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In some quarters the myth of “the war on Christmas” still lingers even thrives. In truth there was a such a crusade, but it took place in 1659 and it was here in Massachusetts. A minister of that day decided that that the celebration of Christmas was becoming too merry… too profane……
Read More »Trips down “memory lane” seem more frequent lately. Christmas time certainly lends itself to remembering. Family traditions, ethnic and cultural traditions, religious traditions… are all part of the fabric of our lives. The Irish “candles in the window” at Christmas tradition continues. from the archive: Christmas Traditions: Candles in the Window and…
Read More »This essay was first heard on the former “Sunrise” radio program of WUML, 91.5 FM, at UMass Lowell. Executive producer Chris Dunlap assembled writers in the area for the daily essay feature, a popular component of the morning public affairs show. I shared this essay with readers of this blog for…
Read More »On this snowy night, from Alaska comes a poem with a snowy owl, courtesy of our desk in the West manned by Tom Sexton. Here’s a Lowell memory for our readers. For those who don’t know, Tom Sexton is a distinguished alumnus of Lowell High School and former Poet Laureate…
Read More »The Christmas Fruitcake: An Ageless Tradition by Henri Marchand A note from the author: Like its subject this essay has been around, appearing first as a Sunrise radio essay, re-wrapped as a “Guest Column” piece in the Sun and showing up on this blog for the past few years. At…
Read More »Along with Henri Marchand’s “fruitcake” essay, the re-appearance of this poem has become part of the Christmas tradition for this blog. I wrote the first draft of this poem in 1976, and worked on it on-and-off for a long time. I had in mind the extensive outdoor lighting displays in Dracut (the…
Read More »Linda Biehl of California was the first Greeley Scholar for Peace Studies at UMass Lowell in 2008. She was on campus and in the community for three weeks, meeting people, talking, sharing her remarkable, inspiring, and challenging story. Her daughter was a casualty in the sometime violent struggle to end…
Read More »Scene for a cold morning. “Pastel Snowfall” by Richard Marion (c) 2013 See more artwork at www.richardmarion.net
Read More »“Winter Scene” by Richard Marion (c) 2013 See more artwork at www.richardmarion.net
Read More »Kerouac wrote that he “always considered writing his duty on earth.” Merrimack Valley Conference writer and sportsman Jay Atkinson has an essay about the endurance of Jack Kerouac in today’s Boston Globe. We’re waiting for Jay to have a regular Sunday column on words and books in the Globe. He’s…
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