2010

When the Saints Go Marching In

I watched the Superbowl yesterday (including the football part). First time in my life that I cared who won. My husband is from New Orleans. He lived there for the decade of the "Aints," when the New Orleans Saints were far from Superbowl material. By the end of last night's ...

Book Reading at Yale and an Article worth Reading

No deep thoughts to record this morning, but two points of possible interest:

One, for anyone in the greater New Haven area, I will be doing a book reading from Penelope Ayers at Yale tomorrow at 4:00 pm at the Dwight Hall Library. Click here for directions. To read excerpts ...

Giving Money to Haiti

Peter and I, like many Americans, have talked a lot about Haiti recently. We've wondered what we can do to help. And the answer is pretty obvious: pray, and give money. The prayer part I know how to do (which doesn't mean I'm particularly faithful in doing it). ...

"Remember the Poor"

There's this verse in the book of Galatians that always catches me off guard. It comes in chapter two, after Paul has explained that he is going to preach about Jesus to the Gentiles, and the apostles in Jerusalem will take the same message to the Jews. Then Paul writes, "All ...

Obama's Influences: Stories and Statistics

I read an interesting article in the Washington Post earlier this week about the various influences upon President Obama. I posted some thoughts on it on the Park Forum: "President Obama's Influences: Stories and Statistics."

The Beauty of Flabby Arms...

I wrote a post here over the summer that received a lot of comments, so I turned it into an essay that has been published at Divine Caroline (which, I must add, has a pretty low bar for publishing, but I thought it might get a different audience to read this essay).

The essay ...

Markers are for Paper, Mama

Three snapshots of life in our household:One:Yesterday morning, Peter finds Penny and William in the playroom. William in a chair, Penny facing him, sitting on his lap and coloring his face. Yes. His face. She'd already finished his head, neck, and clothing. He'd done a ...

Humility and Leadership

I have a new post on the Park Forum: Are Christians Wimps? talking about the relationship between power and corruption. Is it possible to be powerful without feeling entitled to power and without becoming corrupt? I hope so. Seems to me the only way it can happen is through ...

Fragility and Hope

Some of you will remember this article from two years back, when I was pregnant from William and had an editorial published first for First Things and then the Philadelphia Inquirer. But in case you haven't read it before, here it is again: "All of Life is Fragile and Uncertain", ...

"I Want to Be Like Penny"

I dropped Penny off at school this morning, and a mom of another little girl in her class pulled me aside. "Alli insisted on wearing sunglasses this morning because she wanted to be like Penny."

I turn around and there's Alli (not her real name), in her raincoat ...

Adultery and Grace

I have a new post on Christianity Today's Women's Blog: Iris Robinson Jesus Loves You More Than You Will Know.

A few more thoughts about God, memoir, and cultural narcissism

And now a few more thoughts... The important thing about memoir in general is that it not be simply a chronicle of events, but rather a story telling a larger truth. So, for instance, on the surface, Penelope Ayers is the story of my mother-in-law dying of cancer. Which is a ...

Cultural Narcissism and Memoir: Confession and Redemption Without God?

I'm hoping to write more about this later today, but the grocery store calls. So for the moment, I'll just quote myself from a recent post on 843 Acres. Check back in this afternoon for further reflections. If, that is, my kids nap simultaneously this afternoon:

Embedded in Daniel ...

Haiti and the judgment, or compassion, of God

I have a new post on The Park Forum: "Pat Robertson Said What?"

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