Monthly Archives: September 2023

Book Review: Medicus

Posted on September 26, 2023 by nathanalbright

Medicus, by Ruth Downie This book is the beginning of a mystery series about a Roman doctor (medicus, in Latin) who joins the army to pay off family debts and lives in austere poverty while sending as much money home … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Robert E. Lee: The Man, The Soldier, The Myth

Posted on September 25, 2023 by nathanalbright

Robert E. Lee: The Man, The Soldier, The Myth, by Brandon Marie Miller There are many paradoxes about the life of Robert E. Lee and the many writings about him. One of them is that so much has been written … Continue reading →

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If You Know You Know

Posted on September 24, 2023 by nathanalbright

Frequently I find myself engaging with the subject of inside jokes, inside references, and the jargon that belongs to communities that share a given interest and a specialized terminology used to discuss areas of common interest. Part of what makes … Continue reading →

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A New Creature Or A New Creation?

Posted on September 24, 2023 by nathanalbright

[Note: The following is the prepared text for a split sermon given to the Portland congregation of the United Church of God on Sabbath, September 23, 2023.] When we deal with the subject of difficult scriptures, one of the categories … Continue reading →

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Book Review: The Seven Wonders

Posted on September 24, 2023 by nathanalbright

The Seven Wonders: A Novel Of The Ancient World, by Steven Saylor I have a special unease about a book like this. The author wants to portray his character as sort of a detective, a solver of mysteries, while also … Continue reading →

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One Small World After Another

Posted on September 23, 2023 by nathanalbright

One of the most interesting aspects of human life, and one which has the largest effect on the way we live, is that we never move beyond living in a small world. There seems to be a hard limit that … Continue reading →

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Book Review: A Fire In The Wilderness

Posted on September 23, 2023 by nathanalbright

A Fire In The Wilderness: The First Battle Between Ulysses S. Grant And Robert E. Lee, by John Reeves This is the second time I have read a book by the author, and the second time that this author has … Continue reading →

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On Work And Suffering

Posted on September 22, 2023 by nathanalbright

It has always bothered me that artists are expected to suffer for their art. This is only partly due to the fact that I am a person who has always been deeply involved in the creative arts, especially as they … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Robert E. Lee: A Biography

Posted on September 22, 2023 by nathanalbright

Robert E. Lee: A Biography, by Brian C. Melton This book is part of an eclectic ABC-CLIO series of biographies that seeks to provide its young readers with accessible but challenging works on people of cultural and historical interest. If … Continue reading →

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To Understand And To Be Understood

Posted on September 21, 2023 by nathanalbright

Frequently in life I have found myself consulted by people who wished to have things explained to them, and without having ever studied formally to be a teacher, the task has often fallen to me from my youth to tutor … Continue reading →

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