
Op-Eds
WATERCOLOR
See Not, Hear Not, Speak Not
DISSENT
Deconstructing The Brutalist
It’s a murky, pretentious film with a tenuous Wellfleet connection
I’ve been mulling why it is that The Brutalist has captivated film critics. At three and a half hours, it’s a weighty film, and much was clearly invested in the […]
OP-ART
Hope
VOICES OF FAITH
‘Be Merciful to the Stranger’
Only as a united front can we realize Dr. King’s dream
Every day since last week’s inauguration, we have heard of the dismantling of another initiative that was put in place decades ago to end institutional racism and hiring practices that […]
OP-ED
A Night to Remember
When I moved to Wellfleet 20 years ago, I went to get a library card. The librarian volunteered a bit of local flavor to me, the newcomer. “In Wellfleet,” she […]
RECKONINGS
The Unfinished Work
Dr. King’s last question remains: ‘Where do we go from here?’
The unfinished work that Abraham Lincoln referred to in the Gettysburg Address has been on my mind lately, as have the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. […]
FIRST SNOW
A Child’s Christmas in Wellfleet
Hand-me-down boots, peppermint sticks, and a rose-scented kiss
Working at Wellfleet Town Hall, I find that memories of growing up here come back easily to me. All it takes is a slight change in the light, a sound, […]
OP-ED
Six Hours of Suspense
Taking heart in South Korea’s resistance to martial law
I have gotten a dose of much-needed inspiration from what just happened in South Korea. In case you missed it, the political opposition there joined with members of President Yoon […]
KEEPING WATCH
How to Find Respite in a Topsy-Turvy World
Reflections of a retired English teacher
My old friend and colleague Marty at Blair Academy in New Jersey wrote the other day, saying, “Hope I can outlive this mess” and asking how I’m faring. I wrote […]
OP-ART
Postcard to the Scientists
OP-ED
Finding My Bearings
How grief and gratitude can coexist
Like so many others, I’m trying to find my bearings, my way forward. One moment, I’m ready for action, for the resistance (again), ready to fight Trump (again), but then […]
ELECTION
The Reckoning to Come
“As is so with every story, once the end reveals itself the beginning and the middle can be understood anew.” —James Carroll (Constantine’s Sword, 2001) I’m reading James Carroll’s fascinating […]
ON THE BALLOT
A Question for the County
Amending the county charter to increase efficiency and transparency
Massachusetts voters will consider five statewide questions on the Nov. 5 ballot. Barnstable County voters will have a sixth question to consider in addition to the statewide questions. Question #6 […]
LISTENING
We and the Land
Learning from Wampanoag lifeways
It was a Native voice I heard say, “Settlers practice their religion by going inside and talking to God. Native people go outside and listen to God.” I like that. […]