World Views

The story about Yonkers born musician Joel Diamond will astonish you with his Yonkas speak. I had the privilege of meeting Joel in NYC a few years ago, and I adore his refreshing and direct persona. He is truly a “Diamond in the Rough.” Barbara Lloyd McMichael writes about the U.S. National Park Service and its many heritage fruit orchards. Barbara also writes about the history, legacy and current controversy surrounding the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Our July book reviews are not light summer reading, but you might find them interesting. Submission by Michel Houellebecq is a complicated rendering of what happens to a liberal culture when it is suppressed by an orthodox, reactionary leadership. DEATH AND THE BUTTERFLY by Colin Hester captures the liminal space between life and death, where the beauty of the butterfly prevails. We welcome commentary by risk management expert Annie Searle who has been writing ASA News & Notes for Seventeen Years. Do you know the difference between Social Democrats and Democratic Socialists? Nick Licata explains the schism in the Democratic Party. Happy July!  –Patricia Vaccarino

Jobs and work have always been our key topics for June. While everyone is hellbent on talking about A-I and technology, we need to keep in mind that traditional career opportunities abound and offer deep job satisfaction. Barbara Lloyd McMichael writes about a farmer who owns Johnson Pecan Farms in Beebe, Arkansas. Dr. William Johnson, Jr. is growing crops and cultivating farmers for the next generation. As a longtime farmer on a farm that has been associated with his family for generations, he knows the challenges firsthand.  My Friend Sue is an essay about a wonderful friend. I’m astonished that the things we did as little kids predicted who we would become as adults. I think we might have been acorns. A theory about acorns asserts who we are destined to become is imprinted on our souls from the first moment of our lives. Robin Lindley interviewed renowned Professor Doug Underwood, who has recently launched his debut novel, Always Tessie, a Tale of the Turbulent 1960s that is set in the Pacific Northwest. Robin Lindley also interviewed Australian Director Anthony Maras about his new film “Pressure” that captures the intense planning for D-Day immediately before the invasion during World War II. Please see the entire interview that was originally published in the Hollywood Progressive.  ––Patricia Vaccarino