I am heartbroken and appalled by the actions, and lack thereof, of the Windham Southeast School District Board and its superintendent, in their disregard for the rights and needs not only of the victims of sexual grooming and abuse by school staff, but of our entire community.
It is difficult to imagine that the board and superintendent, who are meant to be the chief advocates and protectors regarding all aspects of students' lives, could be so naive about the appropriate response required in situations of abuse and harm.
One would think that especially now, in the midst of the #MeToo Movement, some obvious lessons have been learned about accountability, and the repair of betrayal and wrongdoing.
But alas, this is what the board has succeeded in doing:...
I’ve just finished reading the wonderful book Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May, and her beautiful book reminds me why winter is such a precious time of year for me. Her story is a poetic memoir, an investigation of her inner and...
In this exceptionally difficult time for artists who want to exhibit their work in a gallery setting, there is a show currently on view in the gallery at Next Stage Arts that is well worth a safe visit. I have known Susan Parenti and her work for a quarter...
This morning, as I looked out my window to the mountain and river, I watched a drifting tunnel of fog kiss the surface of the water, then ascend until my house was embraced by its soft, white arms. Just below the house, the ancient beech tree - where each spring a dozen turkey vultures simultaneously alight and spread their enormous wings in mating posture - now appeared as a mysterious ghost of itself. And I stood before it in my...