My father was the one who first told me that David Halberstam was killed in a car accident. I don’t remember what we were talking about or which of Halberstam’s books I was reading at the time but when I referenced him, I clearly remember my father asking, “oh, the guy who died the otherContinue reading “Models Monday: On Human Richness”
Category Archives: Series
Father’s Day Suite: Joe Paterno and Stories of Fatherhood
Fatherhood and fathering serve as strong themes in the narrative strand of the scandal surrounding former Penn State University football coach Jerry Sandusky’s trial where he stands accused of 52 counts of sexually abusing ten boys. Luke Dittrich writes a brilliant article about fatherhood and this scandal in the June/July 2012 issue of Esquire. Dittrich’sContinue reading “Father’s Day Suite: Joe Paterno and Stories of Fatherhood”
Models Monday: Summertime
When Toni Morrison and her son Slade set out to interpret “The Grasshopper and the Ants,” they were interested in the artist’s labor. Mother and son were interested in the fact that the grasshopper labors through his musicianship. His labor does not lead to him storing up provisions but it benefits the community who listensContinue reading “Models Monday: Summertime”
Father’s Day Suite: John Edwards and Impoverished Children
It’s been about a week since John Edwards accepted responsibility for his “sins” in his press conference following the not-guilty verdict in his federal finance charges case. Making the distinction between his personal failings and his commission of crimes was a key strategy in mounting his defense. It is an important distinction. What worries meContinue reading “Father’s Day Suite: John Edwards and Impoverished Children”
Models Monday: On Dignity’s Power
I’ve been thinking about and listening to a lot of Louis Armstrong lately. It all started with me thinking of my grandfather and Armstrong’s “Black and Blue.” I’m almost surprised at how well Armstrong’s music translates across time. It resists whatever elements of its own time that would have held it there. I watched an exceptionalContinue reading “Models Monday: On Dignity’s Power”
Father’s Day Suite: Quiet Acts of Love
Since this is the month where we in the United States celebrate Father’s Day, I want to begin June thinking about fathers. Reading with My Father chronicles some of my engagements with my father’s memory through books, sometimes songs, fashion, and films. Throughout this month, I want to think generally about the idea of fatherhoodContinue reading “Father’s Day Suite: Quiet Acts of Love”
Models Monday: Memorial Day 2012
Norah Jones’s rendition of the Gene Scheer song “American Anthem” hits all the right notes and it frames my thoughts about this Memorial Day. My grandfather, Charles Albert Hite, served in World War II and by all accounts, he was none too happy about it. My Uncle Eric wrote about my grandfather’s views on servingContinue reading “Models Monday: Memorial Day 2012”
Models Monday: Oprah’s Commencement Speech at Spelman College (Update with Video)
I had the great pleasure of being in attendance at Spelman College’s Commencement on Sunday, May 20, 2012. Oprah Winfrey offered the Commencement Address and she also was the recipient of the Board of Trustees Community Service Award. What crystallized for me during her address was the clear distinction between Winfrey as an interviewer, aContinue reading “Models Monday: Oprah’s Commencement Speech at Spelman College (Update with Video)”
Models Monday: On Being “Caught Up”
It was Mother’s Day yesterday and I spent a lot of my wonderful time in peace and quiet thinking about my father. I guess about a week ago now, I wrote in a post that the rapper T.I. reminded me of my father because he is “a talented, charming guy with lots of potential whoContinue reading “Models Monday: On Being “Caught Up””
Models Monday: Living Other Models in the age of Obama
And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America’s promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our “intellectual and moral strength.” Yes, government must lead on energy independence but each of us must do our partContinue reading “Models Monday: Living Other Models in the age of Obama”
In Reverie Blog 