Still trying to get back on top of things and over my New York cold/Montgomery allergy/yearly asthma thing. Last weekend I made a quick trip to Louisiana. I wanted to see John Biguenet’s play Rising Water at the Southern Rep theater (now extended at least through May 6 -- go see it!). This is one of two plays commissioned by Southern Rep about ( Read more... )

Here are two more things that inspire me this weekend. The first is also from The Prayer Book Office, this time from the seventeenth century English poet and mystic Thomas Traherne. Traherne’s approach is almost directly opposite to that of Gregory; where the earlier writer sought to humanize the Passion narrative, Traherne tries to capture the ( Read more... )

One of my most cherished gifts came on my birthday in 1988. Marilyn and Bob Adams, philiosophy professors at UCLA and ordained clergy, gave me a book with the somewhat impentrable titleThe Prayer Book Office. It contains the services for Morning Prayer, Noonday Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Compline (the Daily Office) from The Book of Common Prayer, ( Read more... )

In addition to all the sights of New York, I picked up a nasty cold which had me out of commission most of last week. I’m feeling better now, except for not having much of a voice: I hope I get it back in time to sing on Sunday ( Read more... )

Like the lady says: I love New York! Well, that may be overstating the case, but I've made my usual accomodation to the city. It seems I do this every trip, starting out overwhelmed by the size and complexity, then seduced by an architectural detail, a streetscape, a chance encounter or overheard conversation. Every block is practically a ( Read more... )

My ongoing confusion about New York City continues. Founded in media images, enhanced by sporadic visits over the years, I always have trouble coming to a coherent view of the city's complexities. I would never, ever live here. Too big, too impersonal, too draining. i always think of that wonderful song from COMPANY, “And another hundred people ( Read more... )

So. I didn't consciously give up blogging for Lent. I got hung up on writing a nice wrap-up piece on Carnival (theme - ordinary people), then started working on the 2 New Orleans presentations for church and my paper for CCCC in New York this week ( Read more... )

For all my readers in the Montgomery metroplex, I’m giving my BLUES FOR NEW ORLEANS presentation tomorrow at 8:15 a.m. at All Saints’ Episcopal Church, 645 Coliseum Blvd. The early time was thought (not by me) to be the most advantageous time to draw a larger crowd ( Read more... )

from Before: Phil Johnson’s classic Mardi Gras editorial on WWL-TV

-- And what else is there to talk about except that which everybody else is talking about…of course, Mardi Gras ( Read more... )

According to the Times-Picayune, the Queen of Carnival is Brooke Hastings Parker. Or is it Hastings Parker Brooke? Or Brooke Parker Hastings? Or even Ashey Parker Angel? I know, I shouldn't make fun of her name. And I’m sure she’s a lovely girl and she will no doubt be a lovely Queen ( Read more... )