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IN THE FALL OF 2014, I had the good fortune to attend a conference called “The Irish in Massachusetts: Historical Significance, Lasting Legacy” that was co-hosted by UMass Lowell and Queen’s University Belfast. The keynote speaker, Dr. Timothy Meagher of Catholic University of America, gave a sweeping talk that traced…
Read More »Perceptive visitors may have noticed the subtitle of this site recently changed to “Voices from Lowell & Beyond” from its longtime predecessor, “Lowell Politics & History.” Here’s how I explain this evolution on our updated About page: The new tagline marks a shift in focus. Instead of a publication primarily…
Read More »As part of my ongoing Virtual Lowell Walks series, I have created three videos on Civil War Lowell. The first, called Lords of the Loom, covers the conflict in Lowell between the city’s cotton-based economy and a strong movement to abolish slavery. The second episode, The Minutemen of 1861, tells…
Read More »The following by Linda Hoffman was originally posted on her own blog, Welcome to Apples, Art, and Spirit!, and is reposted here with Linda’s permission. Simple Pleasures By Linda Hoffman “I nurture simplicity among the gardens and fields” —Chinese farmer and poet, T’ao Chien, 365-427 C.E. These days, many of…
Read More »This is No Time To Quit Drinking A novel by Stephen O’Connor A review by Jerry Bisantz. Along with Ann Garvin, Jerry is Artistic Director of Lowell’s Image Theater. A published playwright, he is the author of “Boys at Play”, “Romance 101” and “Memories For Sale” I’ll never forget my…
Read More »Austen Mania Stephen O’Connor Originally a Lowell Sunrise essay for the one-time UMass Lowell morning news and public affairs program at WUML-FM. The author would add that in rereading it he remembered the kindness of the late Christine Dunlap, a lovely woman, who encouraged him to write for Lowell Sunrise.…
Read More »Fred Notes is a recurring column by Fred Faust Heartache, Cope and Hope By Fred Faust These are the thoughts, experiences and hopes of three members of the Greater Lowell community in confronting the impacts of the corona virus. On the Front Lines Dr. Arthur “Chip” Gonsalves is on the…
Read More »Yesterday was the anniversary of the deaths of Luther Ladd and Addison Whitney, two young mill workers from Lowell who died in Baltimore on April 19, 1861, while serving with the Sixth Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment. (See yesterday’s post for the story of the Baltimore Riot). The Commonwealth of Massachusetts…
Read More »As part of my ongoing Virtual Lowell Walks series, I have created two new videos on Civil War Lowell. The first, called Lords of the Loom, covers the conflict in Lowell between the interests of the city’s economy which was entirely dependent on raw cotton picked by enslaved Africans in…
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