Now up at the substack, *finally*, is my review of my friend Emily DeArdo’s how-to on looking death straight in the face, every dang day of your life, and not just because it seems like a nice idea. For those wondering, there’s no way in heck I’m gonna be posting that kind of wordcount twice a week at the new place. If you see something that time-intensive come across the ether, you can expect we’re either doing just one long... Read more
If you want to understand the thing I’m about to announce, consider reading Simcha Fisher’s excellent essay “The Church you’re building”: First, let me be clear. There are people who feel this way, who have truly done their best to seek out the good, true, and beautiful in the institution founded by Christ, but it seems that every Catholic they encounter is on a mission to show them the bad, false, and ugly. I know people who are trying tremendously hard to refocus their hearts and... Read more
Got an e-mail reminder that registration is still open for the Catholic Writers Guild’s online conference this coming weekend. If you are an aspiring Catholic writer, you should give serious thought to attending this conference. (FYI: I forget what the clergy & religious rate is, but it’s generally *very favorable* so follow the instructions to inquire. If you qualify for it, you’ll very much like the discount.) My experience with the CWCO: I showed up for my first online conference... Read more
Amy Welborn writes forcefully in “But do gird your loins” about the disconnect between church leaders and the young people they seek to engage. I’d like to add an additional point that’s easy for in-church people to overlook: There’s a very good chance you are in church because you like it. It is much, much harder to hold onto your faith if church is unpleasant for you. It is fathoms more difficult to be involved in parish and diocesan life... Read more
I haven’t commented (anywhere) until now about the recently revealed accusations against Pope Benedict XVI. You can read about them here: German report accuses Benedict XVI of abuse coverup. What does it say? Benedict’s ‘error’: What have we learned? If you’ve been following my opinionating more than ten minutes, you know that I am furious about clerical sexual abuse and bureaucratic enabling of abusers. Longtime readers also know that I’m a B16 fan. I’ve just always liked the guy. Maybe... Read more
At JAMA Neurology, “The Best Bad News” a physician tells the story of his quest for a diagnosis. This comment from the beginning of his search for treatment was jarringly true to life: By my appointment, I had some minimal dysarthria—barely enough to register over my lifelong fast speech and mumbling. I’m not sure the neurologist would have ordered imaging if I wasn’t a physician. . . . The magnetic resonance imaging was normal. This is the point where ordinary patients... Read more
There’s a screenshotted homework assignment, reputedly from a Georgia virtual school, that’s circulating right now, generating outrage and counter-reaction. It reads: Writing Prompt Trail of Tears Write letters from the different points of view listed in the questions. Remember to use facts to support your point of view. The specific assignment then says: Write a letter to President Andrew Jackson from the perspective of an American settler. Explain why you think removing the Cherokee will help the United States grow... Read more
I want to run through a case study from a physician who writes about gaslighting herself when it comes to difficult-to-diagnose chronic illness. I think this example is super important because it illuminates just how powerful is the tendency to dismiss symptoms that aren’t easily assessed and explained. This essay by Pooja Yerramilli ran in October 2020: “I have all the symptoms of a Covid-19 long-hauler — but I’m hesitant to identify myself as one.” It opens: As a physician,... Read more
Quick note on today’s SCOTUS decisions on the vaccine mandates . . . The court’s justification for upholding the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers was essentially this: Because the federal government is paying for medical services, it gets to set rules for providers. Regardless of whether you think this particular mandate was wise, consider these words from the dissent: These cases are not about the efficacy or importance of COVID–19 vaccines. They are only about whether CMS has the statutory... Read more
The following essay is a detailed discussion of the political implications of the meanings of cuss words. I’m not the one who made this an international civil rights issue? But the topic is crucially important, and a clean-version is not possible. Can I recommend Happy Catholic* if you’d like something beautiful and good to contemplate today instead? The Wine-Dark Sea is lyrical and thought-provoking, if you’d like to scroll some back issues and be edified. How about Siris, if philosophy... Read more
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