Death Comes Home | Creativity, Motherhood and Lila Lee Shaw Girvin

Everyone has a powerful connection to their mothers. My mother, Lila Lee Shaw Girvin died this past week. And it called into contemplation all of the things that one thinks about in death—of anyone near. You’re thinking, “they were here, now they’re gone. Forever.”


Book Review: hearing voices poems by Barbara Ruth Saunders

Barbara Ruth Saunders’ debut poetry collection is a shining example of the small things that sustain us. These small things might be people, a sense of place, or the objects in our lives that we hold near and dear to our hearts. What emerges in this poetry collection are the larger truths about humanity.


Words Matter

“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it–always.”    –Mahatma Gandhi


The Many Faces of Our People

Our publication is now going into its fourteenth year. Our aim is, as always, to recognize people who are making a difference in the world. Through the years we have covered the full range of humanity regardless of color, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, age, religion, class, economics or politics.


An Antidote for Lies and Liars

Lies have significantly influenced the course of human history – sometimes for the better, but very often only for personal/political advantage.  In fact, lying is not even a uniquely human trait, although we are the masters and the most prolific practitioners. Here is a review, and a suggested “antidote”.


Ivan McRae: Yonkers Tuskegee Airman

Yonkers Historian Mary Hoar writes about Tuskegee Airman Ivan McRae, who made a lifelong commitment to community service. Ivan McRae believed in the non-violent tradition of the American Civil Rights movement. His brave actions helped to forever change the history of the American Armed Forces. He is a shining example of what it takes for one man to make his mark on the world.


BOOK REVIEW: Children in Prison by Jerome Gold

Jerome Gold’s earlier book, Paranoia and Heartbreak: Fifteen Years in a Juvenile Facility (New York: Seven Stories Press, 2009), captures his experience of working with juvenile offenders. Ten years later, his book Children in Prison offers greater context, shedding light on the children whose lives have been stunted, short circuited, and hardwired to fail. 

 


A Conversation with Presidential Historian Rick Shenkman

Rick Shenkman discusses the close election and how voters chose a populist demagogue, Donald Trump. Rick is also an award-winning political journalist and founder of the revered History News Network. His extensively-researched books on the behavior of American voters include Just How Stupid Are We and Political Animals.