WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT BARB IN AUSTIN Here’s some press coverage of one of the talks I gave in Austin. (My friends in Austin wanted me to say that there were 75 people at the talk, not 40.) Read more

YEAH, THAT’S ANOTHER LIFE LONG GOAL TO CHECK OFF… I actually made it into an article in the November 2004 issue of Elle magazine. [Good Lord! A fashion magazine!] They have a feature running this month on Barbara Hall called “Heaven Can’t Wait” – or something like that. It’s primarily about Barb’s spiritual journey, and so the reporter interviewed me as the person who had met with Barb for RCIA. The piece isn’t bad. It isn’t great either. They are... Read more

LIFE IN THE LITTLE BLUE SPOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TX MAP Muchas gracias to all the kind folks who recently hosted me in Austin, TX. Everyone was so kind and generous to me – with special thanks going to Jarin, for driving me around for three days and listening to me rant, and to host-extraordinaires, Martha, John and Sara, and to David for everyone he wrangled into various chewing over food and ideas. It was a wonderful experience... Read more

I’M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT…. …the election, because I am already getting enough vitriolic, frenzied, hair-pulling out, silicon breast beating, insulting messages from various entertainment industry friends who don’t seem to have any conception that I might not agree with them that Bush is the worst, most dumb and stupid, dangerous idiotic ‘hood ornament of a leader’ since – how do the smart folks say it? – “Jen-jis” Khan. I would reprint here some of the emails I have... Read more

AMBIVALENT CATHOLICS IN HOLLYWOOD UNITE IN PRAYER AND SACRIFICE Yesterday was the, always interesting, Catholics in Media Award brunch. It is an annual “foo-foo, chi-chi” event at the Beverly Hills Hilton, in which Catholics come together to pray with their bishops and priests for the world here in the biz, and beyond. This year’s award winners were Mel Gibson for The Passion of the Christ, Barbara Hall for Joan of Arcadia, and Jane Wyatt who won CIMA’s life-time achievement award.... Read more

HAIL, AVE MARIA I made a brief visit at the new Ave Maria University near Naples, FL a few weeks ago. They are still on a temporary campus, while the plans go ahead for the new campus that is being funded by philanthropist, former pizza-man, Tom Monaghan. Having been to several of the “real” Catholic, higher-ed schools, clearly Ave Maria’s temporary campus is pretty much nicer than the other schools permanent sites. I’m sure part of the impression came from... Read more

CATCHING UP…. So, sorry I have been such a recalcitrant blogger lately. Every year, the weeks between labor Day and Thanksgiving seem to get busier and busier for me – it’s conferences and grant writing and program debriefing and upcoming program planning. Mainly for me these past few weeks it has meant Delta, Us Air, United, Northwest and Continental. You know you travel too much, when you know exactly where you are when you are in ORD, PVD, PHL, IAD,... Read more

EMILY MONDAY 827 The Only News I know Is Bulletins all Day From Immortality. The Only Shows I see — Tomorrow and Today — Perchance Eternity — The Only One I meet Is God — The Only Street — Existence — This traversed If Other News there be — Or Admirable Show — I’ll tell it You — Read more

SEE BARB IN AUSTIN, TX I will be giving a talk in Austin, TX on Friday, November 5th. It will be my “Gospel Spirituality for Artists” talk (which, if I keep giving as talks, I will presumably never need to write into a book…there won’t be anyone left to buy the book if I keep at it like this anyway…) and will be open to the public. If you live in the Austin area, or know a Christian artist who... Read more

ENFRANCHISEMENT IN THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS I walked to the school that serves as the east Hollywood Hills voting place at 6:40am. My neighborhood is about 80% entertainment industry people, and, pretty much, successful ones. There were already about 20 tense people in line, even though the polls didn’t open till 7am. People were standing there all grim and silent, and then a weird thing happened. We were lined up along Franklin, which is a major thoroughfare that runs at the... Read more