The Scheme by Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D, R.I.) is a stunning, sobering and, indeed, chilling account of how the radical right, funded by dark money, has captured the U. S. Supreme Court. It is a well-documented review of the decades-long campaign by ultra-wealthy billionaires like the Koch brothers and the organizations they funded (think The …
Continue reading Books to curl up with in cold weather – pt. 2, non-fiction
The holiday season signals a time for relaxation, fewer meetings, fewer blogs, and more time for friends, movies and reading. Here are some recent offerings in the latter category. The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell, author of Hamnet, draws again on her ability to breathe life into an historical figure and lure the reader far …
Continue reading Books to curl up with in cold weather – pt. 1, fiction
Mid-term exuberance may be irrational, but surely we are entitled to enjoy the respite from the deep anxiety and foreboding of the days leading up to the election. The dreaded Red Wave turned into a Pink Dribble, and many of our historically-driven worst fears were not realized. We are still a deeply divided country, and …
It was always going to be a tough mid-term election, based on history. Only in 1934 and 2002 did a first-term President’s party not suffer Congressional losses. In those two cases, the public rallied to an existential crisis, the first domestic and the second, foreign. In the wake of the January 6, 2021 insurrection, following …
Continue reading Will Dems pay a price for 2022 messaging muddle?
Getty Images The critically important Pennsylvania Senate race between Lt. Governor John Fetterman and TV celebrity Mehmet Oz – whom Oprah Winfrey used to call “America’s Doctor – is too close to call. Winfrey gave Oz his big break. He made scores of appearances on her show, then got a TV gig of his …
I’ve been struggling with Q. #1, which calls for a new four percent tax on income over a million dollars, to be spent on education and transportation. Initially it sounded like a terrific idea - providing a substantial dedicated stream of financial support for much-needed education and transportation priorities to supplement annual budgets. Payment for …
Several years back, I was driving west on Route 9 in Wellesley. While stopped in the passing lane at a red light, my car was hit from behind. Since the light was still red, I got out to speak to the driver behind to suggest we both pull over to the nearby Mobil station to …
Continue reading Yes on Q. 4 – preserving driver’s licenses for the undocumented
Factfulness by Hans Rosling was recommended by friends Catherine and Dana at a summertime brunch. They urged the book as an antidote to our discussion about the dystopian world situation. The book reveals itself by its subtitle: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think. The late …
Continue reading Books to settle down with in autumn, pt. 2- non-fiction
The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris is an amazing debut novel by a 29-year-old man about racial and social tensions in the deep South in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War. Harris’ prose is luscious; his characters are often odd, and complex. His explorations of their loves, animosities, challenges and misadventures are many-layered …
Continue reading Books to settle down with in autumn, pt. 1 – fiction
Ron DeSantis has had quite a summer. Running for re-election in 2022, positioning himself for a 2024 run for President, Florida's Republican governor has been trolling Democrats, whipping up culture wars, cruelly using asylum-seeking Venezuelans as campaign props, and attacking Joe Biden. He contemptuously calls Biden “Brandon” and “the American Nero” and derides Dr. Fauci …
Marjorie Arons-Barron 