Currently reading and enjoying Alec Ryrie’s Unbelievers: An Emotional History of Doubt. For anyone who likes the work of John Gray or Francis Spufford, this could be natural next steps, fitting snugly between those two, in terms of friendliness/approachability. Cleverly, Ryrie introduces his concept as a whodunnit. If, as Nietzsche argued, God is dead, then […]
For 30 years, I have designed places for people to live when they are at the edge of coping. When creating anything, knowing those who will use the creation makes the creation better. This year, I have been part of an effort to make a safe harbor for the young who are lost. Listening to […]
If you are not familiar with famous YouTuber Davie504, just ask one of the youth in your life and chances are they will know who you’re talking about. Davie504 is the smartest bass player in the world. Although the bass is not an instrument that gets a lot of attention, somehow Davie504 has created a […]
And if life is a miraculous opening, why cannot death be a miraculous opening also? — Brian Doyle 1 In Acts 7:16, readers are told that the bodies of Jacob and his twelve sons were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the […]
From our Spring conference in NYC, the following video features Mockingbird contributor Ben Maddison, in a talk about fatherhood and fertility in the 21st century. For more, see his previous work The Weight of Masculinity and Mary Definitely Knew.
Shooting Blanks: Baby-Making in an Age of Anxiety – Ben Maddison from Mockingbird on Vimeo.
In October of this year, Paragon Charter Academy in Michigan informed the parents of 8-year-old Marian Scott that her red extensions precluded her from participating in picture day. According to the school’s official policy, students should only wear natural hair tones in order to have their photos taken. Marian’s style violated more than school policy, […]
This one comes to us from Jesse Pirschel. The holidays are upon us! When I say “upon us,” I mean it in the same sense as “the Philistines are upon us!” The Thanksgiving feast has just wound down and people are busily replacing their faux fall foliage with evergreens and twinkling lights. Ready or not, […]
This one comes to us from Benjamin Y. Goff. Spoilers ahead. “Criminal lawyers see bad people at their best, divorce lawyers see good people at their worst,” and the adage could not be truer in Noah Baumbach’s newest film, Marriage Story. With a misleading title, the movie follows the demise of an actor-director couple (Scarlett […]
A little sample from our latest publication, Faith Once Delivered, a collection of sermons from longtime contributor Paul N. Walker. This sermon was originally delivered at Christ Church in Charlottesville, November 28, 2010, for the First Sunday of Advent. William Golding’s 1954 novel, Lord of the Flies, remains a piercing and, I believe, accurate judgment […]
Happy Thanksgiving one and all! We’ll be taking a few days off to celebrate with our families, so no new content til this coming Monday. But rest assured, we’re not leaving you hanging:
1. In conjunction with a certain upcoming Friday, we’re running a big sale on our Store! 25% off all Robert Capon titles, Churchy, Unmapped, Mockingbird at the Movies, and Mbird T-shirts & bags.
2. Three brand new podcast episodes for you to listen to:
The Mockingcast Episode 171: “Everybody Loves Dolly” in which RJ, Sarah, and Dave talk generational warfare (“OK boomer”), Sunday morning racial reconciliation, refugee puppetry, and America’s favorite Dolly. Also, Sarah gets bleeped for the first time — but probably not the last. Throughout it all, hope abounds.Best way to listen to all of our podcasts, btw, (if you have an OSX device) is via The Mockingapp! Available for free on the Apple App Store.
3. We’ll be sending out our big end-of-the-year newsletter and appeal next week. To get a copy, simply sign up for our Mailing List. Just be sure to submit your full postal address. We can’t do this without you!
4. Click here to peruse our Thanksgiving archives. Lots of gold in them hills.
“Gratitude is one of those things that cannot be bought. It must be born with men. All the obligations in the world will not create it.” – George Savile Gratitude, it turns out, is good for you. Studies have suggested that a sense of gratitude improves one’s quality of sleep and overall physical health. It […]
I was in late elementary school the first time I heard someone use a racial slur in my house. This was quite a feat in Mississippi where such a word was common parlance. My parents had never really commented about why we did not say it. I just knew that we did not say it. […]
