Mike Pilewski writes about life, politics and culture in the United States
This is an interesting month from a criminal-justice perspective. Both Batman and the Joker are having their day in court. “The Joker”, in this case, is Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, who along with his older brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, set off the bombs at the Boston Marathon in April 2013. His trial is coming to an end. “Batman” here is James Eagan Holmes, … >>
In our part of the world, the past two centuries have been, among other things, a story of social progress. It started with the abolition of slavery, continued with the women’s-rights and labor movements, and culminated in the civil-rights movement of the 1960s. Campaigns since then have focused on the environment, equal access for the “differently abled”, and respect for … >>
For a second, I was dead — or I might have been. Darkness engulfed my surroundings, and I felt myself being pulled back gently. The warmth flowed out of my body. Then I saw and heard nothing. I was alone, relaxed and at peace. Is this what happens when we die and are reabsorbed into the cosmos? I wondered. If … >>
My grandmother was the healthiest person alive. This came, she said, from living in the countryside, breathing clean air, and cooking her own food, which was fresh from nearby farms or her own garden. She kept noise and stress out of her life. Her career was her home, and she was the queen of her castle — an image reinforced … >>
Each month in Spotlight magazine, I write about the anniversary of a historical event, such as the birth or death of an important person. Lately, though, I’ve been thinking about an anniversary that came and went this year. The important person was my grandfather. Next Wednesday, two days after Halloween, is All Souls’ Day. The occasion is hardly celebrated now, … >>