Author: Barbara

Naomi Klein, scholar and prominent climate activist, published a new book, Doppelganger; I highly recommend it. It is the story of her journey into the “mirror world,” a world akin to Jung’s shadow side. It began when she realized that she was being confused online with Naomi Wolf, also an activist—but a climate crisis denier

I found this link in an Orion newsletter. I found it moving on so many levels. I had to pass it on. The anthem was broadcast November 14, 20231:37 PM ET on All Things Considered. Yo-Yo Ma, Pattie Gonia and Quinn Christopherson made the music video for “Won’t Give Up” at Kenai Fjords National Park.

Union Theological Seminary in NYC has a long history of working for social justice. A Palestine Festival of Literature event, “But We Must Speak,” couldn’t find a venue in NYC because the event was political, and the voices were at odds with U.S policy. Union gave the group space and was supportive of the event.

In lieu of seeing the film Oppenheimer, I decided to read the biography upon which the movie is based. It is a very long read, but it was well worth it. I remember seeing the doomsday clock on t.v. regularly and hiding under my desk during air raid drills in elementary school. It was a

I watched a lovely documentary, Close to Vermeer, about a 2023 Vermeer exhibition at at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam; it is the largest Vermeer exhibit ever mounted. Vermeer is one of my favorite painters. You can watch the video for free on Kanopy by signing in with a library card. With an account, you can

I am just finishing up a course on the history of journalism which has dealt a lot with reporter bias and fake news. The final issue the course members are discussing today is AI and the future of journalism. It really is a more global issue–AI and the future. This hour long webinar was very

I received this link which I think is worth sharing. The news was so chaotic around 9/11. I missed this story; the video is very moving. It’s about boat rescues at the tip of Manhattan. It is only around 10 minutes long.

The news about the forest fires in Maui is heartbreaking. A poem in the Rattle newsletter sent me looking for W. S. Merwin’s palm garden on Maui. Luckily it was not touched by the fire. This short video helped lift my spirits and create hope. We each can make a difference.

Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Legends and Lies About Our Past was like a mini history course aimed at 20 myths that many accept at face value. Each essay traces the history of the beliefs around topics like ‘Vanishing Indians,’ American Exceptionalism,’ The Border,’ and ‘Voter Fraud.’ If you are curious about why