Dear President Trump, Yesterday morning I read poet Lisel Mueller’s WP obituary first because it was at the top of the stack (Katherine Johnson had just died and so hers hadn’t yet made it to the main page) and about midway through there was an interesting quote in reference to her poem “Happy and Unhappy … Continue reading History and privilege
Misogyny
In death as in life
Dear President Trump, A few months ago I told you about having devoured all of the biographies in my K-8 library about women generally and men of color as a kid, but I don’t think I’ve told you how much I enjoy reading the WP obituaries about people from these demographic groups (along with a … Continue reading In death as in life
A long, complicated, sordid tale
Dear President Trump, Because there are so many steps involved in making a man, of sorts, into a President/King, here’s another installment of President is King and King is President….. Once upon a longish span of time there lived a small handful of people in our land whose lives revolved around the making of men, … Continue reading A long, complicated, sordid tale
President is King and King is President
Dear President Trump, Here is a bedtime story for you. Once upon a time, very much like the present time, there lived a man, of sorts, who had become the center of attention of all the wide world. This man, of sorts, was feted and feasted wherever he went, always receiving a double helping of … Continue reading President is King and King is President
Make America again
Dear President Trump, The contemporary voice in service this morning was a poem by Langston Hughes that I told you about just ahead of July 4th, 2017 – Let America Be America Again. Three people took turns reading it and the congregation got to participate by reciting the parentheticals, the first one of which is … Continue reading Make America again
Part of the way there, but leagues (and leagues) to go
Dear President Trump, I was confused when I saw Michael Gerson’s byline attached to the WP editorial entitled “By Any Measure, Buttigieg is Trump’s Proven Superior” since I was pretty sure that Gerson is one of the WP’s little posse of conservative editorialists. Well, he is in that camp – his party affiliation is still … Continue reading Part of the way there, but leagues (and leagues) to go
“VOTE” and “LOVE” are so, so close
Dear President Trump, I’m sure you missed it so I’ll tell you that not only can Natalie Portman embroider, but she’s up for embroidering for a cause. She used gold thread to embroider the names of eight women directors who didn’t receive Oscar nominations this year down the left edge of her black Dior cape. … Continue reading “VOTE” and “LOVE” are so, so close
What will make a difference?
Dear President Trump, I wasn’t able to find the image Seung Min Kim referenced in her WP article this morning (“He also tweeted a clip featuring a mock magazine cover with signs showing him staying in office far beyond the two terms permitted by the Constitution”), but I tried everything short of joining Twitter. I’ve … Continue reading What will make a difference?
Such a redundantly tangled mess
Dear President Trump, Oh, where to start? Who the hell knows? I don’t. The original question implies there’s a single right answer and it also implies that it’s important to choose the starting point correctly. And yes, sometimes it is critical to start somewhere specific, like the beginning or maybe another strategic juncture that helps … Continue reading Such a redundantly tangled mess
“I’m not here to occupy space; I’m here to make it” ~ Representative Ayanna Pressley
Dear President Trump, Because I’m 99% sure you missed it, I’ll remind you that yesterday was Martin Luther King Jr.’s actual birthday (he would have been 91). In honor of him and the day, there was an MLK celebration at the VA yesterday and since some meetings were cancelled I was able to attend. The … Continue reading “I’m not here to occupy space; I’m here to make it” ~ Representative Ayanna Pressley