Lately I have been thinking about the meaning of home. Not the wonderful Victorian space I have lived in for almost 14 years; my neighborhood of tree-lined streets; the welcoming market; the Maine coastline that still takes my breath [...]
Pat Taub
Cicely Tyson Cicely Tyson, one of the greatest actresses of all time, died on January 28th at the age of 96. She refused to take parts that demeaned Black people and won a Tony, Emmys and, at 93, an honorary Oscar. I will always remember Cicely for The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman about a woman born into slavery, who lived to join [...]
Pat Taub
While many of us have been reading more during the lockdown, if you’re like me, you always welcome book recommendations. Here are some of my favorite recent reads. They range from the serious to the spellbinding to the hilarious, with a cookbook thrown in for good measure. Race Relations in the US: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson Wilkerson [...]
Pat Taub
Trump FINALLY exits! I breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday, as Trump flew off to Mar a Lago and Biden took the oath of office. His speech for unity was critical, but words alone won’t unify us. If the Biden administration can lift people out of poverty through a generous stimulus plan, health care for all, and a jobs program, than [...]
Pat Taub
As inauguration day approaches, many of us are on pins and needles, worried that the Ultra Right that staged the Capital insurrection will create more violence when Biden is inaugurated. Washington resembles a third world country with 20,000 National Guard members everywhere the eye can see, and the White House newly cordoned off with metal [...]
Pat Taub
Lisa Montgomery A story that got lost in last week’s horrific storming of the capital is that of Lisa Montgomery, the first woman prisoner executed since 1952. Montgomery was imprisoned for a horrific murder that has been attributed to the extreme sexual and physical abuse she endured growing up. Serendipitously, I had just finished the [...]
Pat Taub
While 2020 saw most of us grumbling over our Covid isolation, others found silver linings in their alone time. Lucky for us they churned out guest posts chock full of wisdom to live by. A few samples from last year’s WOW guest posts follow: Sally Bowden-Schaible* On her trip to Palestine to pick olives, Sally mused over the persistent [...]
Pat Taub
A group of elderly Jews gather each day to talk politics. One day, one of them announces: “You know what? I am an optimist!” The others are shocked, but one of them asks: “Wait a minute! If you’re an optimist, why do you look so worried?” “You think it’s easy being an optimist?“ Taking a cue from the elderly Jew in the joke, [...]
Pat Taub