A World of Speculation

Orthodoxy for losers, freaks and failures

A famous Orthodox priest came to Portland last weekend. I won’t give his name because I couldn’t attend his presentation, and so this is not really about him, but about why I don’t like to go to hear religious speakers anymore.My friends and I...

On the benefits of cleaning one’s office

I engaged pickaxe and shovel today and burrowed down to the woodgrain on the top of my desk.The main benefit of leaving the piles is that it’s a natural way of prioritizing those tasks that you’ve really chosen not to do — consumer surveys,...

What I learned from the Sitka icon

Grace went to see the Sitka icon when it came to her parish. She ended up taking an inkjet copy to a sick friend and witnessing what is quite likely a small miracle.My miracle was even smaller.I actually don’t like the Sitka icon very much. It’s in the...

What about me?

Enough about hurricanes, Supreme Court, the War on Terror, and UN scandals, how about me?I thought you were wondering.A few weeks ago, a friend I don’t see often asked if I was writing. I told him I blog everyday if you consider that writing, and I did. But a...

The Best Thing I’ve Seen about Katrina

Wilfred McClay talks about the blame game and the need for people to delude themselves that they’re in control. He also points out the connection between the screeching and finger-pointing to the paranoid style of politics (and by my extension, literature): It...