Please allow me to repeat myself! I found that almost everything I was going to write about today I’ve already written about at length. So enjoy a shorter than usual 7 quick takes and feel free to click through to older work if interested.
— 1 —
This weekend I go to Delaware to visit two of my dearest friends, the kind of people that make you understand goodness, community and love in a new way. It so happens that they are going to a gala this weekend and invited us to come along. The icing on the cake: we get to see them auctioned off.
— 2 —
Did something big happen this week? Oh right, an election. I still have a big fat girl crush on Elizabeth Warren, and I still am excited when historically underrepresented groups are better represented. It was amusing to hear commentators claim that “minorities” got Obama re-elected. If they are able to influence the outcome of an election, maybe minority is now a misnomer?
— 3 —
I was inspired to pull out a tome of Gerard Manley Hopkins this week. Most of my erudite readers are probably familiar with a few of his pieces, but by all means read more. And then read Paul Mariani’s outstanding biography of Hopkins.
— 4 —
Last night I was up in the night with a little gut pain. A co-worker suggested I stay home today, and I declined. If I stayed home every time I threw up or had a stomach-ache, I’d never leave the house. It’s amazing what you can learn to live with.
— 5 —
We are getting into the crazy season of Thanksgiving-Advent-Christmas, crazy for church musicians and regular folk alike. Last year at this time I was thinking “I can’t wait for Thanksgiving break so I can get caught up on all that Rahner I need to read“. As much as I miss God-school, it’s nice not to have any homework.
— 6 —
I’m still reveling in the attention left over from Organ-gate. Though I was disappointed that my letter wasn’t printed in the Globe, it’s been fun to connect with other people over Four Alternatives to Killing your Pipe Organ, which I wrote mostly as a consolation for my fellow artists but which ended up going viral.
Today I read the first blog post that criticized it. I am of the “dish-it-out-but-can’t-take-it” variety, so when I read someone both misunderstanding my writing and accusing me of “fundamental theological misunderstanding” my heart fell. As I have developed as a writer and blogger I’ve wondered: Do I really want the scrutiny of having people read what I write? I’m still working that out.
— 7 —
If I ever work that question out and decide to write more, I’m taking a tip from writers at the Onion and starting with a title before I write any content. The one that resonates with me right now: A Soul that Shouts.
Or should it be A Soul which Shouts? I’ve got a lot of work to do.
Have a great weekend!
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Felice mi fa 