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A Most Gracious Rebuttal to the Modest Proposal of Annexation By Rich Grady (anonymously) In the spirit of Jonathan Swift . . . To our dear friends south of the border: It is in the spirit of Monty Hall and “Let’s Make a Deal” that we acknowledge your proposal for…
Read More »“Love loves to love love” (1) – (PIP #57) By Louise Peloquin Valentine’s Day celebrates love. Love is a promise, love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear. – John Lennon Stories of love regularly spiced the columns of L’Etoile. A love-souvenir sampling below, ends with details…
Read More »The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. The Story of Russia by Orlando Figes is an amazing and accessible book on the history of Russia, the central theme of which traces Russia’s mythologies as a key to the Russian character, leadership and major events. There are lots…
Read More »The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog. Trump world is giving us the “madman theory of foreign policy” and a reign of terror domestically. Around the world, he is fashioning himself as unpredictable and irrational, which comes naturally to him and doesn’t have to be “fashioned.” Just…
Read More »On Tuesday the City Council voted unanimously to prohibit the use of “second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides” (SGARs) on city-owned properties. Eight residents spoke in support of the ordinance, and one spoke against it. A rodenticide is a pesticide intended to “prevent, destroy, repel or mitigate rodents that are declared to be…
Read More »Poet Joseph Donahue, with deep Lowell roots and who teaches at Duke University, has been actively publishing poetry as if he’s being chased by the hounds of Time across the national landscape. There’s a new notice full of praise in the Los Angeles Review of Books addressing his 2024 collection…
Read More »Opinion: Destruction of Smith Baker Center is Short Sighted Suicide By Cameron DaCosta This piece is a guest contribution from UMass Lowell Class of 2022 alumnus Cameron DaCosta. The views and opinions expressed herein are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those of Richard Howe Jr. I want…
Read More »Why I Love Lowell By Jacqueline Malone I’ve lived in Lowell longer than any other place—ten years longer than I lived in my home state, Tennessee, for the first 21 years of my life. Both Tennessee and Lowell have their own strong ties to my heart. But I recently left…
Read More »Educational offerings in Lowell – (PIP #56) By Louise Peloquin After last week’s peek into the past at Lowell High School (1), here are three articles on educational offerings. The first presents opportunities for Lowell workers. The second brings up the recurring “back to basics versus specialized course” debate. A surprising news item follows.…
Read More »The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons Barron’s own blog. Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson is a relatively short, exquisitely written novel (published five years ago) about two Black families, divided by economic status, whose lives become joined when their children conceive a baby. Iris, 16, insists…
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