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March 2015

March 10, 2015

The Art of Evil

Seeing a fine production of Othello recently has got me thinking about the art of...

March 06, 2015

God in the Godforsaken Places

I live in the shadows of Washington, D.C. It’s a big place and said to...

February 2015

February 19, 2015

After the Killings in Chapel Hill

It’s less than forty-eight hours since Craig Stephen Hicks shot and killed three Muslim students...

February 18, 2015

The Sex Offender and the Cross

Guest post by Paul Luikart One day the girl I loved called me up—out of...

February 17, 2015

The Inner Life of Everyday Objects

On a morning when I was doing laundry, I was also reading Edward Dougherty's new...

February 13, 2015

Monasticism In Lockdown America, Part 5: Holy Elders

With their white beards and deep lines in their faces, the older men stand out...

February 10, 2015

Living With Darwin

This post was made possible through the support of a grant from The BioLogos Foundation’s...

January 2015

January 28, 2015

The Crucifix’s Motley Crew

Archibald Motley’s most famous paintings jump and jive, then they wail. You might have seen...

January 23, 2015

American Idol: A Guide for Hearing God’s Voice, Part 2

Continued from yesterday. While many desires prompt goodness, others trigger evil and thus can’t be...

January 22, 2015

American Idol: A Guide for Hearing God’s Voice, Part 1

I love American Idol and could hardly wait until this month when the fourteenth season...

January 21, 2015

Childhood Cinema Redux

Over our recent winter break, my husband and I introduced our two older kids to...

January 20, 2015

The Birmingham Project

I was looking into the eyes of a black girl around thirteen years old. She...

January 16, 2015

It’s Time to Derail the Gravy Train

Earlier this week we saw yet again what happens when thousands of the unemployed, living...

January 15, 2015

Breaking Up with My Job

Last week, I left the job where I have worked for the past seven-and-three-quarter years....

January 14, 2015

Hitch Your Wagon to a Want Ad

The year has turned, and I have yet another chapter in the annals of things...

January 12, 2015

Monasticism In Lockdown America, Part 4: Asceticism

Today’s post continues a monthly series on my experiences introducing monastic practices to those I...

January 09, 2015

Wearing a Coat of Many Colors

Around eight years ago, I bought a coat. I hardly ever bought brand-new clothes, and...

January 06, 2015

An Introvert’s Resolution

My husband and I saw a stage production of Harvey in Milwaukee last month. The...

January 05, 2015

#BlackLivesMatter to Poets

Poets are rising to the cause, hands raised ("Don't shoot!") but hands also holding pencils...

January 02, 2015

This Dark World is Precious to Me: 14 Songs for 2014

Guest post by Joel Heng Hartse This is my seventh yearly playlist for Good Letters....

December 2014

December 26, 2014

Where Is the Light in Our Darkness?

For most kids I knew, Christmas was a time of anticipation. Even if you hadn’t...

December 18, 2014

Thinking About Poverty

What better time than Advent to ponder what poverty means? After all, Christ became poor...

December 16, 2014

The Regrettably Pretty Shoes: A St. Louis Story

Guest post by Linda Wendling I love St. Louis. I love Ferguson. My whole family...

December 12, 2014

It’s Advent and I’m Done Waiting

This is not an Advent post. There are enough of those out there. Writing of...

December 11, 2014

The Infinite Sincerity of Bill Murray

In Bill Murray’s long movie career, I don’t think he’s ever played a flat out...

December 02, 2014

Madonna and Child

The entrance makes all the difference. I recently watched the opening of a Madonna concert,...

November 2014

November 28, 2014

Elsa Blue and Frozen Power

For Chad Thomas Johnston Along with Kermit green, Barbie pink and—Lord have mercy—SpongeBob yellow, we...

November 25, 2014

A Tradition without Tryptophan

November is always an interesting time for a family of vegetarians. While my three children...

November 24, 2014

The Benevolent Season

“Good Letters” is pleased today to welcome D.L. Mayfield to our team of bloggers. “That...

November 20, 2014

The Treasure in the Trash

As much as I associate Kansas with The Wizard of Oz, I have yet to...