(June 19, 2017) In this interim period of my life I’ve had a lot of time for reading, and I’ve found some exceptionally enjoyable and intriguing articles over the past week or so:

• an examination of the politics, relationships, and appeal of “that comic strip with Snoopy in it, Charlie Brown, and his dog,” as Charles Schultz called his opus, Peanuts https://www.theatlantic.com/…/the-exemplary-narciss…/407827/
• an exploration of St. Augustine’s life, philosophy, and how he so dramatically shaped/changed Christian theology http://www.newyorker.com/…/06/19/how-st-augustine-invented-…
• a thoughtful, wonderful interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s smart, smart, smart wife http://nationalengineeringforum.com/engineer-vanessa-adria…/
• a real winner that needs no introduction: “What Would Kurt Vonnegut Think of Donald Trump?” http://lithub.com/what-would-kurt-vonnegut-think-of-donald…/
• a lovely meditation on why the author, a white female screenwriter in LA, goes to church https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/half-full-grace/
• and finally, of particular comfort and help to fellow jobless folks, Hunter S. Thompson’s letter to a friend giving life advice, reminding him that “we must make the goal conform to the individual, rather than make the individual conform to the goal.” When all eight available paths are bad, make a ninth. And so on. http://www.lettersofnote.com/…/07/your-type-is-dime-dozen.h…