partsofspeaking

 I'm going to post this on Amazon, although I didn't buy the book there. That's a different story.... I was walking into the campus library and saw a display on new releases. This one looked inviting, New York Times Bestseller and all that (more on that subject below), so I checked it out.  Why? I don't really have time to read contemporary fiction. I'm trying to write my own tenth novel, get the eight published, and revise the ninth. But....one thing agents and publishers want to know is what your book is like that's on the market, so, maybe this would be a point of comparison.  Within a couple of days I spilled water/diluted juice on it and it was soaked. I tried to dry it out, but it was ruined. I returned it and paid $27.00 for its replacement.  Lesson learned. I can safely say I paid at least $25.00 more than it was worth.  That's mean. It's not terrible. It's a page turner. I did want to know what happened to the mystery man/husband and such. ...

I don't recommend movies. But I'll make an exception.  It's not just that "We don't talk about Bruno" is impossible to get out of one's head. It's a beautiful movie. Here are two good articles to read after watching it: https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/18/health/encanto-therapy-immigration-wellness-cec/index.html https://www.buzzfeed.com/andriamoore/encanto-themes-first-generation-americans (Side note: My boss's name is "Bruno." We do have to talk about him, though. It's rather like when at a former job the Vice President for Academics was named Daryl and the assistant VP was also Daryl. "Here's my boss Daryl and my other boss Daryl," which some will remember from the Bob Newhart show in the '80s. ) What I liked about the animated film was that the magic was simply a metaphor for what each person brings. In the end, magic didn't solve the problems of the family; it had caused some of the...

For the literary: One time I met Eudora Welty. She was coming to appear at the Southern Writers Conference in Chattanooga--this would have been early '90s. A former professor at UTC was helping her out of her car. Yeah, Eudora Welty. I'm sure I made no impression on her (I think she was in her early '90s!) but the reverse was not true.  I met Zell Miller in the late 1990s or early 2000s when he came to dedicate a building on a campus where I was teaching. He was quite charming, a total politician, but he seemed sincere.  Last night I met someone who I think will change my life. But she isn't famous. I teach ESL at my church on Sunday nights. Actually I teach GED prep, which for me is work in reading, culture, and writing with the goal that they can go to college if they want, or at least get a better job. We also want to have a ministry to them in other ways.  My Sudanese marvel/entrepreneur/budding activist "Mary" (not her name; one must be sensitive about th...

Link to Christianity Today article on 50 worst persecuting nations  

  China, Olympics, oppression, athletes Absolutely shameful. Please check everything you buy. Do no support China!  

 There are some high profile conservatives (such as George Will) who are atheists. I have trouble understanding how someone who rejects a transcendent existence in their ontology can see any reason to hold to universal principles in their politics. it perplexes me. 

I saw a meme on Facebook about "What do you remember about your grandmother?" and a lot of people put a food item, such as coconut cake. Although I do get pleasure from cooking for people,  I don’t want to be remembered mainly for something I cooked, no matter how much my grandchildren enjoy it.  There was a story in the news about how the Pope wanted to go incognito to visit a record store in Rome, but he was discovered.  It might help if he didn't wear his official robes.  https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/national/pope-francis-caught-making-surprise-stop-at-record-store   Speaking of the Pope, Joe Biden referred to him as a "decent guy" after he met the Pontiff.  I thought as a Catholic he was supposed to believe the Pope is the vicar of Christ. Decent guy? I finally took down my last Christmas tree today. (I had three.) The percentage of interracial and same sex couples on television commercials seems more than representative. I th...