When I read Thinking in Numbers, the first book I encountered by Daniel Tammet, I ordered a copy for myself before I was halfway done with the library copy. I loved the way he wrote about math. And, in his new book, Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing, I love the way he writes… Read More
Farewell to the small graces of Great Comet
"Natasha and Pierre’s marriage is hundreds of pages away (and Andrey will reconcile with Natasha and die before that comes to pass). The change in Natasha is simply this, as she describes it, “For the first time in many days, I weep tears of gratitude, tears of tenderness, tears of thanks.” Nothing has been solved… Read More
Don’t Dox the Alt-Right
"For many of the rally attendees, Charlottesville may be the first time they gathered with the people they’d spoken to online, their first chance to see the movement they’d joined in the flesh. For some of them, that first encounter, and the violence that they were a part of, may have left them with a… Read More
Rowan Williams on responses to Rodin
I read Rowan Williams's The Edge of Words: God and the Habits of Language as part of my 2017 reading list. I meant it to be spiritual reading, but the book was a bit abstruse and technical for me overall. This passage, however, I loved: Many years ago, I heard a distinguished sculptor saying that he had discovered… Read More
What I learned in Julius Caesar
"I have spent this week rehearsing for an amateur, seat-of-our-pants production of “Julius Caesar” (planned before the Shakespeare in the Park controversy). Our cast of eight is putting together the show over five nights of three-hour rehearsals squeezed in after work each day. [...] It is not the ideal way to prepare a professional production (though… Read More
Talking Conversion Bookshelves on Sacred Treasures
I joined Kathie Duggan on her "Sacred Treasures" program on Radio Maria on June 5th to talk about my conversion and my book, Arriving at Amen: Seven Catholic Prayers that Even I Can Offer. We discussed why Mass reminds me of parametric equations, and she asked what books played the biggest role in my conversion. (If you… Read More
Speaking on “Wizardry and the Wounds in the World” at Doxacon
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be giving the keynote speech at this year’s Doxacon (a Christian convention on fantasy and science fiction)! Tickets are on sale now (with a special rate for students, priests, and consecrated religious). My husband will also be speaking at this year's Doxacon, and here’s what we’re both speaking on: … Read More
The Limits Of Planned Parenthood’s Storytelling
"Refusing to show abortion as one of the services Planned Parenthood provides seems oddly prim for a video ostensibly celebrating the clinics’ work. Perhaps Whedon couldn’t figure out how to shoot the procedure in an upbeat way. Or maybe, when he tried, he noticed that this choice compelled him to make further storytelling choices, which… Read More
Bill Nye Unweaves The Rainbow And Undersells Science
"Importantly, Ms. Frizzle doesn’t teach her students about facts alone. Their adventures are meant to unfold the scientific method, not just its fruits. Although The Frizz herself is fearless, and teaches her students to be bold in asking questions, their exploits are also a lesson in humility. Ms. Frizzle’s rallying cry is “Take chances, make… Read More
How do you throw a fasting and silence party?
The New Yorker has written a profile of Rod Dreher, author of The Benedict Option, and my husband and I were interviewed as part of the article. (It was very funny overhearing the New Yorker fact checker asking Alexi to confirm he was wearing a bow-tie when we met with the author, and that the mac-and-cheese we ate could… Read More