Aileen Weintraub’s memoir of digging up her Brooklyn city roots and replanting them in rural upstate New York reveal the uneasy first chapters of a marriage that most people would be too timid to reveal. After moving into the old and somewhat dilapidated house where her husband grew up and …

In “They Could Live with Themselves” Jodi Paloni introduces and develops each character into people we’re absolutely positive we met at some point, so real are they-the daughter weighed down with unspoken guilt under her mother’s unspoken grief, the nerdy shell of a high school boy cracking to reveal the …

Good morning! Todd Huston, a top executive for the College Board is paid $460,738 to serve as the College Board’s Senior Vice President for State and District Partnerships. The College Board designs the SAT and Advanced Placement courses. They have an enormous influence on what is taught in high schools …

Laurie Easter’s memoir in essays is a glimpse into the heart and soul of a caring partner, mother and friend. She bares her inner turmoil and peace in the same way she describes showering in her outside bathtub – “the peeling of layers to expose skin to frigid temperatures.” She …

Liz Prato has a talent for diving into the core of a scene, a character, a situation. “Minor league lessons” opens with “My grandmother floored the accelerator on the golf cart.” In one sentence we have the setting (maybe a golf club, maybe a home for retirees?) the character (a …

Good morning! New York, California and the District of Columbia have passed “Second Look” legislation that allows courts to reevaluate cases of prisoners who have been sentenced to life in prison. Many are nonviolent offenders with no option for parole. In Pennsylvania a victim’s family was instrumental in getting the …

Good morning! It has been such a pleasure to wake up and not feel as if yet another bomb has dropped. This is certainly due to having a new president and administration, but also to having control over the Senate. There’s always someone who wants the limelight and the power, …

Good morning! Almost 4 years to the day, a group of us from Belmont traveled to Washington D.C. to participate in the Women’s March on Washington. On the recommendation of our daughters’ former Girl Scout leaders we stayed at the Hotel Harrington, an old, modest hotel with family rooms that …

Good morning! With early voting well underway, voting groups are focusing on “chasing” (asking the voter to complete and submit the ballot) and “curing” (contacting a person who has submitted a ballot that contains an error, which prevents it from being counted.) This is an important step to make sure …

Good morning! We All Vote’s online rally yesterday inspired me to do something out of my comfort zone. This week I will contact 10 friends to make sure they are registered to vote. I am taking a step further and doing the uncomfortable act: asking them to vote for Biden. …

Good morning! Some days are just so full of bad news that it’s a temptation to ignore it all. Yesterday was one of those days for me. The climate disasters, police brutality with impunity, 45’s administration’s blatant breaking of laws, not to mention the coronavirus catastrophe. . . But today …

Good morning! Today is the first Monday of August so it’s time to check out Breitbart and report to Sleeping Giants. There is a new twist to the Sleeping Giants campaign however. Nandini Jammi, the woman behind the FB site for Sleeping Giants is leaving. Her co-founder, who runs the …

Good morning! Launched by the League of Women Voters Education Fund provides nonpartisan information to the public with both general and state-specific information on the following aspects of the election process: Absentee ballot information Ballot measure information (where applicable) Early voting options (where applicable) Election dates Factual data on candidates …

Good morning! Last year the Center for Biological Diversity sued the Trump administration for failing to issue habitat protections required by the Endangered Species Act. After a court-ordered agreement in April 2019 the federal government proposed a new rule expanding critical habitat protection along the West Coast for endangered Southern Resident killer whales, …

Good morning! Ed Stack, CEO of Dick’s Sporting Goods has received a lot of flack for his decisions to a) stop selling assault weapons and b) destroying their stock of those weapons. As politicians continue to stonewall any progress on gun law reform, we need private business owners like him …

Good morning! Many of you have asked me how to stay sane and have some peace of mind in the midst of the continuous political storms. My month off from politics in August showed me that it is unnecessary to take in the daily barrage of news about the Tangerine …

Good morning! Teaching Tolerance is a program for classroom teachers, staff developers, librarians, school counselors and administrators who are active in K-12 education, including people working at the university level in teacher preparation programs.  Read more about this organization here: https://www.tolerance.org/about Action No. 1  Even if you don’t fall into the above …

Good morning! If you are looking specifically for political candidates who are pro-gun-safety, there are some links that have done this work for you.  Take a look. Action No. 1 You do not have to be a member (or admit to being one!) to look at aarp’s site: https://www.aarp.org/politics-society/government-elections/info-2018/midterm-candidate-guide.html?intcmp=DC-POL-ELC-R1C1 Action …

Good morning! Remember when we were aghast at the prospect of the Sinclair merger, which would have increased the conservative right increased control of the media? Your calls to FCC Chair, Ajit Pai, paid off. https://www.cnet.com/news/sinclair-broadcast-group-merger-with-tribune-media-is-dead/ The merger is off the table.  Good work everyone!

Good morning!  It’s two-action Tuesday : Action No. 1 Continuing yesterday’s well-received action, let’s write to Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzō Abe, to apologize for Trump’s insolence, ignorance and impudence. Action No. 2 Writers unite at this weekend’s Writers Resist event: http://bostonlitdistrict.org/event/greater-boston-writers-resist-2018/ Have a great Twos-day! Betty

Good morning! This is one of those mornings when I’m glad I’m in the U.S. and not in Europe so that I don’t feel personally obligated to apologize to every European I know for 45’s ignorance and insolence. I can only think of one act to let the G6 countries …

Good morning! 45 continues his attempts to defund educational programs that support what he isn’t—scholars. Action No. 1 The Fulbright Exchange Commission is looking at a 71% budget cut. Established in 1946, the organization provides approximately 8,000 scholarships a year to scientists, artists, historians and teachers. The Foreign Student Exchange …

Good morning! It’s two-action Tuesday on Day 222 Action No. 1 Take a look at upcoming resistance events through this link.  You can choose the date and plug in your zip code. https://www.resistancecalendar.org/ Action No. 2 Here is a site where you can give your anonymous opinion about confederate statues …

Good morning! It’s two-action Tuesday. Action No. 1 Take a look at upcoming resistance events through this link.  You can choose the date and plug in your zip code. https://www.resistancecalendar.org/ Action No. 2 Here is a site where you can give your anonymous opinion about confederate statues. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/americamagazinestatues Enjoy your …

Good morning Friend! Here are some easy actions to take this Monday: Action No. 1 It is a rarity when we agree with this man. Let’s take advantage of this unusual opportunity and thank Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) for his public reprimand of Trump for ignoring the Constitution and taking …

Good morning! Before the NYTimes ran the tv ad about “Truth” during the Oscars on Sunday night, they posted this full-page statement in Sunday’s paper (Feb. 26, 2017)  I found it much more powerful than the tv ad and very inspiring.  I hope you will, too.  Betty The Truth is …