By David Fortier
Come Sunday morning, the weather will have turned back from those unseasonably hot days, in the 90s, to something more seasonable in 60s. I will have started to notice how people talk about the weather, too. It’s a little idiosyncratic, but it’s telling.
This is how it works. In passing, say that small talk that accompanies the purchase of Powerball tickets, I notice a person either talks about old Mother Nature and how she is acting up, or a person talks about how the shifts in weather have become and acknowledges that this is the new normal.
Depending on the comments, I conclude that the Mother-Nature person has not come to grips with climate change and that new-normal person is someone who embraces climate change. (Is there anything to this, or am I over-reacting?)
What difference does it make? Well, if we are going to address climate change, then we have to recognize it exists, that things are a bit off-kilter, and we need to consider what that means.
Just a thought.
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In the week ahead, TBE’s own Rit Carter will be presenting a program on the 1918 influenza pandemic this Thursday evening at the Bristol Historical Society. Carter published a four-part series on the 1918 pandemic and its effect here in Bristol in the spring of 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic was breaking out. (For the first article, click here; the second, here; the third, here; and the fourth, here.)
Since then, he has continued to update his material. Carter will provide the context and bring to life some of the everyday people and their families affected directly by 1918 pandemic as well as how the people of Bristol rose to meet the challenge.
The latest in the historical society’s Third Thursday series, “Bristol and the 1918 Influenza” program begins at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) on April 20. Admission is free for members and $5 for non-members.
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And a reminder that TBE’s Mike Letendre has published a book about last year’s BCHS boys basketball championship run. “Dream Team” is available via Amazon. Click here. The 250-page 6”x9” paperback features an introduction by Jack Krampitz, current president of the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame and retired teacher and coach here in Bristol, as well as a TBE editor.
“Dream Team” includes a game-by-game chronology, profiles of the team members and photos from throughout the memorable season.
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Reading/listening — April is National Poetry Month so I would be remiss not to get in a few poetry resources before it’s too late. A favorite is the Poetry Unbound podcast, which provides poems by some contemporary (that is, living) poets and a brief discussion (not at all literary but mostly in the form of storytelling) that makes the poems available. Click here.
Yes, I will be the first to admit that most people, when they hear “poem,” tune out. For some reason, and I know a few because I have sat through a bunch of those lessons, their schooling has left them devoid of an appreciation of poetry. This is a shame because poetry is the doorway to wonder and awe—but that requires exposure and patience.
In addition, there is always Billy Collins’s Petry 180 Project, specifically designed for young people. Click here. The website features a poem a day for the school year, along with tips about reading poems out loud and a link to “The Catbird Seat: The official poetry and literature podcast” from the Library of Congress.
Collins is a masterful poet and former U.S. poet laureate, who has read at the Hillstead Museum as part of the Sunken Garden Poetry Festival event, himself drawing a crowd of thousands.
And then there is The Favorite Poem Project, headed by Robert Pinsky, another former national poet laureate. It features videos of everyday people sharing their favorite poems and how they were introduced to them. Click here.
Reading this week was David Hudson’s “Let the Students Speak!: A history of the fight for free expression in American schools.” It is available online from the OpenLibrary. Click here. The more TBE delves into the crisis that is facing local media, especially our news coverage, the more I see a solution in our high schools and how we train young people for citizenship. This read is instructive if anything. More later.
One last recommendation is, once again, the Erza Klein Show podcast, and its most recent episode, “This Philosopher Wants Liberals to Take Political Power Seriously.” Click here. No matter where you are on the political spectrum, this discussion is informative, if not instructive.
Enjoy!
“Come Sunday morning” is intended to be a weekly review, a recounting of the past week and an anticipation of week to come. Among its features will be reviews of old and new books, sharing of favorite podcasts, some family news, Bristol events and happenings and issues surrounding education, work and community journalism. He can be reached at dfortier@bristoledition.org.
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