Category: national
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Why Today Matters
I sympathize with those who tell me that they’re skipping the vote because their ballots won’t make any difference. I also wonder whether my vote matters when no outcome, neither local nor national, will be decided by a single vote. I additionally wonder if campaign promises count when elected officials make their choices. Then I…
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Secularism Indeed
I had an unexpected experience at a recent secularism and literature mini-symposium. This event, which was moderated by the UIC English Department Head, included three other presenters, two local and one with some Chicago connection. The moderator offers initial observations, the presenters read papers aloud, and then the audience asked questions. I am genuinely interested…
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Saving Others and Ourselves
I recently reread Colson Whitehead’s (2019) The Nickel Boys, which seemed more compelling the second time. This story, which will appear on big screens as a new movie this fall, is based upon an actual Florida reformatory school, which Whitehead reportedly encountered on social media after a local university uncovered unmarked graves on its grounds.…