Aug 9, 20214 min read
Carolyn Wedin, Beloved Friend and Mentor, 1940-2021
I wrote this for the funeral of my aunt Carolyn, two days ago. I share it now with a few hyperlinks plus light edits to clarify things...
Sep 1, 20202 min read
Why Can a Cop Shoot Someone in the Back Seven Times If I Could Be Fired Just for Losing My Temper?
I went to my local farmer’s market here in the north woods of Wisconsin, feeling happy for the beautiful day and the chance to be support...
Jun 5, 20201 min read
Roll Call for Those Absent
Click and think of all the extra names to add since this came out: (And of course please support the fantastic work of Ambrose Akinmusere.)
Dec 31, 20197 min read
I Watched Kanye’s Christmas Pageant So You Don’t Have To...
…Or… if you want to watch, or already did—if you are into that sort of thing—let’s compare notes. The production was fascinating in...
Aug 31, 20194 min read
Remembering: Terrible Jobs, Race, and Generational Changes
My aunt Carolyn retired from a college teaching career and moved into our family’s historic farmhouse in northern Wisconsin. When the St....
Aug 27, 20194 min read
Remembering Trauma with Pentecostal Trumpers, Left-Wing Rappers, and Others
What do we remember? How do we remember? What good does it do? I started this post while the media's weekly dose of infotainment was...
Jun 24, 201910 min read
Empathy Walls: Understanding Oppressed People Who Love Trump
There isn’t much point in sending readers of this little blog to Reading Religion, the American Academy of Religion’s review portal—I...
Mar 10, 20193 min read
Ashamed...in a Land Where Justice is a Game
Trump's friend and co-gangster Paul Manafort has received a 47 month sentence for multiple crimes. That's a slap on the wrist from a...
Oct 9, 20189 min read
Dog Park Sex and Why “Refereed Vs. Non-Refereed” Doesn’t Measure Quality
My previous post explained why “refereed” publications—those vetted by expert academic gatekeepers—do not reliably signal scholarly...
Oct 23, 20174 min read
Learning from the “True North Strong and Free”
Starting in January, and continuing through Spring 2018, I will be at the University of Alberta in Edmonton as a Fulbright Research Chair...
Jul 27, 20174 min read
Why are Religious Leftists Building Luxury Condominiums Outside My Window? How Can I Defend Them?
NOTE: I've tagged this for "oldies but goodies," partly because it's a follow-up to my piece on Chris Hedges referenced below, and...