He was a science teacher, a man of faith, and a choir director who had a gift for creating rich, musical harmonies IT WAS A Saturday afternoon, and the new School Quartet I was helping to create was practicing in the basement of John Henry Miller’s … [Read more...] about John Henry Miller: The Art of Harmonizing Life
Archives for February 2018
Memoir: Tent Revivals, Wayward Husbands, and Chicken Dinners
AN OLD JOKE — A born-again Baptist dies and goes to heaven. He is met by St. Peter, who begins to show him the wonders of heaven: water of life, golden streets, personal mansion, a special pew in the heavenly choir. But something odd happens as … [Read more...] about Memoir: Tent Revivals, Wayward Husbands, and Chicken Dinners
Driving with Joe Overholt
WHEN I THINK back to my childhood, I remember one person who was truly unforgettable. Within our community, Joe Overholt was an authentic individual. He lived a life which broke all the rules. He was a gypsy, a lover of learning, a musician. He … [Read more...] about Driving with Joe Overholt
Chaim Potok: Creating An Emotional Blueprint for Those Who Leave
I WAS STRUGGLING with my decision to leave my Amish-Mennonite world when I first discovered the author Chaim Potok. In the audio/visual section of the Stark County District Library, I spied what would become my favorite novel. My Name Is … [Read more...] about Chaim Potok: Creating An Emotional Blueprint for Those Who Leave
Edna Sommers: “She was a mother to us all.”
WHENEVER WE APPROACH this time of year, I think of my first-grade classroom at Thanksgiving. The careful decorations, colorful construction paper cut into orange pumpkins bursting open, that Horn of Plenty with colorful fruit and fall vegetables … [Read more...] about Edna Sommers: “She was a mother to us all.”
Tom Rickman: How NOT to write a screenplay
RECENTLY, I DISCOVERED I am the same age as Quentin Tarantino. Truly. There are so many similarities between us. For example, the year I turned 50, he turned 50. He used to run a video store, and I used to run to the video store. Before I moved to … [Read more...] about Tom Rickman: How NOT to write a screenplay
