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Good Morning, Subscriber First Name!After a successful reading with The Writer’s Center, we are excited to announce our next reading—on Thursday, March 25, with the Silver Spring Town Center in Maryland! JoAnne Growney, Monica Mische, and Tabitha Nichole Smith will read excerpts from their essays. Our editors Catherine (Katie) Lee and Rosemary Winslow will participate in the discussion afterward. To register for this thought-provoking event, which will focus on finding deep beauty in a world that often seems ugly and out of control, click here.Monica Mische, who is an English professor at Montgomery College, shared some thoughts about her essay, “Democracy Run,” inspired by today’s political climate.You write in your essay about the fear that you experienced in the run-up to Donald Trump's election as president. How are you feeling now about the state of our country?
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“The 2020 election definitely brought me more sleepless nights and, at times, a renewed sense of fear. It underscored how fragile our democracy is and how divided we are as a nation. I think of our Constitution, created to promote "a more perfect Union.” A noble vision, but the journey to realize it has been painful. As we have evolved as a country, we have broadened our vision of the common good as well as of who is worthy, of who belongs. However, we are not there yet. We are reaching toward something we cannot quite see. We slide back, take missteps, erupt into violence. I think, however, that we come close to it when we attend to the dignity of all human beings, listen to their voices. That's what gives me hope. Though obscured by fractured media and nine-second soundbites, voices of light are out there. We just need to listen.”
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Tabitha Nichole Smith—editor, writer, and candidate for a master’s degree in theology—tells us about her journey with beauty during the COVID-19 pandemic.How and where have you found deep beauty in the past year?“During the pandemic I have found deep beauty in memory. By remembering life before the pandemic, I am able to avoid being bogged down by the daily realities of what living in a pandemic really looks like—sickness, death, isolation, and much more.
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“My memories remind me that I have a lot to live for—family, friends, community, travel …. They remind me that I cannot give up on possibility and hope for a future in which COVID-19 won’t constrain my daily life and experiences.”
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JoAnne Growney, poet and mathematician, shares her thoughts about the skill of observation.You write in your Deep Beauty essay, "When I am able to be still, I see so much that is beautiful." During this time, when the pandemic has limited so many of our activities, has it been easier or more difficult to find beauty?
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“This question resonates with a recent incident with one of my granddaughters: Late one afternoon, as I was driving 13-year-old Serena to her home after a piano lesson, suddenly she spoke out, “WOW, look at that sunset—I don’t think I have ever seen such a beautiful sunset. I want to take a picture.” Indeed the sunset was a lovely one—and I pulled the car over into a parking lane and paused while Serena got her photo. Later I reflected on the fact that this was an instance of “being quiet enough to see.” So often, Serena is like me—moving too much to allow beauty that is around her to ‘sink in.’”To read the rest of JoAnne, Tabitha, and Monica’s interviews, visit the Deep Beauty website! And make sure to join us for the Silver Spring Town Center reading on March 25!
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