Saturday, October 11, 2014

J: A Short Story (Review and Sample)

Gene Ogorodov

Pettis-Lovell Independent Publishers Ltd. the parent company of Pine Flag Books has recently published a short story by a promising new author. D.E. Roberts' "J: A Short Story" is a subtle reexamination of what it means to be religious. Far too often contemporary people assume that religion by its very nature is consciously irrational. For most of the history of religion the assumption has always been the reverse.

Putting aside the execution of Socrates and the forced recantation of Galileo, the finer nuances of the phenomenology of western religion have developed to make religion more consistent with common perceptions of reality rather than in opposition. Simplistic religion was the domain of simple uneducated people, not the power brokers and intelligentsia of a civilization.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Bill Moyers Retires.

By Gene Ogorodov

Moyers and Co. recently released a statement by Bill Moyers saying that he would be leaving journalism. After decades of being the leading voice in Public Broadcasting for the common man, he leaves a void that will never again be filled by one person. 

Honesty, decency, and journalistic integrity have defined his career in an era where journalism has become increasingly about ratings and careerism. He was a kind soft voice that created the similitude of a personal report through the television screen who never shied away from asking the tough questions. 

People like Bill Moyers give us hope that through hard work we can live in a better world, a more just world, a world with a sense of humanity and common decency. Bill, you will be sorely missed.