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Music for "Old Men"--The Symphonies of Anton Bruckner
Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) was destined to be just another Viennese composer when he began composing the first of his nine symphonies. ...
Aug 192 min read
Four Years of Magical Thinking
Book Review: Â A Great Improvisation, by Stacy Schiff Yet another trip across the Atlantic was the last thing Benjamin Franklin wanted...
Jul 295 min read


The Improbable Odyssey of Cream
Traintime When Jack Bruce, Eric Clapton, and Ginger Baker decided to form a trio and have a go as a pop-rock band, they had no idea what...
Jul 1910 min read
The Battle for Our Better Angels
Historian Jon Meacham was concerned for our democracy when in 2016 populist candidate Donald Trump was elected president, particularly...
Jul 185 min read
"His truth is marching on: John Lewis and the power of hope"
The first thing you need to know about John Lewis is that he always wanted to be a preacher. The second thing you need to know is that...
Jul 1812 min read
Gnostic Notions & John's Gospel
from "The New Testament: A Student's Introduction" by Stephen L. Harris (note: the editing is mine -- Rich). John's gospel was popular...
Jun 284 min read
When Courage Meets Candor
by Ken Makin, cultural commentator, The Christian Science Monitor Weekly, week of May 25, 2025 Stepping foot on Claflin University's...
Jun 23 min read
Scorpions: The Battles and Triumphs of FDR's Great Four Supreme Court Justices
Their names do not roll off the tongue with the familiarity of, say, John, Paul, George and Ringo—the Fab Four Beatles. But in their...
May 275 min read
The Great Dissenter
John Marshall Harlan was a man of many contradictions. He was an opponent of chattel slavery, and against Lincoln's Emancipation...
May 273 min read
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