I changed my mind about euthanasia in June 2015. The world has been rushing in the other direction. For The Dispatch I explain why MAiD makes an idol of autonomy …
Andor’s Galaxy of Greebles
I've got an appreciation of Andor that goes hard on greebles (the small, irregular pieces of plastic that give Star Wars ships their detailed texture). It’s the greebles that gave the Empire’s ships their sense of enormity, even though they were really miniatures. A smooth-textured ship has trouble communicating its scale, especially against a field… Read More
A Tenderly Superfluous Miracle
It was my pleasure to write about Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati's second miracle for Word on Fire. His canonization hinges on the healing of a seminarian's Achilles tendon tear—not the kind of injury that seems to call for a miracle. Some ailments—a terminal cancer, a limb slated for amputation—offer no worldly source of hope. The… Read More
MAiD Makes an Idol of Autonomy
I changed my mind about euthanasia in June 2015. The world has been rushing in the other direction. For The Dispatch I explain why MAiD makes an idol of autonomy and endangers our sense of what it means to be human. Moving past the desire for “death with dignity” requires admitting that autonomy is not… Read More
Books I Hope to Read in 2025
Pictured above are three of my big projects of 2024. I read The Power Broker over my maternity leave, I read Sr. Prudence Allen in the waning months of the year, and my baby I grew all year (in and ex utero). Not pictured, but also gestating last year is my own book The Dignity… Read More
My Favorite Books of 2024
A year very full of babies and book writing! I'm making a lot less progress through my planned reading than I hoped, but I think this might be the longest list of "favorite" reads to date. So not too bad a year. And my oldest is reading BOB books on her own, so one day… Read More
The Power Broker’s Retreat from Reality
I spent my summer maternity leave reading The Power Broker (and taking care of the baby!). I was glad to get to write about Caro's masterpiece for Word on Fire. As Moses makes himself sovereign over parks, power plants, bridges, and housing, he unmakes his ability to steward what he has seized. He becomes both… Read More
Give Parents a Baby Bonus
At Deseret, I'm making the case for a baby bonus as fair and flexible help for parents and children. A “baby bonus” is an effective way to provide support to more families with fewer complications. Every family has unique needs, and flexible assistance can help parents serve the best interests of their children in their… Read More
Don’t Ask AI to Draw God
I'm at Word on Fire making the case against AI-created devotional art. Each of the children’s books on our “God shelf” has a human hand, heart, and intellect behind it. Each book grew out of the love the author and illustrator had for God, for beauty, and for the little readers to come. Thinking about… Read More
Colleges Must Offer Formation, Not Amenities
Colleges donors are starting public fights with college administrators. At Deseret, I argue that's a good thing. Colleges should be contested spaces—they need to offer values-informed formation, not a generic education. It will be tempting for schools to keep spending on extraneous amenities to capture students, especially if they see them primarily as customers, not… Read More
Books I Hope to Read in 2024
Last year, I read all the books I put on my to-read list! (I last accomplished this feat in 2020, when I had a baby... and a pandemic). Overall, my reading has suffered the predictable consequences of having two children (and not counting all the bedtime picture books). I read 88 books and a little… Read More
A Breast Pump Designed for Your Boss
In "Designing Women," I'm writing at Comment on how the tools intended for women often serve the interests of someone else. I'm very much indebted to Designing Motherhood, which I …
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