 3 a.m. worrying about the future of democracy in … Read More
AAA Book Club The AAA Book Club is a men’s book club that has been meeting…well, just about forever, but at least since I joined in 2006. We only read nonfiction. The “AAA” stands for affordable, accessible, and…what? No one … Read More
What if graduation rituals celebrate more than individual achievement? My daughter wants nothing to do with her high school graduation: she doesn’t want to wear the cap and gown, she doesn’t want to take graduation pictures, and she definitely doesn’t … Read More
The humble voice call may just be the premier venue for rich (and healing) conversations. Every Sunday since things shut down for the coronavirus emergency, I have been taking an hour or two to connect with far-off friends and family. … Read More
I should have known why my toddler daughter and I kept getting sidelong glances from the three tough-looking guys who were fishing at the end of the municipal pier. After all, it’s not every day you see a 6′ 7″ … Read More
Her ad about my hometown was fun, but she should come back for the annual gathering of Native Americans and locals. Winona Ryder came to my hometown to find herself last month. Actually, she came here to shoot a Super … Read More
Soon as it was night, out we shoved; when we got her out to about the middle, we let her alone, and let her float wherever the current wanted her to. . .. Yonder was the banks and the islands, … Read More
Anyone who has ever joined the Winona Catholic Worker as a live-in volunteer has inevitably had The Conversation with his or her family and other relatives. With surprisingly few exceptions, the announcement that one is about to join the Catholic … Read More
