It seems to be a routine function of the generations to disparage the young. I don’t share this inclination, or at least I try to resist it. One reason? Show choir. Not just show choir. Soccer, too. And speech contest and cross-country, These are the agents of my personal observations of youth, the particular gifts Read More …
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Review of Nobody’s Fool by Richard Russo
Richard Russo is one of my favorite contemporary writers, mostly for Empire Falls and Bridge of Sighs, though I’ve loved everything of his that I’ve read. So, I suppose it’s a little odd that I’m just getting around to this, one of his earlier books, now. But be that as it may, I’m sure Nobody’s Fool would have Read More …
Seeking human stories behind sensational headlines
One of a reporter’s most painful duties is to contact the grieving survivors of victims of crime or disaster. No matter how many times you have made that call, knocked on that door or approached a person at a disaster scene, starting the conversation is always difficult. You don’t want to intrude on someone’s most-private, Read More …
Zakaria, Williams add to rich blend of columnist voices
On the Daily Herald Opinion page, we aim to present a wide range of political and social thought. We believe our democracy and our communities are stronger when citizens see their own points of view reflected — and challenged — by articulate, knowledgeable writers of all stripes. Sometimes, too, routines just need to be shaken Read More …
Comparing protests is a misleading ‘litmus test’ for bias
For many people, the contrast of two Washington, D.C., demonstrations within a week of each other last month deserved intense scrutiny as a litmus test on press bias. I would not be one of them, but I would say that a discussion of the coverage afforded the national Women’s March on Saturday, Jan. 21, and Read More …
Objectivity, division and the challenge of trust in the media
Our Opinion page concluded 2016 with a series of editorials focusing on what we see as the state of the free press in America today and worrisome threats it faces. Criticism of the series has come from opposing camps, exemplifying some of the problems we wanted to describe and representing the polarized approaches to political Read More …
Review of God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
I had a bit of a fright reading Rosewater; for, at some point, I found it comparable in approach to the worst novel in the English, or perhaps any, language, Atlas Shrugged. Like those of Ayn Rand, Vonnegut’s characters are one-dimensional caricatures, and the universe in which he places them resembles reality only to the degree that he Read More …
Review of “The Warmth of Other Suns” by Isabel Wilkerson
Isabel Wilkerson here blends narratives of the lives of three distinct Southern blacks with historical sociology to do two things at once – describe and chart what she calls “The Great Migration” of African Americans from the South to the North and West and vividly demonstrate the effects of the migration in human terms. It Read More …
Making a direct connection with local election candidates
With their impact on your property taxes and leadership in your community, local elections can be the most direct opportunity for you to shape your schools and your quality of life. Yet, too often, we’re all distracted by the glare of state and national issues, so that when it comes time to select our town Read More …
Wishes of peace in a year of anger
In the midst of news reports that suggest the world is growing madder by the day, it feels a bit hollow as a news person to wish readers the peace of the season. But I do. Time magazine declared Donald Trump its Person of the Year, but the real story of 2016 was Anger. It Read More …