Where We Start From: Hope from the Narthex of the Apocalypse

"It is said by the Eldar that in water there lives yet the echo of the Music of the Ainur more than in any substance that is in this Earth; and many of the Children of Ilúvatar hearken still unsated to the voices of the Sea, and yet know not for what they listen." -J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion

For Dune fans, here is an interesting article that finally makes clear the source of the name and inspiration for the Butlerian Jihad in Frank Herbert's science fiction universe. I printed it today (5/29/2014) from the microfilm archives of The Herald held at the Everett (WA) Public Library. Frank Butler was our family attorney before his retirement. Article citation and annotation:  Wootton, Sharon. "Stanwood Butler Did It." The Herald [Everett, WA] 03 Dec. 2000, Books sec.: 2D. Print. Frank Butler, attorney from Stanwood, Washington, is identified as the source for the Butlerian Jihad in Frank Herbert's Dune universe.

All three of these albums, listened to in a darkened room with nothing but the Christmas tree lit up, bring back rich memories for me of the beautiful family Christmases my parents created for us each year as we grew up. They are artistic masterpieces that are still enjoyed by discriminating fans decades after their first releases. All are now available on CD. This LP, released in 1957 by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians, is a lush, warm chorale miracle. Excerpts from the title track appear in the middle and at the end of the album, which adds the feel of a live performance with everyone dressed in winter wear, walking on a stage with artificial snow falling around them. Mixing a capella and orchestral pieces, and a harmonious blend of sacred and secular songs, which come together as a superb whole, this album is flawless. Walter Schumann's Christmas offering, released in 1955, offers some peppier tunes than Waring's album, and is just as magnificent in its ha...

Writer Ashlee Cowles delves into Russell Kirk's novel Lord of the Hollow Dark to mine gems of the moral imagination. This piece of literary criticism is not to be missed.

Russell Kirk, the great American man of letters, wrote mostly non-fiction, but he also wrote twenty-two superb, unsettling ghostly tales. I maintain a web site called Ghostly Kirk that is dedicated to these stories. Enjoy this site, but, better still, read the marvelous tales! Happy All Hallows Eve, All Hallows (Saints) Day, and All Souls Day. Russell Kirk (1918-1994)

"From first to last, the civilizations of Middle-earth, whether these be the warrior-societies of Rohan and Gondor or the peaceable farming and trading communities that make up the Shire, are built up through remembrance and custom. It is a modern mistake to think that great personalities can grow without being rooted in the rich soil of the past, in the memory of great deeds and in fidelity to promises made across the generations. Civilization is founded on covenants that cannot be broken without consequence. The great army of the dead will fight to regain its honor in the service of the King." The Power of the Ring: The Spiritual Vision Behind the Lord of the Rings , (p. 132) by Stratford Caldecott, The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York, NY, 2005 I cannot do the warmth, power, perception and beauty of Stratford Caldecott's (1953-2014) book justice with my words, so I have used some of his words.  Caldecott's journal Second Spring , and his blog Beauty f...