Bentari Project Blog Archive
267 posts, preserving the original titles, dates, and full text.
2021
2020
- His survival was partial.
- From “The Disappearing Village”—Bentari learns how to make his teeth feel good!
- As a River, by Sion Dayson. “No one tests the depth of the river with both feet.”
- The Wind and the Woman
- In the middle of a dangerous hard time, small is large.
- Impartial days have no choice, and fly on burdened wings.
- Someone at the gym began calling Celia “Li’l Diablo.” And my heart broke for joy.
- "No Way to Die,"—a mystery etched on the roulette of synchronicity
2019
- Toni Morrison died last August at 88-years of age. I still needed to read Beloved.
- When Elkanah died, his only son was seven.
- “You were thinking towards the sea. . .” Saddleback Mountain (Steve Arndt 2003)
- Steve and friends at The Stacks Coffeehouse for poetry with brunch (6/23/19)
- The fires of our lives
- The path that doesn’t belong
- What do you do when you try to help—but you make it worse?
- Raise the Flag for Freedom of the Press—Remember and Persist!
- A cloud over Barcelona huddled its people. “The Shadow of the Wind” saved them.
- For the hand that held the bulb—and small areas of soil where smiles grow
- A blind magician taught this to Jane Goodall, “There’s always a way forward.”
- Dr. Jane Goodall perseveres like nobody’s business. She sets the pace.
- “I enjoyed every word and you have another fan.”
2018
- “Too Far to Bethlehem,” a poem by Ruben H. Huenemann
- “We need an easy, enlightened, well-paid, courteously treated army –”
- Your speed was meant to be. Hard sadness, your companion was left in dust.
- Of Mighty Jo Brown (1923-1994)
- “And with our hearts we chart the waters never sailed before”
- That Old Feeling—what shall we do with the bones?
- No more racks to degrade your greatness, only hymns of truth and freedom.
- How long will a thirst for a happier condition survive the tempests?
- The story sweeps across awareness. The plot bleeds out but in right time.
- Duck, duck, goose
- Welcome to the club!
- You’ve forced them into the lead, and now they’re quite disarming.
- The most promise
- “I couldn’t ask for better reading.” (A reader’s response to Bentari)
- In a very far land, not very far off...
2017
- “They clap all over the world when you dance with me.” Robert Briggs, 2014
- While trees connect and soil waits
- the space needle—on a cloudy day you can see forever
- The Child Finder by Rene Denfeld—it draws us into dark places, where light persists
- Love is harmonious and peace rises when the heart sings.
- Stand Up for Heather Heyer (1985-2017), activist for peace & justice
- Come and take a voyage with—Phil Ochs, “Pleasures of the Harbor” (1 of 3)
- We need a bigger circle—Phil Ochs, “Outside of a Small Circle of Friends” (2 of 3)
- “His cries crease the wind and mingle with the morn” Phil Ochs, “Crucifixion” (3 of 3)
- “My first thought when I started reading was: Clear and pure.”
- Reader Feedback: Exceptional! There are so many nuggets in your blog…
- You might say we beat sense into our own heads.
- A meditation holding gentle strength—like a bird’s nest
- “You had the right to die, you also could weep.” Patrice Lumumba (1925-1961)
- “And so where are the dead warriors?”
- A view from the Domeliner in 1960
- “We’re the push-buttons.”
- “We have learned to listen. Now all we ask for is to see our homes before we die.”
- On that morning when dawn surpassed the birth of former days…
- The differences strengthened their union—Happy Birthday, Captain Brown
- We built a WALL!—a wall of people that welcomed ALL! A wall with many signs.
- “We teach our children not to bully. We teach them that bullying is not leadership.”
- Untitled poem by Steve Arndt
- A barefoot dream about skating, high priced mugs and sparrows and such…
2016
- “A Dog’s Tale” by Mark Twain
- A Christmas poem of peace from a Presbyterian long dead to the whole wide world!
- THANKS, ASHTON! Together, we'll keep the forest safe from marauders! L, Gpa
- “The virtues of turquoise are available only if it is a gift, the old books say.” Ellen Meloy
- Fred Hampton was murdered in his bed in the middle of the night on this date. Dig it!
- “On our way down - There’s nobody left to crown” – Richie Havens
- Faith in our fellow Man is shaken. Milk of Mother’s Kindness has evaporated. Look up!
- Volcanic roles in Bentari—Yes! They will rock you!
- Quietly waiting
- Good News! Kindness and patience at Guantánamo finally served with justice.
- Henry, our youngest reader (7), is afraid Bentari’s father has been gone too long.
- The Fort Showalter Blues—a novel by Harold L. Johnson
- “Believe in your voice, in your work and in your participation in this world” (Malala)
- “He personified the best of a race that would never again be slaves.” Andrée Blouin
- Gigalithic Inspiration Realized Longitudinally! Go, Girls! Go, Girls! Go Girls!
- A warrior, a woman, a revolutionary—Rose Lokissim was a good woman!
- A roundhouse first novel, The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld—it will incarcerate you!
- Justice for All and “The Right to Live in Peace”—Victor Jara’s story and song live on!
- “There is something haunting in the light of the moon.” Joseph Conrad
- Under the gibbous moon, Chief Mankani contemplates leadership when battle looms
- “I see the moon”—remembering a lullaby for children and absent lovers in war time
- Solstice Visions - reflections on a strawberry moon
- Delmer Berg (1915-2016): The last survivor of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade has died.
- He wrote this poem, a reflection on outcomes of a larger problem: BOMBARDMENT
- Father Daniel J. Berrigan (1921-1916): He told us & showed us where Faith is—RIP
- Greatest forces for peace on Earth: Mother’s Love & public radio—Happy Mom’s Day!
- About war—“Would either side have the right to take his life?”
- History of joy suppressed—without success! Hooray, hooray! It’s the First of May!
- Guernica, April 26, 1937—when Hitler learned what it takes to bomb a city into oblivion
- Civil Rights call to action from Rod Serling: “I Am the Night—Color Me Black” (1964)
- Dancer, doctor, astronaut—a “universal” woman, Mae C. Jemison
- A lesson from Sister Flowers pays off—for us all!
- To see a “male privileged” world, read “Girl in the River”. Mae Rose will instruct.
- A nickname used twice—and two ways of dealing with the inferno
- About the one-armed Scot and all that.
- Robert Burns—from Auld Lang Syne to the things we now are knowing and all that!
- “Flowers of Peace”—Will they bloom, ever bloom?
- Stop the ivory and rhino horn trade in Oregon! Save endangered animals!
- Hear the “Racing Extinction” sound track—and dream of Animalia. Curse the darkness!
- Play the drum, Cait!—a kind and lively tune—a reel of wonder
- “Life, Animated” by Roger Ross Williams lights the way—the story of Owen Suskind
- An extraordinary message of resilience and love for the world—despite the torture
- Big Day – Retirement from DTNA where, “We build trucks.”
- Jane Goodall speaks softly but makes a big stick’s worth of sense.
2015
- Holiday Math: Love = Respect times Attention (squared) > Peace
- Answers lie in words—in getting to know each other
- Mandy Patinkin on The Late Show--finding a new paradigm for peace
- Light a candle for peace (Mandy Patinkin, continued)
- Matters of Doubt by Warren C. Easley—a cold case mystery that’s hot!
- "rare moments of awakening when we see, hear, understand ever so much"
- An embrace to hold the world
- To find a cup
- You are a builder.
- Belle: first black woman of the English aristocracy—may have helped to end slavery!
- "We Come As Friends"
- “I look up again and again to the ancient constellations that shone on my childhood”
- “Imagination! Who can sing thy force? Or who describe the swiftness of thy course?”
- The wages of “War” are hazardous to those who wage it.
- How Neanderthal of me! Caveman and proud of it!
- Happy Inter-dependence Day, 2015!
- An exemplary public servant, a tragic hero, a champion in war and peace—Gil Winant
- A molecule is a molecule son, and the damn thing has no race—Josh White
- The long march to Freedom—“I may not get there with you!”
- ... the captain’s guiding light.
- To the dawn of all my horizons, Happy Mother's Day to Debra!
- The awesome weight of bees and the truth of Richard Wright
- “But this, this is something other,” Bruce Cockburn observed in “If a Tree Falls”
- The role of the Tree
- The tree in our backyard
- Smell the wood
- Swinging in sunshine and in shadows
- Lonely gravestones in our haunted yard!
- Weak willows succumb to wind and rain and ice
- None were turned away
- Watching the ripples of African-American experience, expanding circles, growing!
- Nothing clandestine about Daryl Davis—he’s an open booKKK!
- “Public peace is the act of public trust,” from Native Son by Richard Wright
- “Ain’t I a woman?” Sojourner Truth
- “I know I can go to hell for what I do to you.”
- What did African American History do for a white CIA operative of Greek descent?
- Another year—remembering my Crocodile, my dad, Clair Brown
2014
- Howling in harmony—effective communication
- “Is there hope for the future?” Say the brown bells of Merthyr
- My Native-American “heritage”—as written by John Badollet
- Giving thanks for First People, for teachers and for our families
- Chief Seattle’s friendship with pioneer Doc Maynard—Plenty for us to work on!
- Bird Woman: strong, courageous working mother—American hero, Sacagawea!
- Care for those in need along the way to “where the cane is”
- In the end, a doctor diagnosed he died from a broken heart
- Meeting strife with a crocodile smile
- Charge! Fanning flames for peace and kindness!
- Following the Equator—finding the heart of the matter
- Bentari and the Hedgehog
- Five Stars for Bentari—“planning to read again and again—for pure pleasure”
- Tossed willy-nilly like a pea in a great sack—and landing in war
- Artists, writers, historian Howard Zinn and my Aunt Margaret care about people
- From The Story Project to Bentari Project—“Splendid”
- The best writer you never heard of—Stefan Zweig
- A Song of Peace—how did Finland do it?
- Ruth MacKenzie swings with plenty of gusto!
- “Our true nationality is mankind.” - H.G. Wells
- Vivisection—Twain and Wells both despised the practice
- Who needs an introduction to meet Mark Twain? Not a cat-lover.
- Twain and Wells—on bikes and boots
- Mark Twain studied--science!
- “I am the entire human race”—Mark Twain
- Mark Twain a racist? Why, that is an unwarrantable perspective, sir!
- Following in the footsteps of Wounda and Jane—waiting, waiting, waiting
- A true story of Loving—and his bride
- A link in a chain—remembering one strong link
- I look up when I walk—remembering my dad
- “Yes, my child, go out into the world”
- A Pair of Boots
2013
- A leopard named Spirit has a lot to say
- A good beginning
- Bentari, Chapter 1, The Calm
- Bentari, Chapter 1 (Continued)
- Bentari, Chapter 1 (Conclusion)
- Essie Robeson and my Aunt Betty
- Endangered animals—not uncared for, not unknown
- My lioness, my lamb, my nightingale: Happy Mother’s Day!
- Heroes march together—even to eternity
- Reading by the light of a streetlamp!
- Strong, sophisticated storytelling—an expert likes Bentari’s style
- Freedom Africa—On wings of word and song—Uhuru!
- Wangari Maathai, 4/1/40 – 9/25/11
- KING—Marching, speaking, loving, caring!
- Bentari believers
- Bentari Lives! Let’s hope the longfooted potoroo does, too!
2012
- Charity sees the need, not the cause. (German proverb)
- That tree—that tree of answers
- About Tomorrow
- Here’s to Bentari—here’s to us all!
- Flags fly high in strong, fair winds—Bravo Zulu! Proud of you, Angus!
- This ancient custom never grows old—Happy Mother’s Day!
- Happy Birthday, Bentari Project Blog! You are two. (On 4/16/12)
- What is the history of celebrating Black History?
- Langston Hughes—looking ahead
- Underwood family tree: Cameroon to Hollywood—and back!
- KING—Leading, listening, following—remembering!
2011
- Truth and love will overcome lies and hatred
- A Czech, a chimp and all of us together
- Write On!
- “You’ll be in tomorrow?” the bird asked.
- Bentari greets weaver birds before dawn—in the darkest part of night
- A smiling cat—a kindhearted woman
- Hate was a mistake that could not even make a blue moon
- Vegan fortune cookies and how to love the world
- The Humanity
- No place to hide
- Richie Havens knows—the World must choose. Do you believe it?
- The World House—I’ll take the trash out if you sweep!
- Dignity, goodness, worth, esteem—therefore: Run For Congo Women!
- Bentari’s most senior reader—my 90-year old, much loved Coach!
- Tossing Teaspoons of Water—Running For Congo Women (Reader Feedback)
- Blog and Book Updates
- Why does the caged bird sing? (Reader Response)
- Unafraid: Maya Angelou (updated post)
- We all like something together
- With heroes like these, let us follow and find a Hero’s Welcome in our future!
- KING
- Bentari’s tribe—what’s in a name?
- Keeping up with a one-legged runner—Generose
- Africa’s “Mother of Trees”: Dr. Wangari Maathai
- Forward: François Capois
- Unafraid: Maya Angelou
- Founder of Chicago: Jean Baptiste Point du Sable
- Creative Genius: Oscar Micheaux
- Grid Iron, Classroom, Stage, Screen and Human Rights Giant—Paul Robeson
- Enlightening: Bobbi Gary
- Awakenings: Mr. Earl Winchester
- To honor February—African-American & Black History Month
- Attorney’s exciting volunteer work—and kind words about Bentari
- A card came from Africa—with encouragement, sad news and hope!
- What heroes do
- Sharing friends and friends who share
2010
- Hemingway’s praise for Markham; Markham’s love of animals
- The Voice of Africa
- In Africa—there is old . . . and there is timeless antiquity
- Mothers are our first and best teachers
- (Part I) The Web of Life is spun with Mother’s Strength . . .
- (Part II) And Mother’s Love . . .
- (Part III) And Mother’s Endurance!
- Rock breaks scissors, paper covers rock
- The ways of war
- Tossing teaspoons of water upon a raging fire—sign me up!
- Mysteries hidden—and revealed in stone
- Ebb and Flow
- My Caldera
- Who can resist a cave?
- Bentari goes to China!
- Songwriter’s review of Bentari is “Solid Gold”
- Musicians and teachers like Bentari
- Poet more than serving—hear Robert Briggs at Tabor Space 8/13/10, 7:30 p.m.
- My “Key” to meeting Jane Goodall
- Key to Survival
- Jane Goodall Speaks
- Chimpanzees have aromatic beds!
- On the Trail
- Happy Father’s Day – 2010
- In Memoriam, Ladis “Kris” Kristof, 1918 – 2010
- The Magic of Trees
- Lubricating Escape
- The Dream
- The Calm