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Latest — Oct 13, 2026

A Simple Democracy Need We Can Easily Meet

Saturday, I turned away from the election coverage, the breaking alerts that mostly break our focus, and I cleaned out the basement. For me, this cleaning falls into two buckets. There’s the easier organization of tossing out brittle paint brushes, gathering the multiple cans of WD40 in multiple different

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A Surefire Way to Overcome the Powerful

Our politics is a bit short on saints and Buddhas these days. The halls of power seem to have more crooks, ne’er do wells, bullies, backstabbers. Given that this motley crowd makes up the loudest faction of today’s politics (though not the only faction), we might assume that

Two Words to Change Any Room We’re In

There’s a two-word phrase making the rounds in the media these days. Perhaps you’ve bumped into it, too. Chilling effect. * This is intended to have a chilling effect on reporters. * This can’t help but have a chilling effect on higher ed. * You can see the chilling

Finding Ease in an Uneasy Season

Life is asking a lot of us right now, isn’t it? The pace of change, the volume of information, the uncertainty of an election with sky-high stakes. And that’s all layered on top of life's usual tugs: the shower isn’t draining, we need to

If You’re Nervous About the Election

Sometime ago, I read an interview with the great short story writer George Saunders, a frequent flier on the bestseller list. The interviewer asked him if he got nervous any more when a book was coming out. Of course, Mr. Saunders replied. But I’ve realized that nervousness means I

Hope’s Revenge!

There is a quote I wrote in Magic Marker on an index card and stuck on the fridge, where it stayed for months until the kitchen sun faded the magic right out of those colors. “Resistance is first of all a matter of principle and a way to live, to

Do Our Actions Matter If We Don’t Yet See the Change We Want?

Nearly two years ago, I drove past an assisted living facility. It was one of those raw New England Februarys, not a whisper of sun or warmth. Outside the facility, a small group of residents was on the sidewalk with walkers and wheelchairs, afghan blankets folded over their laps. And

The Good News About Hard Times

My Mum believed in calling hard stuff what it was. Name the unwelcome guest at the table, she’d insist. Your energy is finite, don’t waste any pretending what’s happening isn’t happening. "The weight of these sad times we must obey, speak what we feel, not

A Love Note for the Tired + Overwhelmed

If you feel like this moment is taking more than it’s giving you. If you feel like you can only give slivers of yourself to all that life is asking. Remember, even the moon is only full once a month. And at a sliver of its full self, it

The First Question to Ask When Making Good Change

Hello Wonderful Reader! I’ve been heads down on a fun democracy project this week (more details to come later!), so I tracked down this favorite from the back catalog. I am wishing you all possible goodness as you step into the weekend, Caitie You can learn a lot about