When a rainfall of Biblical proportions began falling in Manhattan during the afternoon of May 23, I was afraid our guests for the Christopher Awards ceremony that evening might need an ark to get there. Thankfully, the majority of winners and guests made it to the event and had a wonderful time celebrating the talented people behind the best books, films, and TV programs of 2012 – as well as a couple of special Awards. Special thanks go to our... Read more
“There is a crack / A crack in everything / That’s how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen In the history of TV sitcoms, “The Office,” which ended its nine season run on May 16, certainly had its share of cracked characters. But the show proved the last part of that Leonard Cohen lyric as well, especially in the series finale, which made it abundantly clear how much light had seeped into those cracks. I hadn’t watched “The Office” for... Read more
More pictures from the 2013 Christopher Awards ceremony, which was held last night, will be coming soon. But for today, I’m sharing this cute shot taken by Olga Segura of “America” magazine. It shows “America’s” Associate Editor, Kerry Weber, teaching Mother Dolores Hart what Twitter is. So if “the nun who kissed Elvis” suddenly sets up an account and starts over-tweeting kitten pictures, it’ll be on Kerry’s shoulders, (ha ha):-) UPDATE: Juliann DosSantos from Catholic New York blogs about the... Read more
“That was the day that he sold his soul.” That’s how Eric Blehm, author of the Christopher Award-winning biography “Fearless: The Undaunted Courage and Ultimate Sacrifice of Navy SEAL Team SIX Operator Adam Brown,” described the day that Adam Brown first tried crack. Taking drugs was an uncharacteristic move for a young man whose childhood was defined by the selflessness and compassion he demonstrated toward others. As Eric told me on Christopher Closeup, “Adam’s parents always led by example and... Read more
Candice Glover was crowned the winner of “American Idol” season 12 last night – and much like her gospel-tinged performances throughout the year, her new single – “I Am Beautiful” – is a declaration of the sense of self-worth she derives from God. In a way, that message is particularly appropriate in the aftermath of the recent comments made by the CEO of a clothing company whose name rhymes with Schmamerzombie and Glitch. The CEO said he doesn’t want uncool... Read more
Since the TV series “Lost” wrapped up its six year run in May 2010, I’m reposting a couple of articles I wrote immediately following the finale – and another, one year later. Some people are only watching the series now on DVD or via streaming, so be forewarned, these articles are full of spoilers: The Afterlife of “Lost” (originally posted May 25, 2010) Rarely, if ever, has a television show dealt with religious and spiritual themes as extensively and maturely... Read more
The Christopher Awards are just around the corner; next Thursday, to be exact. It’s made me think back to one of the best Christopher Award moments in the 17 years that I’ve worked here: Fred Rogers’ acceptance speech when “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” won the 2001 Special Christopher Award. An ordained Presbyterian minister, Mr. Rogers shared a message that all of us who practice communication for a living – as well as those who simply communicate with others on a daily... Read more
Lord, Today we thank you for our mothers: The ones who gave us life, the ones who chose us through adoption, and the unofficial mothers who were a strong and compassionate presence in our lives when our biological mothers weren’t up to the task. We remember the selfless love with which they cared for us when we were most vulnerable, The tears they dried and fears they soothed when we were troubled, The encouragement they offered when we had little... Read more
The following column was written by Jerry Costello: “You don’t have to solve all the world’s problems,” the priest told his parishioners. “But don’t ignore them, either. Do what you can to improve things, even a little bit. That’s what Jesus wants us to do.” That’s good, sound advice. And each time I hear something like it I think back to Father Dollar Bill, a priest I remember from Los Angeles. That wasn’t his real name, of course; it was... Read more
You likely know Bonnie Hunt from her years as a talk show host and from her roles in popular movies like “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Jerry Maguire,” “The Green Mile,” “Return to Me,” “Cars,” “Dave” (“We’re walking, we’re walking”) and more. Well it turns out that Bonnie has a brother who is quite accomplished too, just in a different field. Dr. Kevin Hunt practices Internal Medicine in Chicago and serves as a faculty member at Northwestern University Feinberg School of... Read more
Christopher Closeup
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