The Right Words_Issue 19_2025

The Right Words A Magazine of Nonfiction

Editor: John J. Han

Assistant Editor: Dylan Chastain

Editorial Consultant: C. Clark Triplett

Cover Design: Terrie Jacks, Aurora McCandless

Webmasters: Jenna Gulick, Lauryn Pyatt

The Right Words is a semiannual online magazine of nonfiction published by the Department of English at Missouri Baptist University, One College Park Dr., St. Louis, MO 63141. Nonfiction encompasses a broad range of literary works based primarily on fact, including essays, biographies, memoirs, documentaries, book reviews, movie reviews, travel stories, photo essays, and aphorisms. Interested students, faculty, and friends of the Department who support the university’s mission may submit previously unpublished works of nonfiction to john.han@mobap.edu for consideration.

For the April issue, we accept up to five nonfiction pieces during the reading period, with each piece ranging from 500 to 2,000 words. The October issue publishes only photo essays; please submit 1-3 photo essays, each between 5 and 25 pages, for consideration. Include “RW – your name” in the subject line (e.g., “RW – Jane Haas”). Along with your submission, provide a 100-word author bio written in the third person using complete sentences. Below is our publishing schedule:

Reading Period Publication Date

January 1 - March 31 April 15 July 1 – September 30 October 15

Missouri Baptist University reserves the right to publish accepted submissions in The Right Words. Upon publication, copyrights revert to the authors. By submitting, authors certify that the work is their own. All submissions are subject to editing for clarity, grammar, usage, and Christian propriety. The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Missouri Baptist University.

Issue 19, April 2025

© 2025 Missouri Baptist University

“Words satisfy the soul as food satisfies the stomach; the right words on a person’s lips bring satisfaction.”

Proverbs 18:20 (New Living Translation)

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.”

Mark Twain

“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”

Jack Kerouac

Review:

Bird, A Loose Rendering: Time, Memory, & Other Considerations (2022)

C. Clark Triplett

Review: John J. Han, Remembering Mom: A Collection of Photos, Poems, and Prose (2025)

John Zheng

Essay: Saudade: A Decade of Love, Mourning, and Hope Laura Ribeiro

John J. Han

Things Millennials Want the Baby Boomers to Teach Us (before it’s too late)

Andrew

Stones: Redeeming the Search for Hope in OK Go’s Song of Descent Andrew

Tourism, Travel, and Sensibility

By Matthew Brennan

Rather see the wonders of the world abroad Than, living dully sluggardized at home, Wear out thy youth with shapeless idleness.

Shakespeare, Two Gentleman of Verona 1.1:5-7

In the 1950s the decade of my birth my grandparents spent every July in Walker, Minnesota, fishing on Leech Lake. Well, my grandfather fished; Nanny was along for the ride, gamely dressing down in cap and jeans in a way she never did at home in St. Louis. Years later what she recalled most fondly was stopping for the night, after a twelve-hour drive up two-lane Highway 61, in downtown Minneapolis. There, they’d walk a block or two from their hotel to Charlie’s, a steakhouse and piano bar. Charlie’s piano-black ashtrays dotted the rathskeller in their home, their white Harrington-font script shiny like my memories. After a decade of summers in the land of ten thousand lakes and ten times as many mosquitoes, my grandmother persuaded Pampa to embark on a European tour. From then on, every year they joined a bus tour, first to places like Germany, France, and England, later the Scandinavian nations, and eventually the Far East Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines and the Middle East too, Israel, Morocco, and Egypt. Their wanderlust had exhausted itself by the time they ended their run on a conventional Caribbean cruise where their fellow passengers pigged out on six meals a day and never strayed far from the ship and their next trip to the teeming buffet. During these tours the desire to go “abroad” —as my grandmother would say—woke within me. She kept scrapbooks on all the trips while Pampa snapped photos with a Nikon, and once home he had them developed into slides. She collected postcards from every stop and sent us several from the various destinations, whetting our appetites. She also brought home souvenirs for us, wooden shoes from Holland and keffiyeh headdresses from Morocco. Their memories fed our dreams. Until I was eight my family of six never went anywhere. We lived close to the bone and by the end of the month ate breakfast for dinner, eking things out till the first-of-the-month paycheck replenished the accounts and the fridge. Consequently, our first vacation kept us close to

our St. Louis home, a hundred miles upriver on Highway 61, and a single night in a private motel. But Hannibal, MO, seemed as exotic and as far away as the Helsinki pictured on that summer’s postcards. We didn’t have slides to jog our memories of the River Queen steamboat, “Injun” Joe’ s Cave, or the whitewashed fence that Tom Sawyer tricked his friends into painting. The literal highpoint arose on the drive homeward to St. Louis when we passed the Clarksville Sky-lift and clamored to ride it; my dad admitted we could afford either to eat lunch at a roadside drive-in, his obvious preference, or to climb the sky and catch the panorama spreading around the Mississippi, thereby climaxing our virgin travels.

We had other trips to touristy places in Missouri and Illinois, including a day trip to Lincoln’s Salem, two to Chicago, and three to the Lake of the Ozarks. But inspired by her own mother’s travels, Mom, an oil painter, wanted most to go to Europe. She nagged my dad several times about it, but he had zero interest in leaving home. She complained that it wasn ’t fair, that he had seen Europe already. “Yeah, that’s right,” he’d counter, his words steeped in sarcasm, “I already saw Europe in the depths of winter and world war with Patton’s Third Army. ” Eventually, Mom made two trips across the pond: one to Italy with her sister and one to Ireland with her sister-in-law. Her hardly hidden desire to travel, coupled with our grandparents’ example, helped inspire me to spend four months studying in London during the fall of my senior year at Grinnell College, my first deep experience of travel.

I experienced London in 1976 as a traveler, but later in my trips home and to the East Coast where two brothers ended up, I was a tourist. There’s nothing wrong with being a tourist; it’s just a different kind of trek. According to Philip Caputo and William Least Heat-Moon, the tourist, who is often “on a time budget,” is looking “to see sights” listed “in a guidebook” such as the Grand Canyon or in my case The Empire State Building and Yankee Stadium. A traveler, in contrast, “makes a deeper penetration into the landscape,” partly by “moving a bit slower” and frequently “on foot,” as Heat-Moon puts it. “By going more slowly, by listening, and by getting out from behind the windshield and looking and doing,” a tourist becomes a traveler (TR1).

The most important thing in turning from tourist to traveler is keeping a record of the trip. Heat-Moon believes that by keeping a record you deepen the travel and your awareness of the experience. Caputo explains that “keeping a record of your travels deepens the experience because you’ve got to think about it afterward, while you’re recording it.” This act of recording raises alertness since in your travels “you are looking

at things with a view to maintaining them” (TR1). Unlike my trips to Hannibal, Chicago, and New York, my trip to London is memorialized in a notebook. Any trip can comprise both tourism and travel, and I did my share of sight-seeing in London as a bedazzled student, but I mostly stayed put in North Kensington in a flat on St. Quintin Avenue from early September till early January, walking everywhere I went, and writing about it all almost daily. Travel is about seeking experience and finding inner correspondences, and I did so partly through writing about them. And because I still have that journal, this travel continues to feed my sensibility. One of the courses I took on the Grinnell-in-London program was Landscape and Literature. Professor Peter Connelly taught us about the vogue in the 18th century for travel, specifically in search of views, like today's scenic stops on the side of U.S. highways. Tourists like William Gilpin searched the Scottish Highlands, the Wye Valley in Wales, and the Lake District in Cumberland for vantages that surveyed stretches of land meeting the aesthetic rules of the Picturesque—or what Gilpin called scenes suitable for a painting to hang on the wall. Gilpin published his guidebooks, and in response hordes of tourists flocked to these designated stations to take in the views. Even young Wordsworth carried Gilpin's Tour of the Wye to Tintern Abbey when he first came to the site in 1793, as did the 19-yearold painter J.M.W. Turner when he was drawn there the next year. Most of these tourists differed little from me the first time I saw Chicago. They focused mostly on the surface of what they saw, however spectacular. But Wordsworth famously returned to Tintern Abbey five years later, and this time he experienced the ruin, the river, and the surrounding cliffs as a traveler. In this return visit, he penetrated the place, “into the life of things” as he phrases it in “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey: On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye During a Tour” (133). He had walked there expecting to repeat his earlier picturesque excursion. But this time he took note of his mind’s associations and how his senses yielded to a feeling of depth, as of “the deep seclusion” and “a sweet inland murmur” he hears while, from under a sycamore, he views the pastoral farms unfolding below him. Above all, while enjoying “the deep power of joy” (131, 133), he felt his embeddedness in the landscape and its embeddedness in his consciousness. As he explains, in the five years between visits, the landscape of Tintern was not to him as it is “to a blind man’ s eye ” (132). He no longer had the beautiful forms of the place before him while, afterward, he lodged in London, but in the intervening time between visits he continued to experience the place through “that inward eye,” to quote another poem recollecting a walking tour, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud”

(304). In “Tintern Abbey,” by returning at 28 to the place he first saw as a tourist at age 23, he measures how he has changed. He is aware that what matters to him now is more than just the picturesque forms that tourists flock to see; he now sees “into the life of things.” He has experienced the sublime, a spiritual presence in nature. Even on his second visit, Wordsworth initially approached the destination of the Gilpin-sanctioned site as a tourist, as the subtitle tells us, but this time once there he sees it as a traveler. Immediately upon his departure, the poet began making his record of the experience, which became his breakthrough poem.

My deepest penetration into English landscape and culture came on a field trip to Wordsworth’s native ground, the Lake District in Cumberland, an experience I called in my journal “one of the high points of my life.” Early on Saturday morning, October 16, 1976, a classmate and I hiked to the top of Loughrigg Fell. It was a place name we had encountered days before while reading poetry that Wordsworth set in this place. Admittedly, I had found “The Prelude” abstract and hard to understand. But as I climbed more than a thousand feet in elevation, overlooking miles of mountains, green valleys, quiet lakes, and thatched-roof cottages, I felt myself retracing Wordsworth’s footsteps, and phrases from his poem began to take life. We scaled moss-covered crags and dodged pellets of sheep shit, at times warily eluding sheep themselves. Below the timberline, the grass was lushly green, and the upper reaches brimmed with moist brown bracken that felt underfoot like a marsh. We reached the summit before ten, early enough to see the glimmerings of the rising sun on the surrounding landscape. Mountains, hills, and lakes stretched as far as we could see, and we fell silent with our senses swimming. Then it started to drizzle a few minutes later, the light in the sky dimmed to scattered gleams until a brilliant rainbow broke forth and bridged the near and far shores of Grasmere Lake. I now knew what Wordsworth meant when he wrote in “The Prelude” about mornings like this when “among the hills” you feel “a holy calm” overspreading your “soul” “A prospect of the mind,” the sense sublime (401). I came to the Lake District as a tourist, but I left as a traveler, changed forever in sensibility.

The main difference between trips as tourists and as travelers is perhaps measured by whether and how you are changed by leaving home. Trips as tourists can be educational, can excite us, and can feed our senses, providing new sensations. Tours enable us to meet new people too. This kind of travel offers an escape from routine and much-needed novelty and renovation of spirit. But these effects fade. Travel that changes us lifts a film of familiarity from our eyes and our minds so that we see life with vision;

we recognize how place shapes our consciousness, fosters memory, and nurtures spirituality, and how place helps unify our sense of self. In moving from tourism to travel, we move from sense to sensibility. This is what Heat-Moon means when he says that being a traveler puts you into a higher category of experience than being a tourist. Unlike tourists, travelers come home changed forever.

Works Cited

Caputo, Philip, and William Least Heat-Moon. “To See America, Be a Traveler.” New York Times, 14 July 2013: TR1. Wordsworth, William. “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud.” The Major Works. Ed. Stephen Gill. Oxford UP, 2011. 303-04.

. “Lines Written a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey.” The Major Works. Ed. Stephen Gill. Oxford UP, 2011. 131-35.

. “The Prelude.” The Major Works. Ed. Stephen Gill. Oxford UP, 2011. 375-590.

Four Tales from the Ozarks

By C. Clark Triplett

A Simpler Time

I remember when I was a teenager, almost 65 years ago, there were several occasions when I would walk with my mom’s brother, Dale, from Grandma Skiles’ house to Bill Click’s place. The walk wasn’t long by daylight, but at night, it felt like a journey through another world. Every time we made that trek under the stars, fear would settle in my bones like a chill I couldn’t shake. Although I may be conflating this memory with altogether different experiences, it seems real to me. I remember a path, shrouded in shadows, twisting through the woods. The trees seemed to lean in, watching us with an eerie stillness. Every snap of a twig or rustle of leaves felt like a whisper from the dark, something unseen but always close. Those nights walking with Uncle Dale felt like the longest of my life.

But Dale? Dale was never scared. He walked confidently, always a few steps ahead, laughing at my nervousness. “Don’t worry,” he’d say with a grin, “nothing out here but what you already know.” I wanted so badly to believe him, to feel the same ease he carried, but the woods felt alive with secrets, whispering things I wasn’t ready to hear.

The relief when we finally reached Bill’s house was overwhelming. Bill, along with his wife, lived in the country about ten miles out of Salem, Missouri. Bill’s place, with its crooked walls and uneven floors, was no mansion, but stepping inside felt like stepping out of a nightmare. The warmth of the wood stove greeted us first, pushing away the cold night air. Bill, the quiet patriarch of the family, would nod at us as we entered, slow and deliberate, like everything he did. His long, skinny torso hunched slightly, his sharp, extended nose almost touching his protruding chin, making him look like a character out of an old folktale. His voice, when he spoke, came out in a slow, molasses-thick drawl that made you lean in just to catch the end of his sentences. Sometimes, it seemed like he might fall asleep mid-sentence, but he never did. Every word was intentional like he was pulling it up from the earth itself.

His wife, Virgie, was a contrast to Bill in almost every way. Where Bill was lanky and slow-moving, Virgie was short, stocky, and full of energy. She had this infectious laugh that would erupt unexpectedly, especially

whenever Dale said something witty. Sometimes she would react to conversations in such peculiar ways as if she were part of a joke only she understood. Her laughter was a comfort, though, a sign that all was well within those old walls.

The house itself wasn’t much to look at—a bit run-down, with age seeping into every corner—but there was something special about being there. The nights spent around their wood stove, surrounded by the scent of burning wood and the murmur of distant memories, were filled with stories. Bill and Dale would talk about things that had happened in those very woods strange things, funny things, moments lost to time. Other times, they’d speak of people long gone, their voices soft with nostalgia. There was nothing profound in those conversations, but there didn’t need to be. They were like the steady crackle of the fire warm, comforting, and timeless.

Even now, those memories bring a smile to my face. That feeling of stepping into Bill’s house, after a walk through the unknown, is something that has stayed with me. It was a simple, crooked house, but in those moments, it felt like the safest place in the world. And despite the fear I’d felt in the woods, the stories and laughter around that wood stove made the journey worth every step.

Some parts of this story may be fictional, as memories often blur with time, their forgotten pieces filled with fragments of other experiences perhaps even scenes from an old movie I once watched. Yet, this memory persists, transporting me to a simpler, more meaningful time, far removed from the complexities of today. I hope it brings back special memories for you. I’m sure your recollection is much more accurate than mine, but I hope I’ve captured the essence of that early experience and that it brings a smile to your face as well.

The Burning Seat

When I was a teenager, I went to “spend the night,” as we used to call it, with my cousin Larry. We always found ourselves in the most outlandish situations together. One evening, he took me to a friend’s place to see his latest purchase: a 1950 Ford sedan that he’d bought for a grand total of fifty dollars. This “beauty” had its share of quirks several large dents, a mismatched left front fender, two missing side windows, and a notoriously finicky standard transmission shift linkage that seemed to break constantly.

His friend asked if we wanted to take the car out for a spin with a few others. We piled in and headed toward old Missouri Bottom Road, a stretch of farmland with little traffic and lots of room to test out the “new” wheels. With two guys in the front seat and three of us crammed in the back, we were off, excited for whatever crazy thing lay ahead.

During the ride, the guy in the front passenger seat casually flicked his cigarette out the front window. Unfortunately, none of us realized that it had flown directly into the open back window. It landed in the gap between the seat back and cushion, smoldering out of sight.

A few minutes later, the back seat began to fill with smoke. Those of us in the back started shouting we couldn’t breathe, and the seat was getting unbearably hot. The driver finally pulled over, and we all scrambled out, gasping for air. As we gathered around, someone spotted glowing embers embedded in the back seat cushion. Unsure of what else to do, we quickly unhooked the seat, yanked it out of the car, and dumped it onto the ground to prevent the rest of the car from catching fire. We circled the seat like wild-eyed kids from Lord of the Flies, trying to decide what to do next. We found ourselves stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no water in sight to put out the fire. After some debate, we turned to the only “liquid source” we had left yes, you guessed it our own precious golden pee. So, Larry, another guy, and I climbed into the car to do our duty. At first, our aim was less than accurate, leaving the car and ourselves a bit damp. But eventually, our aim held, and we managed to quench the fire.

It was getting late, and we needed to head home. Despite how soaked the seat was, we thought we could put it back in the car and let it dry out over time. But as we lifted the back seat and tried to get into the car, the stench of urine hit us, so overpowering that we had to step back, shaking our heads in disgust. There was no way we could endure that nauseating odor all the way home. Despite the car owner’s frustration, we all agreed to leave the seat by the side of the road.

Usually, we would be laughing and goofing off on the way home, but tonight, an unusual silence enveloped us. We all seemed lost in a daze as if the strangeness of the experience had left an indelible mark on our minds. The old 1950 Ford stood as a poignant symbol of our fleeting adolescence, a reminder that those carefree days were ending. After this, it felt as if nothing would ever be the same again.

Sometimes, the most outrageous situations can lead to significant life lessons. This story reminds us that while we may seek adventure and thrill, it’s essential to approach life with responsibility and awareness. Moreover, the bonds formed during such crazy experiences are invaluable; they serve

as a reminder that even in the face of mishaps, friendship, and laughter can turn challenges into cherished memories. As we transition through life, it is important to embrace the lessons learned along the way, allowing them to shape us into wiser, more grounded individuals.

An Old Black-and-White Photo

When I was younger, my mother showed me an old black-and-white photo of my dad in his military uniform, standing beside another young man, also in uniform. The other man had his hat cocked to one side, a mischievous grin, and a look of chutzpah that made it clear he was ready for any challenge. That was my mother’s brother, Farrell, the eldest of ten children in her family. Farrell and my father had been close friends even before my parents were married. They both enlisted in the Army Air Corps at the same time during World War II. Interestingly, before entering the service, Farrell had married my father’s sister, Mary, just a few weeks before being deployed overseas. Later, my father married Farrell’s sister, Lillie, creating a unique bond between the two families.

While my father went to Brownsville, Texas, for training, Farrell was deployed to England as part of the famed “Bloody 100th” Bomb Group. Unfortunately, my father contracted rheumatic fever during his training and was ultimately discharged due to the severity of his illness. Meanwhile, Farrell trained as a gunner on a B-17 bomber, tasked with carrying out dangerous missions to bomb key sites in Germany. The “Bloody 100th” operated out of Thorpe Abbotts Airfield in East Anglia, about 90 miles northeast of London. It earned its grim nickname because of the heavy losses it suffered early in the war, losing 27 out of 35 crews within its first 109 days of flying missions over Europe. Unlike many other bomber groups, the Bloody 100th conducted its bombing raids during daylight hours, making them particularly vulnerable to attacks by the Luftwaffe, the aerial warfare branch of the German Wehrmacht.

The B-17 “Flying Fortress” became one of the most iconic aircraft of World War II due to its ability to fly long distances and conduct bombing missions deep into Germany. It dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during the war. The B-17 was heavily armed, featuring a pair of .50 caliber machine guns in the tail turret, two more .50 caliber guns in the dorsal (top) turret, a single .50 caliber waist gun on each side, a chin turret with twin .50 caliber guns, a cheek gun with a single .50 caliber gun, and another single .50 caliber gun in the radio compartment. Most famously, it

had the Sperry ball turret, equipped with twin .50 caliber guns, which could be jettisoned before a crash landing an important feature, as a belly landing would likely snap the aircraft's back. While its formidable armament earned it the name “Flying Fortress,” the B-17 did have a vulnerability. Its nose was armed with only a single .30 caliber machine gun, making frontal attacks by German Luftwaffe fighters relatively safer compared to other angles of attack.

Farrell, one of the crew members, served as the ball turret gunner. This role was typically assigned to the smallest man on the crew, and at just five feet tall, Farrell fit the bill. The ball turret was a cramped, three-and-ahalf-foot sphere that hung from the belly of the plane, exposing the gunner to significant danger. To enter, the turret had to be positioned with the guns pointing straight down. Farrell would then climb inside, placing his feet into heel rests and curling into a fetal position, his back against the turret, hips on the bottom, and feet raised above his head. Secured by a safety strap, the door behind him was closed and locked.

Inside the ball turret, there was no room for a parachute, making it a particularly vulnerable position. Unlike other gunners, Farrell was the only crew member located outside the main fuselage, adding to the inherent risk of his job.

On one fateful mission, the B-17 bomber set out on a bombing run over Germany. The initial part of the journey was relatively calm, with minimal flak, prompting the crew to remove their heavy flak jackets for comfort. This decision was especially welcomed by the ball turret gunner, cramped in his small, confined space. It’s uncertain how effective the flak jackets of World War II were against 50-caliber machine gun fire or the deadly 88mm flak shells that detonated mid-air. Nevertheless, the crew carried on. But on the return trip, disaster struck. A massive explosion sent shrapnel through the ball turret, severely wounding gunner Farrell Skiles. Despite their best efforts to control the bleeding, the crew barely managed to get the plane back to the airfield in England. Skiles was rushed to a military hospital, and for a time, his family received hopeful news that his condition was improving. Tragically, his health took a sudden turn, and he passed away on January 9, 1944, several months after the mission.

I was born on January 9, 1945, near the end of the war. It was around the time I was entering elementary school when I first saw that black-andwhite photo of my uncle Farrell my father’s good friend, my mother’s brother, and my aunt Mary’s husband. The more I studied the picture, the more familiar he seemed. He shared many of the same features as his brothers, whom I had grown up with. But what struck me most was the

expression in his eyes and the slight smile on his face, both of which left a lasting impression on me.

Later, I learned that my uncle had passed away exactly one year before I was born. This discovery sparked a sense of a deep, unseen connection between us, even though we had never met. Ever since, on each birthday, I find myself returning to that old black-and-white photograph. It reminds me of the brave sacrifice my uncle made for our family and the enduring importance of remembering and honoring him and his service in the years to come.

A Real Character

My mother’s grandfather, Fate Skiles, was a humble farmer who often lived a subsistent life. Endearingly called “Poppy” by his family, he was a small man, standing only about five feet tall. He sported a bushy white mustache that sometimes covered his mouth, often acting as an unintentional filter for his coffee and a strainer for his food. In his bib overalls and hobnail work boots, he could occasionally resemble a rustic version of Mark Twain.

Poppy’s wife, known as “Granny” to her children, was his polar opposite in almost every way. While Poppy was diminutive, Granny was a large woman, both in height and weight, seeming to tower over him and dwarf him by comparison. When they traveled together in their horsedrawn wagon perhaps on the way to church the wagon seat would lean conspicuously in Granny’s direction, a humorous testament to their physical differences. They were quite a sight to behold, a couple as mismatched in appearance as any could be.

Poppy and Granny were known to bicker from time to time. Whenever guests were invited for Sunday dinner, Poppy was always in charge of saying grace. He would begin each prayer with a solemn, almost grandiose tone, starting with the same bombastic phrase: “O Lord, we’re thankful we’re up and around what we are. Help us to walk in the light that shineth out of the darkness…” At that point, his words would trail off into a low, incomprehensible mumble. Sometimes, he’d go on for what felt like an embarrassingly long time. While Poppy was lost in his extended prayer, Granny often took matters into her own hands. She would get up, rattle the dishes, or loudly ask anyone within earshot, “Well, do you think it’s going to rain? That looks like a storm cloud coming up from the Southwest!” Sometimes, her interruptions earned her a stern glare from Poppy. Other

times, nothing could break his spiritual concentration, and Granny would only raise her voice louder, hoping to coax him into wrapping up the lengthy prayer so everyone could finally eat.

A large, metal-framed bed with a threadbare quilt dominated the center of the living room in the old farmhouse. Poppy was a man of routine. Every night, around sundown, he would head to bed, driven by the need to rise early for milking and other farm chores. This was a common rhythm on most working farms, where early mornings demanded early nights. However, Poppy’s unwavering bedtime was remarkable for one reason: he went to bed no matter who was visiting, even when he was the one who had invited them.

Whether it was a gathering or a casual drop-in from neighbors, Poppy’s routine was non-negotiable. At a specific time each evening, he’d announce, “I’m going to bed,” without a hint of hesitation. Then, in full view of his guests, he’d unbutton his bib overalls, revealing a pair of long underwear that probably hadn’t seen a wash in months, and crawl into bed. With a handkerchief draped over his face, he’d fall asleep, utterly unfazed by any shocked visitors. His family, of course, was used to this ritual, but for newcomers, it was always a source of astonishment. Poppy, however, was never the least bit embarrassed.

The grandchildren seemed naturally drawn to Poppy, though perhaps it had something to do with the hard candy he used to win them over, hoping to keep their attention long enough to listen to his stories. He stashed candy in nearly every pocket of his worn bib overalls. The only problem was that his overalls were so filthy that the unwrapped candy often looked like a little ball of dirt. But the kids didn’t care—as long as it was sweet, they were happy.

Poppy’s stories, often wildly exaggerated, usually involved infamous outlaws like Jesse James, Cole Younger, and other legends of the Wild West. He once claimed that Jesse James and his gang had stopped by for dinner before heading out on one of their so-called heroic adventures. To Poppy, Jesse James was a Robin Hood figure, and every time he recounted these tales, Granny would roll her eyes and shake her head. She knew all too well that Poppy loved to wander into fantasy when trying to captivate the kids’ imaginations.

Fate “Poppy” Skiles was a real character in the truest sense, embodying the eccentric charm of a bygone era. His quirks whether it was the extended, dramatic prayers, his ritualistic early bedtimes in front of guests, or his tales of legendary outlaws—paint a vivid picture of a man who lived unapologetically on his own terms. Despite his odd habits, his

grandchildren adored him, and his family appreciated his steadfastness, even if they had to endure a little bit of embarrassment along the way. In his simplicity, Poppy left a lasting impression, becoming a larger-than-life figure in the hearts of those who knew him. His story is a reminder that it’ s often the most unassuming people who add the greatest color to our lives.

Ruth: My Hero of Faith and Courage

By Michael Shoemaker

Ruth, from the Bible, is unquestionably “my spiritual hero.” When I am fearful, I take courage from Ruth’s bravery. When I am weak, her words strengthen and lift me.

Ruth’s example is ageless and timeless. If you are young or old or if you live now or 50 years from now, you can follow her example and in so doing know, see and feel the presence of the Savior of the World daily and more fully in your life.

Ruth’s story is one of migration and about being an outsider, one which seems very relevant in our time. In 2019, 77% of U.S. and 85% of Canadian respondents to a Pew Research Center survey said that due to global migration, the ethnic, religious and racial makeup of their country has become more diverse.

Which of us has not felt like an outsider before? Whether being the new person in a school class, congregation, at work, or in a neighborhood, we can all relate to that feeling. Feeling this way as a teenager first drew me to Ruth and her story.

According to the Book of Ruth, she was a Moabite woman who married into an Israelite family and converted to Judaism. The specific timing of her conversion is unclear, but likely it occurred sometime before they journeyed to Israel. Ruth’s travels from Moab to Israel with her mother-in-law, Naomi, represent a breathtaking change in nearly everything from her past. It is clear Ruth felt like an outsider. When she first met Boaz, she referred to herself as “a stranger” (AKJV Ruth 2:10).

I consider Ruth my spiritual hero because of her Christian characteristics. What are some of Ruth’s most admirable Christian attributes? First, Ruth is a doer. Again and again, she chooses not to be overcome by circumstances. Instead, she acts in faith. What a hero and example! From the Book of Ruth, the first individual act attributed to Ruth is when "Ruth clave unto her, [Naomi]” (AKJV Ruth 1:14). She didn’t go away. She held to her beloved family member during a mutually personal spiritual experience of grief. Based on Ruth’s act, I ask myself, am I cleaving to my beloved family members enough?

Second, Ruth is committed and steadfast-minded (AKJV Ruth 1:18). We can even say that she consecrated her life. It is worthwhile to hear her

response to Naomi’s request for her to go back to the home of her birth. “And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought by but death part thee and me” (AKJV Ruth 1:16-17).

I find this one of the most sincere, tender and loving expressions of commitment from the scriptures. Ruth makes an oath, a promise, and a commitment unto death. She is saying that she doesn’t have to follow her own plan but trusts in Naomi and God to lead her to a new place and a new life. I ask myself, am I humbly committed to Christ and the building of his Kingdom in this way?

Third, Ruth is easily entreated. She is a shining fulfillment of this scripture: “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy” (AKJV James 3:17). What does it mean to be easily entreated? It means to be persuadable, reasonable, easily approachable, quick to obey, and a good listener.

Can you think of examples around you of people who are easily entreated? Here are three examples I thought of from my neighborhood. I know a teenager who mows the lawns of three elderly couples once a week without being asked. Recently, when I was in an accident and returned home from the hospital late at night not able to easily walk, two of my neighbors came to help me from my car and down the stairs in my house. From years of being in church choirs, my experience is that most choir directors are willing to show, teach, and help this faltering bass become a better singer.

Fourth, Ruth is no different than anyone else. She doesn’t set herself on a pedestal. Though she is an outsider, she chooses to unite with the rest of the Israelites. For example, when Ruth presents the idea of gleaning corn in the fields of Boaz, Naomi says, “Go. my daughter.” “And she went…” (AKJV Ruth 2:2-3). This is what Ruth did. There is no mention of her having to be asked twice to roll up her sleeves and go to work. No hesitation like you and I, who often become caught up checking our Facebook feed or Instagram account. No waiting until there is a more convenient time or opportunity in her already busy schedule. In Ruth's time, it must have taken a great deal of courage to enter a field without a formal invitation from the owner. However, Naomi and their basic living needs depended on them working in the fields to support themselves. Because of this, Ruth went and worked in the fields and was greatly blessed by her faith and

work. Boaz later describes these blessings. “The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust” (AKJV Ruth 2:12). How I appreciate Ruth's willingness to perform physical and spiritual duties!

Fifth, Ruth shows profound humility and teachability. After the death of their husbands, Ruth could have sought to give some suggestions to Naomi or her sister-in-law, Orpah, of what should happen next in their lives. But Ruth did not do this. It must have been hard and perhaps a little humiliating to glean and gather after the reapers from morning to night. Ruth could have complained, but there is no record of it.

Sixth, Ruth is faithful. The rewards of Ruth’s faithfulness were longlasting and blessed her posterity for many generations. After Boaz marries Ruth, she soon gives birth to a son named Obed, who becomes the grandfather of King David. Because the Messiah is prophesied to come from the House of David, both the greatest king in Israel's history and the future Messiah will be descendants of Ruth. At this stage in her experiences, Ruth is no longer a stranger or outsider. She has become as Paul describes in his letter to the Ephesians, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (AKJV Ephesians 2:19).

It is fitting that Ruth and her story be retold repeatedly by Jews and Christians at specific times and in their own ways. It is customary to read the Book of Ruth during the Jewish holiday of Shavuot, which celebrates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people from God. Ruth’s story happens during the spring harvest and the holiday of Shavuot is celebrated in spring. King David, Ruth’s descendant, according to tradition was born and died on Shavuot. Since Ruth showed her loyalty to Judaism by converting, it is appropriate to remember her on a holiday that commemorates the giving of the Torah to the Jewish people. As Ruth freely committed herself to Judaism, so too did the Jewish people freely commit themselves to following the Torah.

If I were to write a letter to Ruth it might read something like this:

Dear Ruth,

Thank you for showing me how to live outside of myself more and to overcome some of my selfishness. Your example of loyalty to family and God inspires me when I am brokenhearted and when I am low on motivation and feel little hope for improvement. I am grateful

that your direct descendant, Jesus Christ, paid for my sins and has set me free.

Your great admirer, Michael

May we as Christians take the time to learn and live the principles taught within the Book of Ruth and may Ruth’s strength, courage and words be a familiar sound in our worship services, Sunday Schools, homes and hearts as we face our deepest challenges.

Sources

1. https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2019/04/22/how-people-aroundthe-world-view-diversity-in-their-countries/

2. https://www.learnreligions.com/ruth-in-the-bible2076723#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20biblical%20Book%20of%20 Ruth%2C%20Ruth,David%20and%20hence%20an%20ancestor%20of%20 the%20Messiah.

“Blub,

blub, bluuuuuub”: On Overthinking The PoutPout Fish and the Curtains Being Blue

By Julie Steinbeck

As I parent my two girls, it’s not uncommon that one of them will decide that one book is their favorite and demand that it be read to her multiple times a day. For my two-year-old, this book for a while was Deborah Diesen’s The Pout-Pout Fish, a story where the titular fish’s friends all attempt to cheer him up with little success. In the end, another fish kisses him and changes his pessimistic outlook. There is a tendency with overused children’s media to come up with various theories and overreaches so that the adults forced to endure them can keep themselves entertained (the subreddit r/danieltigerconspiracy offers several such musings). This injection of extra depth into the world of children’s entertainment offers a roundabout rebuttal to the common Internet saying that “sometimes the curtains are just blue,” which has lent itself for ages to the current anti-intellectual brigade. The insistence of the stereotypical English teacher’s “ruining” literature and other media ignores much of what people tend to do when given a text and an imagination.

I can acknowledge that one’s high school literature class usually isn’t a favorite, as a now-ancient Internet meme illustrates. A Venn diagram with barely overlapping circles separates “What the author actually meant” from “What your English teacher thinks the author meant.” The diagram is usually followed up with a caption involving the imaginary English teacher overthinking the color of fictional curtains when the author did not have a specific “meaning” attached to it. The post is then showered with agreements, accolades, and tales of how high school English turned out to be such a waste of the commenter’s time and the only way to pass was to parrot what the teacher wanted to hear. If the commenters are particularly adept, they will often add in other memes involving essays and required discussion-board posts. “It’s not that deep!” these students lament. “Sometimes it’s just the creator wanting to be self-indulgent! Why would someone want to hide their meaning behind words that people don’t understand?”

Something I was told while I grew up was that the best way to kill one’s love for reading is to force them to read and then make them answer a bunch of questions about it. I’m sure we can all remember the likes of The

Bluest Eye, Romeo and Juliet, Of Mice and Men, The Giver, and several other volumes that students often encounter (and must answer questions about) in the usual high school curriculum. None of this reading is considered “fun,” “useful,” or “relevant.” They plod on through, forget what they read as soon as the test is over with, and begin the cycle anew, with the literature unengaged with and consigned to the proverbial trash heap. Teachers sigh and refrain from tearing their hair out. The students refuse to engage with media much more difficult than a 45-second TikTok video. The complaining about English class continues. Their curiosity wanes.

Or does it?

Let’s return to The Pout-Pout Fish. On its surface, the reader is shown a grumpy fish. However, with some additional thought, Diesen’s characters can reflect how we act in the face of someone with depression. Like a depressed individual feeling like their condition is just the way they are, the fish insists that his inability to show a happy face or act more cheerful is because “I’m a pout-pout fish with a pout-pout face for spreading drearywearies all over the place.” His friends a clam, jellyfish, a squid, and an octopus all suggest different ways for him to cheer up (or at least act the part). The clam suggests smiling more, the jellyfish asks that the fish not be so grouchy when seeing his friends, the squid tells the fish to be more joyful and hopeful, and the octopus tells the fish that the constant “hulky-bulky sulking is an unattractive trait.” These suggestions are no different from how those unafflicted with depression may tell their friend to smile more, to “fake it ‘til you make it,” or to be more hopeful that things will turn around. In both life and Diesen’s book, none of these are effective. Only the final character to be introduced, another fish “in a silent silver shimmer” that no one in the book has yet encountered, arrives and shows love to the Pout-Pout Fish without giving any extra suggestions. Finally, the fish receives the love given to him and turns his attitude around. Likewise, giving fruitless suggestions to those struggling with depression is far less helpful than simply showing them love and waiting for them to come around on their own terms.

Obviously, Diesen did not set out to teach preschoolers about how to interact with those experiencing mental health crises, but when given enough overrepetition and boredom, the allegory is not difficult to read into the text. Likewise, many adults forced to watch kids’ media such as Bluey and Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood will wind up asking questions or forming theories that are not explicitly addressed in the shows and books themselves. For instance, why do the Heelers have a laundry room if they almost never wear clothes? How does the Neighborhood of Make-Believe

sustain its local economy with its only businesses being a bakery, a clock factory, and a general store, each of which is staffed by only one individual? This type of humorous questioning, far from “ruining” the media in question, makes it more tolerable to those outside its intended audience. It is also not too different from what students are asked to do with works of literature in their English classes at school—despite the greater effort needed to connect with “deeper” media. Even with other works, fans will theorize about and debate over the smallest details á la “Why couldn’t Frodo have just flown on the eagles to Mordor?”. This want to expand on fictional worlds seems to be an instinct in those engaging with them. So how do we cross the divide between the “fun” lines of questioning and learn to wrestle with the “boring”?

Perhaps we start in the wrong place. Despite what teachers desperately try to do, the recent educational powers that be have emphasized the answers on annual high-stakes exams more than the questions literature inspires, leaving little room for student inquiry. Students are catapulted from bite-sized, tailored TikTok suggestions to long works that require more attention, more background knowledge, more everything. As a result, students are left tolerating less material for less time, unable to filter the constant streams of noise they’re fed. Even bestselling books get this treatment, reduced to tropes rather than being taken as a whole. Entertainment, rather than reflection or inquiry, becomes the role of literature.

Of course, our Internet friends will usually pop up and insist that people be allowed to simply enjoy things. Of course! Works of literature, nonfiction, film, and music are meant to be enjoyed! But what many, especially those not yet ready to dig into it, will miss is why these things are enjoyable. What does the artist, writer, or performer do that makes their work so relatable? The audience is then invited to examine what specific aspects they love about the work: an author’s descriptions of their characters, a singer’s poetic lyrics, a film’s themes and snappy dialogue all aspects of what we in the education business broadly call the “rhetorical situation.” For every work, there is an intended audience, and reaching that audience requires specific finagling to make that media reach them. BookTok loves its tropes, such as “enemies to lovers” or “grumpy/ sunshine.” Movie writers aim towards the ever-coveted 18-25-year-old demographic. Musical artists tailor their work within specific niches where they are comfortable performing and what their audiences expect. All of these aspects require forethought and specific strategies for media to hit its marks. Enjoyment is subjective, but the factors being considered—age,

gender, race, social issues, genre, type of medium, and so on are universal. No piece of writing exists in a vacuum, and learning to read between those lines is a vital-yet-dying skill.

“Why couldn’t they have just said THAT in English class?” commenters will wonder. The answer is simple: those boring, “useless” questions lead us to draw these conclusions on our own, but less-thanconfident readers often will have none of it. Instead of allowing themselves to be curious about the worlds they are given, many insist that asking questions or making theories “ruins” the media they’re consuming. However, questions do not ruin media: they enhance it.

Let’s return to the curtains. The text mentions that the curtains are blue, and our hypothetical English teacher encourages the students to think for a minute: what if the curtains were red? What if they were yellow? Or green? How would that change the mood of what the students are reading? This gives the opportunity not only for saying that blue curtains symbolize our main character’s despondency but also to examine what different colors do for their scenery. Is a happy bright color like yellow or orange appropriate for what is happening in the text at that moment? Discussions like this get us interested in the minute details and their effect on the whole picture. This is a spot where the memes get it wrong: a detail examined out of context does not yield much, but changing that detail changes the overall effect. Why is the Pout-Pout Fish sad? The real answer may be “Because the book wouldn’t exist if he weren’t,” but speculation makes things fun.

Starting with small questions and building up into larger ones in an organic discussion with bits and pieces put together by learners who are allowed to explore—that is where media truly comes to life in the curious mind. Sure, not every single detail requires an essay’s worth of explanation. Sometimes, the author just likes the color blue. But figuring out why a writer, director, or content creator makes the choices that they do enhances the reading and understanding of that work. The curiosity, and the sometimes-ridiculous assumptions that come with it, matter more than we know.

SPECIAL FEATURE: Visual Perspectives

Michael C. Roberts

Light of the Morning Sun I

Light of the Morning Sun II

of the Morning Sun III

Light

Light of the Morning Sun IV

SPECIAL FEATURE: Visual Perspectives

Michael Shoemaker

Allium Flower

Crossing the Old Fence

Newly Planted Field

On the Shore of Blue Lake

My Father: A Poem

By Josh Triplett

This poem was written in celebration of my father’s 80th birthday, a milestone that reflects a life of special influence. It seeks to honor the important ways he has touched the lives of his family, students, colleagues, and friends through many years of working with others.

My father, C. Clark Triplett, has been the foundation of our family steadfast, dependable, and unwavering in his support. As a teacher, he has inspired empathy, fostered curiosity, and guided others toward a deeper understanding of life, always eager to learn and to share his own wisdom, sometimes reluctantly. His self-effacing manner which seems to come from a natural shyness, stands as a hallmark of his character and his willingness to listen and respond to others, giving generously of his time, energy, and heart.

He has been a loving father, encouraging and nourishing his two sons and five grandchildren with a sense of pride and devotion. This poem is a tribute to his legacy of love, sacrifice, and wisdom a reflection of all that he has shared with those who know him.

My Father

A foundation.

Who was steady when walls were shaking. Who made ample room for happiness, and sadness, and anger, and sat patiently with us in each. Who shored up the walls, plastered the cracks, plugged the leaks, replaced rotten beams, And did not let the ceilings fall.

A teacher.

Who did not give the easy answer, but motivated the right answer.

Who taught how to celebrate victories, and mourn difficulties. Who encouraged thought over tradition, right over wrong, compassion over apathy.

A giver.

Who was patient when patience was hard. Who was gentle when anger was easy. Who was there, when it was sacrifice. Who is always there, at the expense of self-interest.

A father.

Whose humor is simple, Whose love is complex, unquestioned.

Who gave, what others took.

Who is not a perfect father, but is a good representative of our perfect father.

Mystery Unit in the Secondary Classroom

By Amy Quertermous

Introducing a mystery unit into the secondary classroom would require several additional skill practices for students to be successful. Being successful in a secondary classroom equals being able to apply what they have learned in a future class. As I build the curriculum, lessons will focus on analysis, concluding, and text evidence. Adding this unit to my English 3 Honors class would benefit my students the most, they are more focused on preparing for college-level classes in their senior years and need exposure to several genres.

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie will be the unit text with excerpts from The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler and The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins to analyze the author's voice and use of the mystery structure. With these texts and goals in mind, students will continue to practice mastery of the following Missouri Learning Standards:

Standard Standard Description Sample Stems from Item Specification Report

RL.1112.1.A Draw conclusions, infer, and analyze by citing relevant and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences are drawn from the text. It can be inferred from the phrase “[QUOTE]” that which of the following could be a logical outcome?

RL.1112.2.A Evaluate how an author's choices to structure specific parts of a text contribute to a text's overall meaning and its aesthetic impact. How does the use of [THIS TYPE OF STRUCTURE] impact the reader? How does the narrator’s extended description of [CHARACTER]at this point in the text

RL.1112.2.B

RL.1112.3.A

Analyze a case in which recognizing point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is implied.

Analyze the representation of a subject in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.

contribute to the overall meaning? The author includes the description of [CHARACTER/SETTI NG] to_____

What might be lost/gained if the text were told from a different point of view?

How do the different performances of XX impact the reader’s understanding of_____?

W.1112.2.A

Follow a writing process to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, style, and voice are appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience; self-select and blend (when appropriate) previously learned narrative, expository, and argumentative writing techniques.

Two key activities will be administered before beginning the first text. Building background knowledge on the author helps the reader understand why an author makes specific choices such as point of view, setting, and character development which affect the overall meaning of the text. Students will complete the following activities in their notebooks.

Author Research Independent Research:

➢ Teacher sets a timer for 5 minutes

➢ Students research interesting facts about Agatha Christie

Mystery Structure Notes

Collaboration

➢ Teacher sets a timer for 3 minutes

➢ Students share with a partner information they have gathered.

➢ If their partner has information they did not write down, they should write it down Group Discussion

➢ Students share with the class interesting facts.

➢ Teacher makes a master list on the board.

➢ Students are instructed to make sure information from master list is in their notebooks.

Discuss key details of the mystery genre structure as students write from pre-made slides in their notebooks.

Make a point of comparing mystery structure to both narrative and non-fiction structures.

Structure:

Act I: Set Up: Crime Introduced

Act II: Rising Action: Investigation and Suspect Development

Act III: Resolution: Mystery Solved and Culprit Revealed

Key Elements: Introduce Detective Suspects Clues

Red Herrings

Building Suspense Through Narrative

When reading any text, I go through the same skill strategies that students can carry with them beyond our classroom. As we read, depending on the level of the class, we will either write a summary per chapter or make post-it annotations. For an honors class, the continued practice of annotation while reading will be a greater benefit when independently

reading for future classes. For annotations, I instruct students to write 2-4 reaction post-its every time we read. At the end of the week, students choose four of their best reactions, detail-oriented throughs, to be turned in as a notebook grade.

Several times throughout the reading, we will pause and analyze a series of quotes. Usually, per chapter, this activity allows students to go beyond their annotations, giving students time to think about what we have read. Mystery Structure will be a new focus for students not previously presented. Most of the direction for annotations and quote analysis will be based on the end goals. In this case, analyzing the author's choice affects not only the mystery structure and why those choices were necessary and groundbreaking but how the overall meaning of the text as well.

Sample Quote Analysis Assignment:

Using evidence from the text (specific details), state what the selection means to you, and why this quote is essential for a deeper understanding of one of the following themes: justice, guilt, or social class.

Chapter 1 “From his pocket Mr. Justice Wargrave drew out a letter. The handwriting was practically illegible but words here and there stood out with unexpected clarity. Dearest Lawrence… such years since I heard anything of you… must come to Soldier Island… the most enchanting place… and his correspondent signed herself with a flourish his ever Constance Culmington.”

“Vera Claythorne…leaned her head back and shut her eyes…. It would be nice to get to the sea! Really a great piece of luck getting this job. When you wanted a holiday post it nearly always meant looking after a swarm of children secretarial holiday posts were much more difficult to get… And then the letter had come…. Soldier Island! Why, there had been nothing else in the papers lately! All sorts of hints and interesting rumours. Though probably they were mostly untrue.”

“And now Dr. Armstrong had definitely arrived. His days were full. He had little leisure. And so, on this August morning, he was glad that he was leaving London and

going to be for some days on an island off the Devon coast. Not that it was exactly a holiday. The letter he had received had been rather vague in its terms, but there was nothing vague about the accompanying cheque. A whacking fee. These Owens must be rolling in money.”

During the reading, after the setup is established and inferences have begun to form with students, passages from The Moonstone and The Little Sister will be used to either reinforce the structure of the typical mystery novel or to show similarities with narration reliability. Similar to analyzing a quote, a passage will be given to students, reviewed together as a class, and then instructions for analysis will be given.

A rotation of daily assignments will take place as we read. For each chapter, essential character information will be tracked, annotation post-its written, and one of three activities will be assigned: Padlet discussion questions, quote analysis handout, or a Google Classroom assignment comparing Agatha Christie’s work to Raymond Chandler’s or Wilkie Collins.

To wrap up the unit, students will watch the film “Knives Out” while taking notes on the mystery structure of the film and character actions. An analysis paper will be the final assignment, comparing Agatha Christie’s use of mystery structure to that in the film “Knives Out.” Students will be asked to discuss the aspects of mystery structure for each as well as choices the writers made which kept the audience guessing, returning for more in future Christie books and future installments of the “Knives Out” franchise.

Guiding students through the essential standards practices of analyzing, drawing conclusions, and using textual evidence to support analysis is an ongoing practice that with the implementation of these types of activities has proven to make a positive impact on their success at the next level. Reading one mystery novel in depth while introducing students to two additional writing styles in the mystery genre will expand my students beyond their normal reading choices and give each greater background knowledge for future academic endeavors.

A Secondary Mystery Unit Plan

By Erin Carlton

Developing lifelong readers is a high aspiration in a world immersed with screens. Many teenagers choose technology over print. Struggling readers require captivating text to overcome comprehension and analysis deficiencies. Furthermore, assigning the best reading selection at the secondary level is more challenging than ever; a panel scrutinizes every title for language, content, and relevance. Mystery writers encourage readers to consider multiple perspectives using compelling characters, captivating situations, and building suspense. Mystery novels, especially And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie, challenge both advanced and reluctant readers to practice essential skills and engage in meaningful discussions.

Overall, students extensively study the mystery genre with collaborative class activities, including discussions and critical reading activities. Each lesson requires critical thinking and includes a formative assessment to guide students. Students demonstrate their knowledge of both the novel and genre in a written assessment connecting the novel to non-fiction writing.

To introduce the unit, students examine a collection of pictures and gather clues about the situation. After sharing their clues, groups of students infer the situation, as well as its causes and outcome. Groups further discuss the likelihood and faults of each scenario. This introduction mimics active readers’ critical thinking process while reading a mystery.

After an open-ended introductory discussion, students must also understand the characteristics of the genre. Since simple mysteries are often utilized in children’s cartoons, such as Scooby Doo or Paw Patrol, students are familiar with most of the characteristics: a suspenseful plot, foreshadowing events, a detective character, and red herrings. Furthermore, students recall mystery characteristics in previously read texts; most ninth graders read “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl and “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe. Students recognize the characteristics of mystery writing as well as the role of an active reader.

Next, students participate in an escape room activity to learn more about the author Agatha Christie. Students work in groups, find clues, and determine the code to “escape.” The escape clues include vocabulary words,

interesting facts, biography, and works of Agatha Christie. The lesson again requires collaboration and critical thinking. Throughout the activity, the teacher monitors student participation and notes strengths and weaknesses in problem-solving. The observation allows the teacher to form groups based on ability and contribution.

Once students have background knowledge of the genre and author, they begin to read the novel And Then There Were None. The novel can easily be divided into three sections: Chapters 1-5, Chapters 6-9, and Chapters 10-Epilogue. To begin the novel, the whole class reads aloud Chapter 1. Students are introduced to the characters, setting, and situation while making predictions. As homework, students independently read Chapters 2-5. After reading the section, students complete a character log to distinguish the guests and initial impressions. Multi-level student groups of four organizer, investigator, note-taker, and speaker are assigned one specific character to follow throughout the story. The log includes the invitation, profession, character trait, and significant quotation. The speaker of the group shares insights with the whole class. Before reading the next section, students write a reflection including the following topics: characters, setting, first death, and predictions.

Next, students independently read Chapters 6-9, continue following their assigned character, analyze significant quotations, and study vocabulary terms. Students add to their character log after each character, evaluating words, actions, and motives. Switching roles, student groups discuss quotations and explore varying outlooks for specific situations. Additionally, students use a word study to learn not only the definition but also the origin and connotations of each word. The speaker of the group shares a quotation analysis and word study. The reflection writing prompt asks students to analyze the word choice and suspense. Furthermore, as a whole class, students analyze the poem “Ten Little Indians” and follow the motif throughout the novel. Students evaluate the author’s choice of using a children’s poem to build tension.

Then, students read Chapters 10-Epilogue and react to the final reveal. After learning of the murderer, students again work in groups (with different roles) to inspect the novel for clues once overlooked. Each group is assigned selected chapters to review and categorize clues into characteristics of mysteries. The group’s speaker shares clues and their relation to the ending. At the end of the book, students review their Chapters 1-5 reflection writing and discuss how their initial thoughts were validated or refuted.

As a summative assessment, students will write an article review for “The Allure of Mysteries” by Elizabeth Michaelson Monaghan and make connections between the article and the novel. First, students write a summary of the article and agree or disagree with the argument. Then, students will use examples from the novel to support their position. Hopefully, students can use segments of the previous activities in their summative writing.

Finally, after reading a well-known mystery author Agatha Christie, students write questions for the author's visit to Windsor High School in the spring. April Henry writes young adult mysteries, and many students are familiar with at least one of her books, such as Girl Forgotten, Two Truths and a Lite, or The Girl in the White Van. Specifically, students may notice similar techniques used or inquire how Agatha Christie influenced April Henry.

Overall, the four-week unit teaches the following Missouri Learning Standards:

R.1.A. Draw conclusions, infer and analyze by citing relevant and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including where the text leaves matters uncertain.

R.1.B. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings using context, affixes, or reference materials.

R.2.A. Evaluate how an author's choices to structure specific parts of a text contribute to a text's overall meaning and its aesthetic impact.

R.2.C. Evaluate how the author's word choices and use of syntax contribute to a text's overall meaning, tone and aesthetic impact.

R.2.D. Evaluate the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a text.

R.3.D. Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas and poems, independently and proficiently.

W.2.A. Follow a writing process to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, style, and voice are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience; self-select and blend (when appropriate) previously learned narrative, expository, and argumentative writing techniques.

SL.1.A. Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.

Christie, Agatha. And Then There Were None. HarperCollins, 2011. Monaghan, Elizabeth Michaelson. “The Allure of Mysteries | BPS.” British Psychological Society, The British Psychological Society, 2 November 2020, https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/allure-mysteries. Accessed 6 December 2024.

Dreams, Capabilities, and Dismay

By Erin Carlton

The list of banned books grows every year. Usually, a book is banned because the overall content prompts discomfort. However, stimulating one’s beliefs and values is necessary to validate one’s beliefs and values. As a result of the barbarous actions of the characters, both In Cold Blood and The Postman Always Rings Twice have been on multiple banned book lists. The deceptive and heartless patterns of the characters reveal a connection to the environment and essence. Mystery writers use psychological nuances to tell stories of human nature, unveiling the motive and methods of a killer. In a Time Magazine article “A Satisfying, Mystifying Thrill,” Tana French declares, “In wild mysteries, order isn’t restored, because order isn’t the point. Truth isn’t objective and solid; it’s dark, slippery, double-edged” (69). Cain ends the story with disorder while Capote muddles ruthlessness with compassion. Truman Capote and James M. Cain expose the complicated, disconcerting, dejected lifestyles of convicted criminals in In Cold Blood and The Postman Always Rings Twice, respectively.

The narrators in both In Cold Blood and The Postman Always Rings Twice influence the mood. Zara Altair, a mystery writer and instructor, claims, “Using multiple perspectives or unreliable narrators … provides a multifaceted view of … characters, enriching the reader’s understanding and emotional engagement with them.” The omniscient narrator in In Cold Blood expresses alternating perspectives while the unreliable narrator in The Postman Always Rings Twice establishes a bias. Both types of narration develop an empathetic and wretched mood, respectively. Capote conveys the drastic differences between the Clutter family and their murderers by alternating perspectives. The novel introduces a picturesque setting and an ideal family. Holcomb transformed from a quiet, friendly small town to a fearful, unfamiliar small town (Capote 3-5). The Clutter family is as wholesome as they come, with strong values, devout faithfulness, and community service (Capote 5-13). Introducing a peaceful town and an innocent family makes their murders heart-wrenching. In contrast, Capote introduces the murderers as frantic, conceited men chasing a dream (Capote 14-17). In the hope of “scoring big,” Dick and Perry plan to rob the Clutter family for $1,500. While Perry is anxious and

wired, Dick is nonchalant and apathetic. After the planned robbery turns into four gruesome murders, the entire town commiserates the loss of an extraordinary family while the crazed murderers adapt their plans, walking away with less than $50. Introducing the victims and the criminals in such a way is necessary to later reveal the murderers’ appalling childhoods and psychological issues.

Section two “Persons Unknown” divulges the criminals as they see themselves, uncovering a multitude of unique circumstances regarding their upbringing and livelihoods. Altair suggests when “readers receive fragmented information from each viewpoint, … they must then weave together to understand the plot coherently.” Capote portrays the criminals as lonely, forgotten souls and establishes an empathetic mood. After the murder, Dick casually eats his dinner while Perry overthinks every detail from the newspaper article (Capote 90). Perry even recalls his premonition abilities and mentions the only other person involved Floyd Wells, who ultimately prompts a country-wide search for Dick and Perry (Capote 91). Furthermore, Perry shares his memory of prejudiced, abusive nuns in the orphanage and a recurring dream of birds (Capote 92). Dick, on the other hand, avoids any thoughts about his family and often makes jokes during Perry’s anxious episodes. At one point, Perry proclaims that “there must be something wrong with us. To do what we did” (Capote 108). Annoyed, Dick reassures himself that he is “balanced, as sane as anyone maybe a bit smarter that the average fellow” (Capote 108). Perry’s childhood insecurities undoubtedly affected his confidence as an adult. Nonetheless, Perry can’t deny that “whatever was wrong was not [his] own fault but ‘maybe a thing you were born with’” (Capote 110). Dick repeatedly declares himself as “a normal,” trying to convince himself. Dick’s reassurance enables the criminals to escape from a delusion of guilt. Instead of revealing cold-blooded murderers, Capote slowly and compassionately reports victims of childhood abuse and unstable minds.

With the help of Wells, the investigation steers to Dick and Perry as lead suspects in section three “Answer.” Mr. and Mrs. Hancock tell Agent Nye that their son, Richard “Dick” Hancock, resents them for not sending him to college, fathers three children by two mothers, and wrongly serves time for “borrowing” a gun from a neighbor (Capote 165-167). Dick’s mother believes that his friend, Perry, coerced Dick into stealing and bank fraud. Perry’s family, on the other hand, cannot share the Hitchcock’s naivety. Despite mystery writer William Tapply’s claim that “stereotypes are predictable and inherently uninteresting,” Perry’s family exhibits the stereotypical dysfunctional family. The Smith family includes an alcoholic

mother, multiple suicides, and disowned family members. Not one single Smith family member shares a redeeming memory. Perhaps Perry’s intuition is correct perhaps Perry was born with a disturbed mind. While the stereotype may be predictable, it is far from uninteresting. In fact, Perry’s upbringing ultimately conveys an empathetic mood.

In The Postman Always Rings Twice, Cain utilizes an unreliable narrator to specify how obsession triggers irrational decisions. Frank Chambers initially informs the reader he spent three weeks in Tia Juana and hitched a ride on the back of a haytruck (Cain 1). The subtle mention of his time in the penitentiary creates caution to the readers. Frank masterfully perceives weaknesses in people. Short on cash and hungry, Frank then misleads Nick Papadakis into a free meal and a job (Cain 4-5). Upon the first glimpse of Cora, Nick obsesses with her “sulky look” and “lips stuck out in a way that made [him] want to smash them in” (Cain 4). Nick is naive and too generous while his wife, Cora, feels invisible. Using their weaknesses, Frank manipulates Nick and takes advantage of Cora. Nonetheless, Frank’s appeal overcomes both Nick’s desire for success and Cora’s longing for attention.

Cain creates a dismal mood utilizing an unreliable narrator. Altair recommends “striking the right balance between novelty and clarity, ensur[es] that each narrative choice enhances the mystery and draws the reader deeper into the world … crafted.” The unreliable yet convincing narrator builds suspense, as readers know the inevitable bleak ending. Nick and Cora are too innocent to notice how Frank controls every situation. Nick, a Greek who conforms to American ideals, and Cora, a small-town girl who wants a way out, follow Frank’s lead during every manipulating occurrence. Nick obeys Frank’s suggestion to drive to Los Angeles to replace a sign without knowing Frank’s ulterior motive is to be alone with Cora (Cain 9-10). Frank gradually entices Cora’s attention by acting indifferent towards her until they are alone, yet Cora immediately accepts his advance, asking him to “bite her.” Frank appears to allow Cora to take the lead with the affair; however, his obsession with her is evident. Allegedly, Cora even suggests killing her husband. Frank cunningly exploits all of Cora’s weaknesses.

Furthermore, when each plan fails, Frank continues deceiving both Nick and Cora, trapping them all in a complex web of lies. Frank, a selfproclaimed gypsy, proceeds from one wicked circumstance to another, only considering himself. While Cora had the opportunity to live without Frank, he cleverly and “coincidentally” found a way back to her. Nonetheless, Frank continues to corrupt Cora, killing them both in the end. By the time

Frank returns to prison to share his story, his charisma and patient demeanor mask his self-absorbed desire for control.

Altair explains that “[b]y breaking away from the linear narrative, [authors] can manipulate time, perspective, and the flow of information to create a more complex and engaging mystery.” Both Capote and Cain effectively utilize narrators who cleverly unveil details to direct the mood. Capote alternates perspectives to demonstrate the stark contrast between wholesome values and psychological problems. Cain’s persistent though unreliable narrator taints the naive characters. Both techniques force the reader to scrutinize the details and determine the complexity of issues.

While Capote and Cain differ in their narration technique, In Cold Blood and The Postman Always Rings Twice develop a similar theme broken dreams destroy the soul. French states, “[Mystery] deals with the highest stakes–truth and justice, life and death–and with the most complicated twists of the human mind, the processes by which a person takes the transformative and irrevocable step to murder” (69). The complicated human mind is evident in both novels. Many characters, including Dick, Perry, Frank, and Cora, choose sinfulness as a consolation to their self-value.

Dick dreams of a better education and life than his simple family. When given the opportunity, Dick impersonates his dream when he fraudulently writes checks. In Kansas City, Dick impersonates a proud, confident, generous friend to steal a suit and money (Capote 96-97). He invents a story to convince himself he is worthy of such a life. Soon, his dissatisfaction with his own life leads to immoral activities, including theft, pedophilia, and eventually murder.

Perry dreams of acceptance after he is alienated from his own family. Perry seeks acceptance from everyone. When Dick seems to accept Perry for who he is, Perry disregards all warning signs. Perry often follows Dick’s lead to gain the feeling of acceptance. Nonetheless, his last months are spent alone and abandoned: “[Perry] told Dick, ‘You can wait around for the rope. But not me’ – and from that moment he refused to touch food or water, or say a word to anybody” (Capote 318). A letter from his father helped Perry gain strength before his execution. Sadly, he once again feels abandoned. He never experiences the acceptance he so desperately needs.

Frank dreams of control. He places himself in situations where he can control the people around him. When the control is questioned or dissolved, Frank quickly finds a way to regain power. For example, when Cora decides not to leave town with him, he continues to obsess over earning enough money to satisfy her dream of a better life (Cain 32-33).

His desire to control motivates his every irrational action and word. When he realizes the control Cora has over him, he stops it immediately, whether her fatal accident is subconscious or deliberate.

Growing up poor, Cora dreams of wealth and respect. She tries to improve her life through various stages—from a poor childhood to hash house, hash house to marrying a Greek business owner. Originally, Cora leaves her small-town aspiring to be an actress. However, after two years of working in a hash house, Nick provided Cora with an opportunity to change her life (Cain 14-15). When she sees an opportunity to advance, she does whatever it takes to proceed. Frank is yet another opportunity to change her life. She seems oblivious to the fact that each time she changes for a person, she, in fact, loses a part of herself.

In addition to portraying a common theme, both novels imply the complexities of the American social implications. “There are people in American society who are alienated from the mainstream and for whom achieving material or economic success is secondary to or completely overshadowed by the struggle for social acceptance, respect, and/or equality” (Zoladz). Both novels illustrate how detachment from one’s society leads to psychological issues. The characters’ upbringing and ethnicities contribute to the stereotypes. The Hitchcocks couldn’t afford to further Dick’s education; financial stability minimizes respect from many people. Perry’s family lineage is part Native American, which stimulates prejudice and brings about disadvantages. In contrast, the Caucasian Clutter family embodies the ideal values of dependability, conscientiousness, and humility. The Postman Always Rings Twice portrays a foreign immigrant, an ambitious rural woman, and a strong American man. Nick Papadakis, a Greek business owner, is often manipulated by employees. Even though his wife, Cora, is American, she experiences contempt due to her rural upbringing and lifestyle. Frank’s strong physical appearance and confidence attract both Nick and Cora; neither can recognize his manipulation. The characters confront their born identities with big aspirations. Dreams can motivate a person to change yet also consume one’s every thought and action. Unfortunately, no one accomplished his or her dreams.

Capote reinvents the true crime genre with narrative techniques and structure in In Cold Blood; Cain demonstrates a successful fast-paced “hardboiled novel” with violence, sex, and overblown characters in The Postman Always Rings Twice. Tapply summarizes the characteristics of a mystery: “Clues must be planned, backstory must be revealed, events must unfold, surprises must occur, suspense and tension must build.” Capote

expertly exhibits the effects of the Clutter family’s murder in terms of the community, police investigations, and the fugitives. The timeline weaves between victims, murderers, and investigators, stressing how past events provoke current situations. Each event builds suspense and stimulates empathy with the troubled criminals. Conversely, Cain uses Cora as a backdrop to juxtapose Nick’s wholesome ideals with Frank’s ruthless obsessions. However, The Postman Always Rings Twice leaves no redeeming qualities in any aspect. While the unrestrained mysteries are gruesome and regrettable, they expose a segment of humanity often unnoticed the capability of horrendous acts and the shortcomings of society. Mysteries compel readers to consider human inclinations and reflect on imperfections, which might lead to uncomfortable acknowledgments and the tendency to demand the banning of a book. Whereas Capote challenges stereotypes and elicits compassion with unlikely suspects, Cain personifies a revolting lunatic. Regardless of the jarring content, both are masters at the craft of mystery writing.

Works Cited

Altair, Zara. “Innovative Narrative Structures in Mystery Writing.” Zara Altair - Mysteries, Zara Altair, 14 February 2024, https://zaraaltair.com/innovative-narrative-structures-inmystery-writing/. Accessed 25 November 2024.

Cain, James M. The Postman Always Rings Twice. New York, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1989.

Capote, Truman. In Cold Blood. New York, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 1994.

French, Tana. “A Satisfying, Mystifying Thrill.” TIME Magazine, vol. 202, no. 13/14, 2023, pp. 68-69. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=d1c3eac9-f0543ce8-aff7-1b6d757140ce. Accessed 21 November 2024.

Tapply, William G. “How to make your mystery characters come to life.” Writer (Kalmbach Publishing Co., vol. 115, no. 10, 2002, p. 14. EBSCOhost, research.ebsco.com/linkprocessor/plink?id=705c6426-e6f0310e-85f6-3f081a19e455. Accessed 21 November 2024.

Zoladz, Laura Viviana. “Beyond Criminal Justice: Investigating Social Issues through Detective Fiction.” Yale National Initiative, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute, 2 July 2007,

The Right Words

https://teachers.yale.edu/curriculum/viewer/initiative_07.02. 07_u. Accessed 25 November 2024.

Social Media Marketing and Duolingo

By Hannah G. Kelsey

The rise of social media created a whole new way to market to people. As the social media world changes, so do marketing strategies and it has been vital for companies to change the way they do business. The internet has very quickly become an integral part of our lives.

There are several ways that companies have chosen to adapt. Many brands today have their account on various social media platforms, giving their customer base a way of interacting with them more comfortably and potentially lending a hand to brand loyalty. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest have a ‘Shop’ section with posts linking directly to brand sites where products can be purchased on the spot. This sort of availability to consumers increases the frequency of impulse purchases.

Brands also utilize established influencers to promote their products, in hopes of exposure to a wider customer base. Initially, the use of influencers provided a sense of authenticity. However, as the fact that they were paid for their content became public knowledge, the glow of authenticity faded. According to Luth Research, 75% of consumers do not trust that traditional advertising is telling the truth about their product.

By contrast, an individual who voluntarily posts a video or picture of a product, discussing its usefulness and effectiveness, can garner a more favorable response, regardless of the size of their following. Individuals are more trusting of other individuals, over a company’s image because the individual producing User Generated Contenet (UGC) is not gaining anything of tangible value from their post. If they are posting this content, it most likely means that not only was the product useful to them, but it is highly rated to them. They are vouching for this product and the trustworthiness of it. With this understanding, many companies are now trying to stir up UGC through their marketing.

Another way to think about UGC is that it is the modern-day equivalent of word-of-mouth marketing. While real word-of-mouth is still practically a part of our lives, our society spends a significant amount of time in the online world, and therefore this word-of-mouth carries much more power both positive and negative.

Demonstration videos are a powerful example of UGC. They can be posted on a wide range of sites, and therefore reach a wider customer base. These user-created videos show fellow consumers exactly what they are getting with a product and how to use it. When 5 different serums promise the same results, it is a lot easier to decide after seeing real people use the real product on their real faces. Unfortunately, a new hurdle in this journey may be the addition of AI videos or AI-edited videos to the scene.

An incredible example of a company that utilizes social media well is the language learning app Duolingo. Within the last several months, they have made their presence known and remembered with various online stunts that burst open a fourth wall of social media marketing.

Just this year, Duolingo produced a K-pop-inspired music video showcasing their green owl mascot kidnapping a learner who forgot to do their lesson, surrounded by backup dancers wearing Squid Games-type costumes. They even included a nod to K-dramas with cherry blossom petals falling during a slow-motion fall into the scary black van.

This video was both hilarious and socially relatable the whole strategy of Duolingo. After the hype of this viral video, Duolingo posted a video of the green owl, Duo getting hit by a Tesla Cybertruck. They then used the subsequent hype to circulate and allowed people to speculate. They posted follow-up investigation videos to drum up continued interaction from users and nonusers of their app. All this just to say that Duo had faked his death to convince people to come back to their lessons.

The strategy of Duolingo draws in younger generations who typically cannot afford traditional foreign language classes. While this app is not a stand-alone language learning tool, they have worked to make it effective and trusted. As individuals interact on their posts, a real community is being built around their brand. The Duolingo team continually jumps on social media trends and interacts directly with consumers. While sometimes crude, the authenticity demonstrated by Duolingo is exactly the thing for which consumers are looking. Duolingo’s strategy is perfect for the audience that they seek to reach.

Not every brand can be Duolingo. However, to find success, brands must find a way to interact online. Social media marketing and the strategies put in place can make or break performance. This fact will only serve to grow truer as time moves along.

Duolingo’s Marketing Language of Viral Success. www.skysociety.co/blog/Duolingo%E2%80%99s%20Marketing%20L anguage%20of%20Viral%20Success:%20Lessons%20in%20Brand%2 0Success.

How Social Media Influences Purchasing Decisions. blog.luthresearch.com/how-social-media-influences-purchasingdecisions.

Kowalewicz, Rebecca. “Council Post: How Social Media Impacts Consumer Buying.” Forbes, 28 Apr. 2022, www.forbes.com/councils/forbesagencycouncil/2022/04/28/howsocial-media-impacts-consumer-buying.

M, Vishnu. “How Social Media Influences Consumer Purchasing Decisions.” https://www.techwyse.com, 26 Feb. 2024, www.techwyse.com/blog/social-media-marketing/how-social-mediainfluences-consumer-purchasing-decisions#.

Panigrahi, Sweta. “Duolingo’s Social Media Strategy: A Shockingly Hilarious Adventure.” Keyhole, 5 Nov. 2024, keyhole.co/blog/duolingo-social-media-strategy.

Schick, Bill. “The Changing Truths About Social Media and Consumer Behavior.” MESH Interactive Agency, 3 Oct. 2024, meshagency.com/social-media-consumer-behavior.

Social Media Marketing and Consumer Behavior

By Isabella Queen

In recent years, the presence of the internet and social media has drastically changed the world of marketing. Social media marketing has come to be a major part of the marketing scene, and businesses have the potential to increase their sales greatly by utilizing social media marketing. To do so with the best success, businesses need to consider the way that their social media marketing affects the behavior of potential consumers of their products. Social media marketing can affect consumer behavior in a variety of ways, a couple of which are the ways that consumers may react to aspects of advertisements and the way that it impacts consumers using mobile devices specifically.

One way that social media marketing can affect consumer behavior is in the way that potential consumers react to certain aspects of advertisements. For instance, one thing that can affect how consumers view an advertisement has to do with how much they see the online advertisement as being targeted toward them specifically. Andrew T. Stephen notes how some research has looked at “how to overcome (assumed) psychological reactance due to personalization of digital ad targeting” (18). Stephen notes that some possible routes around the negative reactions that may come about due to ad personalization are “normative reciprocity appeals (instead of utility appeals),” “ad retargeting” (which only works positively when customers have very particular preferences), and making sure that consumers have “a higher perception of being in control of the personal/private information used for personalization” (18). Another aspect of advertisements that customers may react to is if they find the ads “annoying.” A study by Goldstein et al. found that ads considered annoying for things such as being poor quality, having questionable reputability, being animated obnoxiously, etc. actually have the potential to “cost more money than [the ads] [earn]” (Goldstein et al.). One way it can do this is by causing customers to not want to return to the website that had the annoying ads (Goldstein et al.). Some other ways that annoying ads can result in a loss of money are that consumers are “less likely to remember highly annoying ads,” “actively ignored stimuli such as annoying ads are evaluated less favorably,” “the widespread use of annoying ads by competing advertisers may lower ad effectiveness for all

advertisers,” and “annoying ads may increase the use of ad-blocking software . . . which could reduce the number or publishers, leaving advertisers with fewer places to advertise” (Goldstein et al.).

A second way in which social media marketing can affect consumer behavior is in the way that it affects users of mobile devices specifically. Sam K. Hui et al. found that the use of a digital “coupon that required shoppers to travel farther from their planned path [in a physical store] resulted in a substantial increase in unplanned spending ($21.29) over a coupon for an unplanned category near their planned path ($13.83)” (Hui et al.). The results of this study show that businesses such as grocery stores have the potential to increase their sales by making their digital coupons apply to items that increase the route that a consumer must take in their store. Alternatively, or additionally, stores can also try relocating their stock to encourage people to wander the store more, though this does not have as much of an effect (Hui et al.). Increased spending due to wandering through more of a store can lead to higher purchases, as consumers encountering items along the way may “[create] new needs, or [remind] shoppers of temporarily forgotten needs, resulting in unplanned purchases” (Hui et al.). When it comes to fully online shopping on a mobile device, Stephen notes a study by Brasel and Gips, which found that using a touchscreen to select a product, rather than a mouse, can “increase feelings of psychological ownership and endowment” (19). When it comes to advertisements on mobile devices, however, there was a more negative effect compared to larger screens. Stephen notes how a study by Bart et al. found that “mobile display ads which are very small and carry very little (if any) information . . . in many product categories . . . have no effect, but that they do lift attitudes and intentions for high-involvement, utilitarian products” (19).

Social media marketing is a broad field. Many aspects of social media marketing affect consumer behavior, and the way that consumers might react to certain aspects of advertisements or the way that the users of mobile devices are impacted versus those who use other digital devices are just small aspects of it. By learning more about how social media marketing affects customer behavior, businesses can determine how to best utilize social media marketing to further their sales and brand.

Goldstein, Daniel G. et al. “The Economic and Cognitive Costs of Annoying Display Advertisements.” Journal of Marketing Research, vol. 51, issue 6, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.13.0439.

Hui, Sam K. et al. “The Effect of In-Store Travel Distance on Unplanned Spending: Applications to Mobile Promotion Strategies.” Journal of Marketing, vol. 77, issue 2, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.11.0436.

Stephen, Andrew T. “The Role of Digital and Social Media Marketing in Consumer Behavior.” Current Opinion in Psychology, vol. 10, 2016, pp. 17–21, https://www.isidl.com/wpcontent/uploads/2017/10/7796-English-ISIDL.pdf.

Book Review

Bird, T.P. A Loose Rendering: Time, Memory, & Other Considerations. Golden Antelope Press, 2022. ISBN: 978-1952232732. 106 pages, $16.95 (Paperback).

Reviewed by C. Clark Triplett

Time is an elusive concept, often discussed from a subjective and psychological perspective. Memories are frequently fictionalized due to the gaps in recollection that become conflated with other experiences from books, films, and cultural events. As West-Pavlov notes, “Its internal structuring into past, present, and future is embedded in language, in collective memory and public monuments, in learnt aspirations and bodily aging. Yet time is intangible, invisible, colorless, odorless, soundless” (4). Despite its seemingly insubstantial nature, however, time exerts a powerful and concrete influence on people’s lives.

T.P. Bird’s A Loose Rendering is a reflection on time and memory and is both nostalgic and revelatory. Rather than attempting to explain the nature of time or memory, Bird ruminates on the subtle details of his past experiences and their intersections with larger historical events and

significant figures, such as presidents and poets. The collection is divided into three sections: time and memory, presidents and poets, and other philosophical and existential questions. It serves as a journey through the past, blending detailed narratives of childhood events with wisdom gleaned from interactions with both historical and contemporary figures, including presidents and avant-garde Pulitzer Prize-winning poets. Ultimately, Bird seeks to broaden his own “temporal bandwidth” (Jacobs 17) in this work. These poems and vignettes about time and memory are reflections on the experiences of youth, adulthood as well as the yearnings and concerns that arise with the “impending conclusions of life” (5). There is a continuous shifting between the vibrancy of youth and the contemplation of old age, exploring how these phases intertwine:

I may laugh at the follies of youth yet I grow impatient with the impending conclusion of my life.

I see young bodies move with ease, no pain in their rising or falling. Often, I wish to burst forth with bravado and daring to both conquer and beguile the world at large. Yet, the desire passes quickly,

amused at being noticed, a mischievous smile playing at the corners of its mouth.

It will probably return just for the attention it receives. “Turn away, turn away, go home,”

I say to my soul. It would be folly to linger and wander, folly to entertain distractions on my way to other themes. (5)

His journey into the past and his speculations about the future are marked by colorful, descriptive language and sentimental metaphors. In the narrative “Remembering the ‘Village Tavern,’” he paints a vivid portrait of a simpler, bygone era:

For the most part, the tavern’s long room is filled with eerie dark shadows, where the ghosts of patrons might sulk over perceived past insults. Tiny wall lamps with smoke-discolored shades hang from dark-paneled walls over wooden booths giving just enough light to reveal the table tops. The smell of stale beer and cigarettes lingers in the air, along with the faint scent of my mother’s perfume. (10)

This personal reflection though grounded in the everyday evokes imagery of naïve childhood anxieties:

Here I sit, content, until nature calls me to empty my bladder. I know I’m too old to be taken to the restroom, so I must traverse alone the dark territory between here and there beyond the lurking shadows, beyond the seated strangers at the bar, beyond the door marked Men—an entry to another world altogether. (10)

While these reflections on early days evoke memories of wide-eyed suspicion about the adult world, the ruminations on aging express either an acceptance of what truly matters, or regret over opportunities lost.

Bird incorporates the work of several avant-garde poets into his own, drawing on the influence of 67 beat, confessional, and protest poets who serve as “guideposts marking his path into and through American culture” (back cover). In his long poem “Rereading the Dharma Bums Fifty Years Later,” Bird reflects on Jack Kerouac’s 1958 novel The Dharma Bums, which was published a few years after Kerouac’s renowned On the Road. Both works played a significant role in shaping the counterculture of the 1960s. Bird quotes a passage from The Dharma Bums where Kerouac expresses how his adventurous life allowed him to relive “the happy life of childhood again” (22). Bird’s poem looks back to his own experience fifty years prior, when he served in the military, recalling a vivid moment:

Sitting in an army ambulance a jeep shrouded in drab brown blankets to keep out the winter cold of Bavaria... (22)

During this time in Germany, Kerouac’s novel became a source of solace for Bird, helping him endure the challenges of military life:

I’m glad I brought Kerouac’s book with me though I don’t remember buying it, or even finding it. But there it was in my ungloved hands, sentences punctuated by the boom of big guns in the frigid air. (23)

The characters in The Dharma Bums Ray Smith and Japhy Ryder resonate with Bird as though they were real-life companions. They become part of his memories, filling the emotional gaps of his early years:

Like Kerouac’s tumbled days, the hours tumbled by as Ray Smith, Japhy Ryder and their recusant pals romped through Zen-filled pages with a super-extended bohemian protest of the mundane American life. (23)

Smith and Ryder, the central figures in The Dharma Bums, are like “birds of a feather” in Bird’s life, mirroring his own companions. The poet recalls climbing the High Sierras alongside them, sharing Ray’s fear of heights and the thrill of sleeping in the cold, thin mountain air: “... sharing Ray’s fear of heights and falling off a mountain...” (24). Fifty years later, though “Ray and Japhy were still doing their ‘beat generation’ thing ... waiting for the world to change in order to accord with [their] nonconformist beliefs and wildly flung sophist declarations” (25), the poet himself had grown older and begun to see the world differently.

Perspective is everything. No longer caught up in the spell of The Dharma Bums, Kerouac’s work now seemed to me a frivolous incantation— crafted to carry both writer and reader away from the unmet obligations of ordinary life. His magic, once alluring, was meant for those who long for perpetual adolescence. (25-26)

Time inevitably brings changes, even though the poet couldn't help but feel a touch of sadness for his lost youth (26).

In the second section of the book, Poets, Presidents, & Me, subtitled “A Semi-Epigrammatic History, Both Public and Personal,” the author begins with a statement from the prolific American poet Gerald Stern: “I feel it’s the poet’s job to remember… Remembering is the art of the cave dweller” (39). This idea of remembering seems to reflect the transmission of cultural ideas across time. Bird highlights key events and ideas from the lives of presidents and poets during the decades of his own upbringing.

In the poem “In the Beginning,” he aligns his infancy with Harry Truman’s presidency and the decision to use “FDR’s BOMBS, destroying two Japanese cities and killing over 200,000 civilians…” (40). Despite the horror of such decisions, it “kept my soldier father alive for the sake of my being” as he entered the “space-time continuum” (40). For Bird, the poet’s role is to remember to capture something meaningful even amidst tragedy. The poem links the chaos of these historic events with the creative works of figures like Dylan Thomas, who, in “Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night,” wrote passionately about nostalgia, life, death, and lost innocence (40). Thomas, along with Robert Lowell, William Carlos Williams, Neal Cassady, Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, William Burroughs, Ezra Pound, and Langston Hughes, all defied the conventions of mainstream American culture, challenging the inevitability of their circumstances. Bird reflects on his own beginnings during this period of cultural upheaval and creativity:

As I sucked on my bottle in my mother’s clothes basket, I never imagined the “Beats” were early exercising their hipster desires…. (40)

As he grows older, the poet traces connections between his life and the presidencies of John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, as well as the poets of the 1960s, including Robert Frost, Sylvia Plath, James Wright, Bill Stafford, W.D. Snodgrass, Gary Snyder, and Eldritch Knight, many of whom were Pulitzer Prize winners. Each decade sees these poets pass before him “in a swelling chorus” (52).

In his essay “Into the New Millennium,” Bird reflects on the presidency of George W. Bush, who led the nation into a war against “hatefilled zealots” while Ground Zero in New York lay in ruins “a grim reminder of a sad and grievous world” (57). Instead of heeding the wisdom of poets and prophets of the time, who urged the modulation of hatred and anger, “our better instincts [were] drowned out in the awful howl for another battle with the modern ruler of Babylon” (57). Fortunately, as the first decade of the new millennium ended, the rhetoric of “mission accomplished” gave way to the promise of “hope and change” with the election of Barack Obama (57). In the following vignette, “And the Beat Goes On,” Bird writes about the turbulent years under Trump and Biden. Despite the political strife, poets continue to weave in and out of their lives, “like minstrels on a tour” (58). As a result, he remains committed to writing his “poems of witness and speculation my means of seeing, recognizing, and naming this crazy, considered world” (58).

Yet, the question lingers: Will anyone truly listen? Will the world change? There is also doubt about whether the poet’s efforts even matter. Perhaps, as Bird suggests, it might be wiser to wait for answers, whether they come in a dream or during a walk in the woods. While this approach may seem tentative, the poet will be ready when the answer does arrive (58). But will that answer come from the words of emerging new poets or from a higher consciousness?

The final section of the book, Other Considerations, delves into various themes, such as time, nature, poetry, meaning, and even faith. Perhaps the essence of the entire collection is captured in the last few poems. In “Contemplation in an Old Graveyard,” the poet reflects in a solemn setting on “the meaning of this earthly life,” where each gravestone marks “a beginning and end to everything in this weary old world” (91). Yet, the epitaphs, like “gone but not forgotten,” seem almost trivial compared to the years of labor, pain, hope, and love that made up a life. Is this all that

remains of a person's allotted three score and ten? What do strangers think as they pass by, reading only a name and a brief epitaph? They might catch a glimpse of local history or momentarily wonder about the life behind the stone, but soon they will leave, eager to forget their visit to “this silent neighborhood of the dead” (91). However, “those of certain faith” might find solace in the quiet, confident that their names will be remembered by the one for whom it truly matters (91). Similarly, for the poet, this old graveyard serves as a reminder that someone is always listening as he gives voice to his thoughts and imagination.

Although references to God in this volume are sparing and cautious, they are profoundly felt, emerging within a landscape of questions and doubts inherent to the human condition. The author’s confession is a blend of fear and hope, as seen in “Warning to Myself”:

As I battle the man in the mirror, I know I must not let him see the fear in my eyes Yet, I find I can’t look away from his. He watches my every move.

What initially seems true takes a harrowing moment to grasp:

What appears to be true, it takes a dreadful moment to understand: that to renounce either mystery or revelation is to live without hope in the terrible reality of the world’s inescapable imperfection. (92)

The mirror reflects both the poet's existence and his numerous flaws. It is only hope in something greater than himself that allows him to endure his own fallibility. In the final entries, the author finds solace in nature, even during the depths of winter: “in a patch of flowing creek on its way to a distant place just beyond the veil of my limited faithfulness” (93). It is through nature that the writer feels a connection to God, even when God seems distant. In “Just Beyond,” he reaches a resolution:

Suddenly, I understand there’s no reason to

live in regret. For nothing exists but mercy just beyond the self-made limits of God’s memory. (93)

The beauty of the natural world brings “hope sparkling in the sun like diamonds, or perhaps like a far city, seen from a black sky at night” (93).

T.P. Bird’s Loose Renderings is a captivating collection of essays and poems that takes readers on a reflective journey through the poet’s life, enriched by the company of some of the era’s finest avant-garde poets. Bird intertwines his personal narrative with the broader historical backdrop, aligning his experiences with the presidencies of Truman through Biden. The poems and vignettes chronicle his life across stages childhood, adolescence, young adulthood, maturity, and the poignant reflections of an aging man. The collection is brimming with vivid, evocative details of reallife experiences that evoke both nostalgia and contemplation. Bird conjures sensory memories like the acrid scent of burning leaves, the crisp thinness of autumn air, and trees whose “[w]ooden bodies display warts, whorls, twisted arthritic limbs, and broken bones” (6). While the metaphors may feel familiar, they are infused with wisdom, offering readers a fresh perspective on the world. These are the stories of a life richly lived, filled with the presence of “many people [who] have passed through far too quickly” (14).

Works Cited

Jacobs, Alan. Breaking Bread with the Dead: A Reader’s Guide to a More Tranquil Mind. Penguin, 2020. West-Pavlov, Russell. Temporalities: The New Critical Idiom. Routledge, 2013.

Book Review

Han, John J. Remembering Mom: A Collection of Photos, Poems, and Prose. Salt Mountain Publishing, 2025. ISBN: 978-0-9898370-6-4 (paperback). 172 pages, $15.00.

Reviewed by John Zheng

Poet John J. Han’s mother passed on December 18, 2024, at the age of 89. Upon his return from attending the funeral in South Korea, Han plunged into editing a book of memories of his beloved mother as a way of communicating with her. The book is in four parts: Mom’s Passing; The World of Mom and My Early Years; Poems and Prose: A Tribute; and Memories from the Past.

Part 1 presents a collection of photographs about the mother’s funeral and the burial in the family cemetery. Han sees a reunion of his parents after the burial, saying, “My parents’ ashes now rest together under a grey stone.” Part 2 is also a collection of photographs. The visual images and captions of the mother’s native land offer fond memories of the agricultural landscape in four seasons, the dinner once had in Han’s mother’s house,

the fish market in the community, the family reunion, and the performance of ancestral rites.

Part 4 is once again a collection of photographs. As the title indicates, this part brings back fond memories of family reunions, childhood, visits to the native land and the ancient Buddhist temple, and excursions on the coast. Photographs of an extended family luncheon are impressive, showing a cozy atmosphere and a happy family relationship. Han also includes in this part the photographs of his beloved father, who was “well-off enough to buy an apartment in Seoul” for Han when he “got married in 1984.” The photographs in these three parts are a valuable record of the funeral ceremony including cremation and burial that honor the deceased mother, family reunion, and country life.

Part 3 is a small collection of tribute poems that touch the reader’s heart. The first poem is a haibun titled “Mom.” Han gives a brief description of his mother, who “is not an expressive person” and has nothing much to say even “after years of separation” with her only son, but she has her own way to express her motherly happiness: “her warm smiles or soft chuckles” upon seeing her son’s return and her insistence that he eat more at dinner even though he is not hungry. The concluding haiku elevates an atmosphere of seclusion or loneliness:

so small my mother sleeping curled up

Han’s sympathy for his mother is tangible in “Autumn Dreams.” The first stanza is an Etheree about being startled by a dream of Mother’s death and his regret for not calling her for some weeks owing to “wracking [his] brain to write poems.” The second is a reverse Etheree about Mother’s tears flowing down her “roughened face” when the son says goodbye to her. Sympathy intensifies when Han gives a description of Mother’s physicality, which echoes the haiku above: “She looks thin like / a dry twig; she can’t stand without / a cane.” This is a dream view; this is also a memory of the past departure. The heavy feeling of separation lingers in dreams and reality as well. The image of Mother’s tears appears in the next haiku, too:

harvested rice fields

Mom sees me off, tears on her face

which juxtaposes the “harvested rice fields” with Mother’s tears when she sees her son off. The mother raises the son like she grows rice. When the son grows up and says goodbye, his departure is like rice getting ripe for a harvest. Han’s tender feeling about his mother goes deep in this tanka:

pandemic year plague thwarts my plans to see mom … in the woods a doe and her fawn

The first three lines tell the reason for not being able to see Mother, but the next two lines intensify the feeling upon seeing the doe and her fawn. Tanka and haiku are good at using suggestion to create a “white space” for imagination. The elliptical dots function effectively as a pause or a thoughtful moment. Then, the appearance of the doe and her fawn provides a healing moment offered by nature. This tanka shows that the creative use of language is important in suggesting an imaginative scene rather than expressing the feeling straightforwardly.

Part 3 includes a few more haibun with superb haiku for an objective correlative effect. They all juxtapose emotion upon a natural image to create a visual effect of sadness or solitude. Read:

one more leaf on the park bench this solitude

It is not one leaf but one more leaf to emphasize or intensify the solitude. The next haiku vivifies the loneliness of the bird and the perceiver as if there exists an interaction between the two:

alone this winter the robin in my backyard

Remembering Mom is a fine compilation of recollections and photographs filled with heart and soul. It serves as a tangible healing for the loss of a beloved mother, and her quiet smile must be carved into the stoney memory with such touching writings and photographs. In a sense, this collection is a valuable document of Korean culture and tradition. We

all remember our mothers and have sweet memories. Han’s book plucks the empathy chord.

Photo Essay

Saudade: A Decade of Love, Mourning, and Hope

By Laura Ribeiro

As we begin, I want to introduce the reader to the Portuguese word, saudade, as I believe this word most closely exemplifies the theme of this photo essay. Saudade has a complex meaning that requires not one but four English words to capture its essence. Saudade combines the concepts of remembrance, love, grief, and longing at the same time, and according to Nabuco (1909), “It expresses the sad memories of life but also its abiding hopes.”

This photo essay chronicles the last ten years since our first child, Analisia, was born and went to be with Jesus. It touches on the beauty and heartbreak of parenthood along with the enduring love that persists even amidst separation. It chronicles mourning in hope.

Expecting a Baby

After 5 years of marriage, we were expecting our first child, and for fear of an early loss, we waited until the second trimester to publicly announce the pregnancy.

This is the photo we used to announce that we were expecting a baby.

Less than a month later, at the 20-week ultrasound we would receive the devastating news that our daughter had a condition known as Potter’s Syndrome. With this condition, neither the baby’s kidneys nor lungs develop, and in 2015 this was a condition considered incompatible with life. Aside from a miracle, our baby would die before or shortly after birth, and our joy turned to mourning.

I have no images to express the heartbreak of that time, but to this day when I reflect on the day we received that news and the days that followed, I feel a deep ache in the pit of my stomach, an indicator of the agony my heart was enduring.

We chose the name Analisia for our daughter which means “graced with God’s bounty.” Knowing that she would be going straight into the arms of God, I trusted that she would experience God’s bounty in ways that I could only imagine.

My doctor assured me that while Analisia’s life might be short, she would make a big difference in the world. He gave Paulo and me a book entitled, A Gift of Time: Continuing Your Pregnancy When Your Baby’s Life is Expected to be Brief. This book, while painful to read, also allowed me to make the most of the moments I had with my daughter even before she was born. This included a trip to the beach and doing other things I loved like working out, singing her songs, and generally showing her as much love as I could throughout the pregnancy.

This picture taken in Ft. Lauderdale was just around two months before Analisia’s birth.

The pain of planning my daughter’s funeral while friends were excitedly planning baby showers was at times more than I thought I could bear. Knowing that aside from a miracle, the child I was carrying, my firstborn, was going to die, I leaned into my faith and the support of friends and family. I also continued to direct much of my energy into helping the children at the two schools where I provided mental health services.

Analisia Arrived

While she was not due until the end of June, Analisia surprised us by arriving on May 9th, 2015.

As we checked into the hospital, I prayed she would survive birth so we could at least have some moments together, and I also grieved the fact that our goodbye was coming much sooner than expected. We were surrounded by much love in the hospital, and in the ten short minutes that Analisia lived, she was baptized surrounded by her great grandma, grandma, uncles, aunt, pastor, and friend.

This photo shows Analisia’s baptism by our beloved Pastor, Mark Tucker.

Analisia was absolutely perfect.

Right Words

Photo Credits: Mary Beth Denney of Illumen Photography

Photo Credits: Mary Beth Denney of Illumen Photography

This photo captures the love and sorrow of the moment.

Seeing Paulo hold Analisia, I think he could finally fathom the precious gift we were losing.

Photo Credits: Mary Beth Denney

Photo Credits: Mary Beth Denney

A treasured photo of me holding Analisia.

Photo Credits: Mary Beth Denney

The day after Analisia was born was Mother's Day. My heart ached, knowing that my first Mother’s Day would also be the final time I saw my daughter this side of heaven. I tried to soak in every moment, and I dreaded leaving the hospital.

We were showered with love from friends and loved ones. We even had a group of friends from church come to see Analisia, sing and pray with us. I was grateful they were able to see her.

Leaving the hospital that night was among the hardest things I have ever done. If it were not for Paulo, I may have never left.

Comfort:

The number of ways that others have provided comfort and love to our family since Analisia’s diagnosis and death has been one of the sweetest aspects of our journey.

In the hospital, a professional photographer named Mary Beth Denney donated her gift of photography to capture the images of Analisia that are included in this essay. She not only shared her time and talent, but she also willingly walked into a room filled with pain to give us the most precious gift by capturing the only photos we would ever have with our daughter.

The night we left the hospital with aching hearts and empty arms, I arrived home to a stuffed lamb that my mom had left on my bed. When your heart is broken and you long to hold your child, it is incredible how something like a stuffed animal can provide comfort. I slept with that lamb wrapped up in one of Analisia’s blankets for at least a year, and to this day, the lamb is never far from my bed.

As my doctor predicted, Analisia’s life has made an impact. She has created space for me and others to talk about loss on a deeper level, and I am grateful for that. In the days following her death, many people shared with me about their own experiences with loss. A few that stand out to me in particular in those early days include two older men who I had known for years sharing about losing their own infants decades earlier. I was also particularly moved when another friend, a tough Vietnam Veteran named Joe teared up at Analisia’s memorial service. As tough and sarcastic as he was, I could see that her life had touched him in a powerful way. Years later I shared with his adult daughter how much this had meant to me, and she shared that it was meaningful to her as well as it was the first time she ever saw him cry. Analisia touched people’s hearts, and seeing the ways her life impacted others has been a tremendous source of comfort.

Other sources of comfort included the countless ways people reached out to us and showed us love during this tender time.

The number of cards, meals, texts, and flowers our family received was overwhelming. I still have the condolence cards, and I especially treasure the cards with drawings of heaven made by students I worked with at the time.

This photo shows some of the flowers we received in honor of Analisia.

The experience of tremendous grief combined with an outpouring of love from so many, had a profound impact on my life. I became much more aware of the depths of grief, and it has opened up many opportunities to reach out and support those who are mourning.

Mourning and Symbols of Hope

In my work as a clinical social worker working primarily with children and families, I was familiar with grief and loss, but after Analisia’s death, I gained a newfound understanding of the depths of these experiences.

A concept that resonated with me was the differentiation between grief and mourning as defined by Alan Wolfelt of the Center for Loss and Life Transition (ND), “Grief is what you think and feel on the inside, and mourning is when you express that grief outside of yourself. Mourning is grief inside out. Mourning is showing and doing… Mourning is how you move toward hope and healing”

Since Analisia’s death, I have found numerous ways to mourn and express the grief that at times consumed my heart. The first year, I spent many hours at the cemetery crying, praying, and journaling. I also decorated her grave for each changing season. Since I could not care for my child, caring for her resting place felt like the next best thing to do

That summer we had not planned to visit Paulo’s parents in Brazil since Analisia had been due at the end of June, but since she was born early, we ended up going after all.

Above: In a visit to the beach in Brazil, I etched her name in the sand.

Above: During a visit to Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Christ’s wide-open arms reminded me of 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (NIV): “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

A support group called SHARE which is intended for families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss, was a meaningful part of my mourning as well. Through this group, I was able to process my experiences and meet friends who had also lost a baby. I still have contact with many of the women I met in this group, and I have learned that loss can uniquely bond people together.

This is the quilt block I made in honor of Analisia for the SHARE support group. It was combined with quilt blocks honoring other babies who had died to make a quilt.

Another meaningful moment was about 5 years later when the women from the SHARE group reunited to take a photo of us with our rainbow babies. A “rainbow baby” is the common term for a baby born following a loss. While no baby can take the place of the children we have lost, loss moms like no other can appreciate the lives that are entrusted to their care.

Participating in the Wave of Light has also been a meaningful way to remember Analisia and all the other babies who were gone too soon. Each year on October 15th, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day, people around the world light a candle at 7 pm and leave it burning for at least one hour to remember their babies who have died.

Left: The first Wave of Light we celebrated. In addition to lighting a candle for Analisia, we also lit candles for all of our friends who had shared with us about the loss of one or more of their precious babies.

In the midst of my most intense grief, this sign that I passed every day on the way to work, brought a smile to my face. Someone had drawn a smile on the sign, and it appeared that the person was hula hooping. Small joys like this that helped me through the darkest times.

Lower 3 Photos: Pictures from other years we have participated in the Wave of Light.

Meaning in Nature: Nature has also provided numerous signs of hope and encouragement that have brightened my mood and/or reminded me of God’s faithfulness

When I see a beautiful sunrise, sunset, or clouds it reminds me of heaven where Analisia is waiting for me. Flying above the clouds makes me feel particularly close to heaven and to my daughter reminding me of the hope of life eternal in heaven.

This redbud tree in our front yard, which started the size of my pinky finger, has now nearly tripled in size. In the spring, the purple buds remind me of new life, the heart-shaped leaves represent love, and the yellow leaves in the fall remind me of Analisia.

Each spring for the last 14 years, this dove family returns to raise its young right outside our window.

It’s always a reminder of God’s protection and mercy as it states in Psalm 57:1 (NIV) “Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.”

Since yellow is a color I have associated with Analisia, vibrant yellow plants such as this ginkgo tree and the mums below always bring Analisia to mind.

Since February is when we first received Analisia’s diagnosis, that month often brings back painful memories. One symbol of hope that also shows up each year in my yard at that time of year is the crocus. It is a hopeful reminder that because of my faith, I can rejoice amidst the sorrow, as it states in Isaiah 35:1-2 (NIV), “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, 2 it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.”

Creative Expression Inspired by Analisia

While I have never considered myself to be particularly creative or artistic, Analisia’s life has inspired me to lean into creative outlets for selfexpression as well as mourning. This photo essay is one example.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was inspired to make my first quilt. Not knowing if we were having a boy or a girl, I chose gender-neutral colors. At that time, I had no idea this quilt would be wrapped around Analisia when she was laid to rest.

I was so excited about how Analisia’s baby quilt turned out, that while I was still pregnant with her, I started making a queen-sized quilt as well. After Analisia’s death, the inspiration to complete it died too for about the next 78 years. All those years later it was very meaningful to work on and complete the quilt knowing that it had been inspired by Analisia’s life.

Left: About four years after Analisia’s death, I longed for a picture of her and her two younger sisters together. I had also always appreciated mosaic art and came up with the idea of creating a mosaic depicting the three sisters together.

Right: Analisia’s death emphasized for me the intersection of hurt, beauty, and hope while living in this fallen world. I wanted to create a painting that depicted the simultaneous existence of the beauty of life intermingled with the darkness. This painting which I created in 2022, is my attempt to depict this.

As a Christian, I can appreciate the beauty and vibrancy of life, while also walking amidst the darkness. I know that I am not alone on this journey and also that up ahead, Heaven awaits a place with no more crying or pain and a reunion with my precious daughter.

For my living children, I show appreciation to their teachers each year through gifts, but in Analisia’s case, I have found it meaningful to bring cookies at Christmas time to the cemetery workers who tend to her final resting place all year long. I want them to know how grateful I am for the respect and care they provide.

I have also found creativity in making meals for those who are welcoming a baby or experiencing a loss or personal challenge. This year inspiration struck in a new way when I was able to fill my friend’s planters with plants while she was going through a health challenge and her own plants had died. The lambs' ears that I included came from what we call Analisia’s Garden and their softness reminds me of how soft her cheeks were.

Passage of time:

Since we are unable to take pictures to document Analisia’ growth, the following images will give a snapshot into the time that has passed and the ways we remember Analisia as part of our family. Each time we pass the cemetery, we blow kisses and I thank God for each of my children by name.

Each year we join another mom whose child is buried in the baby section of Resurrection Cemetery to put up Easter Eggs. It can be noted through the photos below how many new babies have been added to this section in the past ten years.

March 2016: Putting up Easter eggs at the cemetery for the first time.

May 2016: Analisia’s 1st Birthday in heaven and a visit from one month old sister, Milena

May 2017: Analisia’s 2nd Birthday shortly after Milena turned one.

March 2018: Putting up Easter eggs at the cemetery. Note how there are now two full rows of graves instead of just one.

May 2018 Analisia’s 3rd Birthday: a visit to the cemetery and a heartshaped birthday cake.

Christmas Day 2018: A cemetery visit with Milena and 5-month-old baby sister, Camila.

May 2019: Commemorating Analisia’s 4th Birthday with a homemade cake.

April 2019: Preparing for Easter. Milena and Camila decorated the gravestone with chalk.

December 2019: A Christmas visit to the cemetery

March 2020: Putting up Easter eggs at the beginning of the pandemic. That year, we visited the cemetery even more than usual as it was a pleasant, outdoor space that held special meaning for our family.

May 9th, 2020: Analisia’s 5th Birthday. It was hard to believe that 5 years had already passed since she entered and left our world.

September 2020: A picnic at the cemetery while expecting another baby blessing.

May 2021: Our annual heart-shaped cake in honor of Analisia’s 6th Birthday

November 2021: Putting up Christmas decorations with sisters and 1 year old baby brother, Caio.

May 9th, 2022: Analisia’s 7th Birthday

September 2022: The Ribeiro kids always enjoy a picnic at the cemetery.

(Left) October 2022: Camila had a picture she wanted to leave at Analisia’s grave.

(Right) December 2022: Caio helped put up the Christmas tree.

March 2023: Once again preparing for Easter

Below: May 9th, 2023: We commemorated Analisia’s 8th birthday with a visit to the cemetery, leaving trinkets on her grave, and a handmade card.

March 2024: Milena left a note saying, “We miss you Analisia and Nina. We wish you were with us every step of the way”

Note: Nina is the name we gave to our baby we miscarried in early 2020. She too has become part of our remembering.

(Photos Below) April 2024: As we decorated for Easter, you can see how much the baby section has grown over the last 9 years.

May 9th 2024: This page shows the ways we celebrated Analisia’s 9th birthday.

Milena blows a kiss next to the birthday cards she made, one showing Analisia in heaven and the other listing Analisia’s name along with all the rest of her family members.

Caio, Milena, and Camila smile as they visit Analisia’s grave.

Analisia’s 9th birthday cake lovingly made by me.

In October 2024, my children begged me to look through the box of special mementos from Analisia’s life, and one evening, I agreed.

The photo below shows each child holding a special item from Analisia’s box, including the yellow heart that weighs 3lbs 11 oz, Analisia’s weight at birth.

As I gathered images for this photo essay, I reflected on how many things have transpired since Analisia entered and left our world. Our family has experienced births, deaths, vacations, milestones, successes, and setbacks. Our life continues, but this photo essay intends to show how despite her physical absence, Analisia is still very much a part of our lives.

May 9th, 2025, will be the ten-year mark since Analisia’s birth and passing, and while I wish she could have stayed on earth with our family and I could have watched her grow, I trust that she has been well in the arms of our Lord. I know, there is no better place she could be.

Until the day we meet again in heaven, saudades is the best way to express my heart’s sentiment towards my precious daughter, Analisia. Her life was among the most precious gifts I have ever received, and her absence creates in my heart a combination of remembrance, love, grief, and longing all at the same time-in essence, saudades.

References

Center for Loss and Life Transition (ND). Grief and mourning basics. Retrieved December 20, 2024, from https://www.centerforloss.com/grief/grief-mourning-basics/

Denney, Mary Beth. (2015). [Newborn photographs of Analisia Ribeiro] [Photograph]. Illumen Photography. https://illumenphotography.com/

Nabuco, Joaquim (1909). Camoens: The Lyric Poet [Speech Transcript]. Retrieved January 4, 2025, from https://www.epedagogia.com.br/materialbibliotecaonine/1827Camoensthe-lyric-poet.pdf

Photo Essay

Where Christianity Once Flourished: Biblical Sites in Turkey

By John J. Han

Those familiar with the Acts and the subsequent books in the New Testament will agree that Turkey cannot be missed on Christian pilgrimages. Referred to “Asia” in Revelation 1:4, Turkey hosted seven churches to whom the Apostle John addressed in his apocalypse: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum (or Bergama), Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Other important biblical sites in Turkey include Ephesus, Troas, Antalya, and Konya, among many others. Understanding these locations is essential for grasping the geography and history of early Christianity in Asia Minor and Europe.

Many resources both in print and online help understand the sites the Apostle Paul and other early missionaries trod in their days. Unfortunately, those resources are not always sufficient to fully understand the broader picture of the mission work that took place two millennia ago. In May 2024, my tour team traveled on a 50-passenger bus for most of our trip. We entered Turkey from Greece by bus, which took more than 30 minutes for border security checks. That night, we stayed at a hotel in Canakkale (or Dardanelles), located about 20 miles north of the archeological site of ancient Troy. Then, we traveled south along the Aegean coast, stopped in Antalya on the Mediterranean Sea, and then journeyed northeast to Avanos in the central region of Cappadocia. From Cappadocia, we took a domestic flight to Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), where we continued our tours by bus and ferry.

A map of western and central Turkey (officially the Republic of Türkiye).

Credit: Google Maps.

Alexandria-Troas Harbor, Turkey, where St. Paul sailed for and from Europe. The author of the Acts of the Apostles writes, “From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days” (NIV 16:11-12). During their stay at Troas, Paul raises a young man from the dead:

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted. (NIV 20: 7-12)

A road in Alexandria-Troas from the Roman period where the Apostle Paul and his companions likely traveled.

The road from Troas to Assos, Turkey. On his third missionary journey, St. Paul walked from Troas to Assos (present-day Behram, also called Behramkale) on this 30-mile trail from the days of Rome. “We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene” (NIV).

Credit: Google Maps.

The ruins of the Red Basilica of Bergama (also spelled Pergamum), Turkey. Bergama was one of the seven churches in Asia Minor when St. John was writing the Revelation:

To the angel of the church in Pergamum write:

These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. I know where you live where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives. Nevertheless, I have a few things against you: […] (NIV 2:12-14a)

The city of Bergama, Izmir Province, Turkey, seen from high ground. It is located approximately 18 miles east of the Aegean Sea.

Credit: Google Maps.

Akhisar (“white castle”), Manisa Province, Turkey, where one of the seven churches of the book of Revelation stood. In ancient times, it was called Thyatira. The city is situated approximately 56 miles east of the Aegean Sea.

Credit: Google Maps.

The ruins of the Thyatira, Turkey, church. In the book of Revelation, John writes,

To the angel of the church in Thyatira write:

These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. […] (2:18-20 NIV)

The tomb of Luke the Evangelist, Ephesus (Efes), Turkey.

The tomb of St. John, Ephesus (Efes), Turkey.

Ruins of the ancient Greek city of Ephesus (Efes), Turkey. As a major center of early Christianity, Ephesus features prominently in the New Testament.

(Top) Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory, in Ephesus (Efes), Turkey. (Bottom) The Ephesus Archeological Site is situated five miles from the Aegean coast.

(Top) Ruins of St. Philip Church in the Roman city of Hierapolis, near Pamukkale, Turkey.

(Bottom) The tomb of the Apostle Philip in Hierapolis, Turkey.

(Top) Hierapolis-Pamukkale is situated in Denizli Province, Turkey.

Credit: Google Maps.

(Bottom) Approximately eight miles south of Hierapolis-Pamukkale is Laodicea, one of the seven churches mentioned in the book of the Revelation.

Remains of a Roman thoroughfare in Laodicea, near the city of Denizli, Turkey.

The remains of Laodicea are still being excavated.

(Top) The Church of Laodicea, discovered in 2010, is located near the North Theater of the city. (Bottom) Inside the church.

Colossae, situated near Pamukkale and Laodicea, Turkey, covers a hill and its surrounding area. Little remains of the city from the days of the Apostle Paul. The Letter of Paul to the Colossians addresses the Christians in this ancient city.

(Top) Colossae, Turkey.

(Bottom) Colossae is located approximately 12 miles to the southeast of Laodicea. Credit: Google Maps.

The way from Colossae to Antalya, a Mediterranean city in Turkey. The rocky terrain highlights the challenges the Apostle Paul likely faced during his missionary journey on foot.

(Top) The route from Colossae to Antalya, a Mediterranean port city approximately 132 miles to the southeast. Credit: Google Maps.

(Bottom) Antalya is a bustling city that draws numerous vacationers from Russia and other countries. In the Bible, it is identified as Attalia. “After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch [in Syria], where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed” (Acts 14:24-26 NIV).

Hadrian’s Gate (the “Three Gates”) in Antalya was built to honor the Roman emperor Hadrian.

Perge (or Perga), an ancient city near Antalya, Turkey.

The remains of St. Paul Church in Perga, Turkey.

(Top) A historical marker explains St. Paul Church in Perga, Turkey. (Bottom) It takes approximately 15 miles from Antalya to Perge which Paul and Barnabas visited twice. Acts 13:13-14 read, “From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down” (NIV).

The cave churches in the village of Lystra (present-day Kilistra), Konya Province, Turkey. Lystra is mentioned several times in the New Testament, including the following verses:

• Acts 14:6-21 - Paul and Barnabas flee to Lystra and Derbe.

• Acts 16:1-5 - Paul meets Timothy in Lystra.

• 2 Timothy 3:10-11 - Paul recalls his religious suffering in Antioch, Iconium (present-day Konya), and Lystra.

The locations of Lystra (Kilistra) and Konya, Turkey. Credit: Google Maps.

A view of Konya. As a city in central Turkey, Konya holds an important place in the early history of Christianity. During the Roman period, Christians in this region endured religious persecution. In the fourth century, Konya and its surrounding area also produced renowned theologians known as the Cappadocian Fathers, including Basil the Great, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Gregory of Nyssa.

(Top) A map of Derinkuyu Underground City, located near the town of Derinkuyu, Nevsehir Province, Turkey.

(Bottom) The city is in the Cappadocia region of Turkey, approximately 220 miles to the northeast of Konya. Credit: Google Maps.

For more than three millennia, Derinkuyu Underground City was used as a haven by various groups, including the Hittites, Phrygians, Persians, Greeks, early Christians, Byzantines, Seljuks, and Ottomans.

More photos from Derinkuyu Underground City.

Göreme Valley in the Cappadocia region of Turkey. It was used for cave churches, monasteries, and chapels during the 9th-11th centuries. The caves include many Christian frescoes.

A fresco of St. Onuphrius, the Egyptian hermit and monk who died in the 4th or 5th century, in Göreme Valley. According to legend, as a woman of tremendous beauty, Onuphrius asked God to do something so that she could avoid the attention of men. In response, she was given a long beard and leaves for her loin.

(Top) A view of Cappadocia. (Bottom) Göreme Valley is approximately 22 miles north of Derinkuyu Underground City.

(Top)

The Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet), Istanbul, Turkey. (Bottom) The Blue Mosque seen from a Bosphorus (or Bosporus) ferry.

Hagia Sophia History Museum, Istanbul (formerly Constantinople), Turkey. In 537, the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I established Hagia Sophia (“Holy Wisdom” in Greek) as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral. In 1453, after the Ottoman conquest of Constantinople, the building was converted into a mosque. In 1935, the Turkish government converted it into a museum, but in 2022, it was converted again into a mosque.

The Obelisk of Theodosius in Istanbul, Turkey. Originally commissioned by Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III in the 15th century BC, this monument stood in the temple of Karnak, Luxor, Egypt. In AD 390, the Roman Emperor Theodosius I ordered the obelisk to be moved from Egypt to Constantinople.

Mosques dominate the landscapes of Turkey. I captured this scene while we were passing through the city of Aksaray in the Central Anatolia region.

Twelve Things Millennials Want the Baby Boomers to Teach Us (before it’s too late)

By Andrew William Steinbeck

Generation wars. We fight them. We hate them. Companies expend great resources trying to bridge them. Though this middle Millennial raised with older technology fits generational stereotypes, please consider these pages a glimmer of hope to break the intergenerational divide. “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”

These words call to those over 70 in 2025, echoing Paul asking Timothy to “encourage you as fathers.” I write to those who would correct, instruct, or guide a generation you seem to mutually distrust especially those who should have no reason to hear me. Millennials need you to teach us certain truths through your words and example.

1. Suffer graciously.

When life situations reek like a sewer, model life with poise and peace. We will suffer in our relationships, in our jobs, in society changes, and in the collapse of institutions. The cultural trauma in our formative years arrived without your experience. We know life goes on, but the scars will be real. Some of our own friends have already died at their own hands from being unable to endure or understand the wounds.

We are watching how you will graciously, gently treat the broken when wounds multiply. We seek a strength that endures wounds, acknowledges they are real, and recovers enough to vow never to inflict those wounds on another. We need your example revealing how our sufferings glorify Christ and how we can suffer without blame or resentment.

2. Forebear immense change.

Forty years from now, we will have watched the transformation in technology and ethics that today seem impossible. Quantum computing, AI, gender confusion, population crashes, cloning, and climate change promise uncounted solutions and even more problems. We’ll look back on our Pokémon-filled childhoods and shudder at unbelievably distant memories.

In a future that forgets histories, we will bear the danger of forgetting even ourselves.

In defiance of bleak futures, we need to see people willing to try new things, eager to discern, and ready to understand the challenges around them with patience and forgiveness when all familiar things morph. Shelving old ways to seek the moment’s unique needs, our role models will have watched systems and structures shattered and raised hands of effort to “build … with worn-out tools,” by sheer grit and gratuitous grace (Kipling 167). We need elders who will courageously navigate a changed world and help us figure out how to impact it in new, Christ-honoring ways. You led that change once. I believe you’ve got at least one more great change in you.

3. Care about what matters most.

You probably know someone who has made fun of my generation for caring about causes rather than organizational identities. Your generation exudes passion, and most of those I know in my generation share that enthusiasm. Successfully, you instructed how short life is; thus, we want our lives to make the best difference we can.

Of the many things to care about, you who have tasted truth have an opportunity to show us what it means to emphasize the true, noble, just, pure, lovely, and commendable. You who abound may model for us how wealth can serve God. You who have street or book smarts, show us what you know to leave a better world in our collective wake. Help us put away the things that only have value on earth by valuing most the things that will last forever.

4. Love those who are different from us.

The Baby Boomers’ generation was listening to Bill Haley and the Comets when Ruby Bridges broke racial barriers. Jim Crow disintegrated before your eyes. Some of your own taught us that “the whole human family is learning at last / that the thing we missed on the road we trod, / is to walk as the daughters and the sons of God” (Up with People, 1964).

Accepting differences, in Jesus’ name, in favor of an “every tribe and language and people” family of blood-redeemed worshippers? Our older exemplars taught it to us. Show us how anti-intellectuals and professional scholars, Democrats and Republicans, Chinese and Americans, and anarchists and all the rest can stand side by side in perfect reconciliation, proclaiming those Spirit-given words, “Jesus is Lord.” Show us how Christ

dismantles power ranks, standing us with Him as brothers and sisters. Show your children and grandchildren that we are not your enemies for seeking His kingdom first. Show us how to embrace Alice Cooper and Chuck Coulson at the same time because you saw Christ do it in your years of walking with Him. “I’m from Missouri:” show us, because today’s world is different, and we’re still learning.

5.

Study hard and learn well.

Disinformation and misinformation rose to the national forefront when today’s retirees were growing up. Without TikTok, Metaverse, QAnon, and 200,000-player possibly sentient online games, you learned to distinguish good information from mere pleas of passion and to deeply study and research to find the best sources. The modern world needs a public that will listen outside of just one box and truly investigate, rather than believing only what a “trusted” but uninformed source will say. You matured under Watergate, and your newborn greatgrandchildren face a present where information proliferation confounds honest research. The young yearn for models of composed elders who drink to the uttermost from the literature and scholarship of old, who exhaust their brains with careful, willingly corrected inquiry, and who teach others to study too. We need more processing of information and less regurgitation from people, not machines. Would you please be brave and help us?

6. Cultivate a blazing internal fire for the Kingdom of Christ.

Many Millennials know Christianity only for dusty hymnals, creaky pews, and “organ concert” prayers. Does the flannel-graph convey the transformative zeal of the resurrected Eutychus? Would your zeal, like Paul’s, lose every earthly kingdom for the glories of Christ? Do you compel awe at Christ by a radically unordinary life? We want mentors for life like that.

This generation needs the verve that will regularly stay up all night in prayer. We need those who will lose houses, jobs, and friends for the sake of following Jesus’ call into the corners of the earth. We need those who will show up at 4 am to labor for the Gospel and stay until sunrise counseling those who come when revival breaks out. Give us, in you, saints who radiate spiritual fruit—a Nik Ripken fire that burns brighter and risks more sixty years after committing to Christ than at first—saints so resemblant of Christ

that we have to squint to see a difference. This generation needs your faithfulness, hope, assurance, and zeal.

7. Be content.

How much is enough? Can we live well on a tiny fraction of the income our ancestors did to give more to meeting needs? Can we watch forebears budget with the discretion we need when workplaces, stocks, Social Security, and inflation converge to penalize the young? Yes, we can, but it will be harder without your positive, self-sacrificing example lighting the way.

Exhale to us the merged value of investment and the horror of hoarding. Give us living models of Matthew 6:31-33, who, unaware of tomorrow’s provision, will use God’s given resources for God’s given purposes and trust Him with everything. In those same examples, may there be fewer luxuries and greater happiness.

8. Parent our kids with truth and love.

We know you fell short of “Ward Cleaver parenting.” We fall short, too. There are no perfect parents. There are times when those shortcomings need to be pointed out and corrected, and we are willing to receive it. I ask that your correction prioritize truth and love.

Survival sometimes requires presuming. Everyone presumes somehow. In relationships with others, however, we must quell presumption and chase reality. Being near your children’s age, I will learn something about loving my children from how you have shown me love. Your generation answered Christ’s gracious call in droves when George Beverly Shea led a stadium full of people to sing “Just as I Am.” The time is now! Help us lead others by that same grace.

9. Do what you love.

Anyone with forty years’ experience in a job is a highly accomplished expert. The truly humble experts will admit an occasional sub-par result if it means raising an expert in a future generation. (See Paul in 2 Timothy 2:2.) Your immense technical ability and skill in your field are more valuable for training those who will do this work after you than your own contributions alone. Even retired, your work is not finished until you have trained someone to do everything you do—even someone green.

You love, though, things beyond jobs. Hobbies, volunteering, community service, church leadership, and more can receive our love outside of the work environment. In anything that you are skilled to do and love doing, part of that work is raising up those who will come after you. Nowhere is this as clear as in Jesus’ mandate to make disciples. Make disciples among us.

10. Replace cynicism with hope.

When everyone is an internet user, everyone is a critic. I hope that when I age, I am never the stereotypical grumpy old man, waving a cane and yelling at neighbor children to get off my lawn. To believe the best and rest in hope, we want and need people not hardened when life has done them dirty. We need to be built up.

Akin to the codependent stereotype, we all, you included, mature according to the models we have had. When my generation populates robotic nursing homes, we want to pleasantly, steadfastly behold the Mountain of God over the anthill of death. Your generation watched the first man scale Everest. From your view in the heights, please be the cloud of witnesses cheering us to run with endurance, eyes fixed on Jesus. To me, fixing eyes on Jesus looks the exact opposite of sarcastic suspicion, and I know which is the easier to find in the world. Be those whose forward Kingdom view inspires those behind you.

11. Not to need you.

At the time of writing, my grandmother is celebrating her 98th birthday. My parents and in-laws all remain together, involved, and healthy into our adulthood, but we cannot forget that someday we will lose them and you. Though we will survive, we feel less ready for that loss the nearer it gets, not because we are incapable, but because you have taken such a big role. We will feel like the gap of your parting bequeaths us the Size 256 clown shoe car for our own size 11 feet, the car having received “professional stunt driver only” off-roading on the Jeep commercial. There is a lot of fallen, troubled world needing a loving touch that you will leave behind when your numbered days have ended. We want to manage a steep learning curve well; you have experience.

You might well hide from the “young’uns” your grief, losing parents after age and dementia robbing them of their mobility and mind. Alternatively, would you consider training us to handle these same griefs

and pains with stalwart faith for the day when it is you moving into assisted living, holding our hand weakly from a hospital bed, or lying in the box as we plan a burial?

12. Die well.

The day hastens when we will watch you die. Your biggest formation of us may be words and deeds on the threshold of eternity. In you, we want to see men and women who have glorified Christ in every way, fought the good fight, and finished the race. We believe that you who have known Christ can remake that moment into the joy of walking from pain to perfection. You can grow and solidify our own fledgling faiths when we see that your death is bold, meaningful, steady that you willingly go with the Lord even through the river.

While martyrdom today is seldom public, a martyr’s testimony shouts with unmatched power. At one funeral, the deceased woman’s life myopically pursued a specific political goal. She had wasted her life, death, and funeral. I trust that you have lived far better; you could speak Gospel and glory with how you depart Earth. Would you take every step to solidify and affirm this trust so that I too may die well?

That’s all we ask.

Works Cited

Kipling, Rudyard. “If—.” Rewards and Fairies, Doubleday, Page, & Company, 1910. p. 167.

Reagan, Ronald W. “Tear Down This Wall.” Speech at the Brandenburg Gate, June 12, 1987, West Berlin, Germany. Political Address. Ripken, Nick & Gregg Lewis. “The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected.” B&H Publishing Group, 2013, Nashville, TN. Up with People. “What Color Is God’s Skin?” Up with People: The Sing Out Musical, Tom Wilkes and David Stevenson, Up with People, 1964, Denver, CO. Accessed at https://upwithpeople.org/lyric/what-coloris-gods-skin/. February 27, 2025.

Beyond Stones: Redeeming the Search for Hope in OK Go’s Song of Descent

By Andrew William Steinbeck

“It’s a fallen world.” On the porch of a modest Missouri house, an old woman once named Smith tranquilized all the world’s confoundment, nonsense, and negativity with those four words. From her saintly tongue, “it’s a fallen world” were words of comfort, resolve, and hope. By contrast, OK Go’s January 2025 song, “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill,” hopes with some uncertainty against the gravity of cultural decline. The saint and singer might agree about a fallen world but will interpret the words very differently. Can the more doomsaying view of “it’s a fallen world” be reconciled with the Christian one?

Author’s note: Please experience the song referenced above before continuing to read.

The Music of OK Go

Though sometimes treated as a niche footnote to the popular music scene, OK Go is a band of erudite, fiercely committed artists who entertain and make the listener think (Sawdey). A surface-only focus lets a casual listener wrongly shove aside something distinctly clever. No one expects the band for a Super Bowl halftime show (great spectacle notwithstanding) even as one video debuted in a Super Bowl and the lack of expectation is a cultural loss (Hanstock).

Subtle messages, especially of their recent music, find home among free thinkers, handmade clothes, and indie coffee shops, yet grapple with big questions along the best of current psychology and engineering (Tan). With apologies to Meredith Wilson, “the sadder but wiser band’s the band for me.” After all, per the name of an OK Go song, “This too shall pass.” A closer look reveals a teachable, relatable harmony of admirable, quirky, and disconcerting, altogether too wise for the intoxication of much self- and now-focused popular music.

In their whole discography, which began with “typical” songs about love and death, distinctive core beliefs emerge. A plain desperation at life’s real woes is framed in a hope of striving past the detriments, wedding wisdom with dogged positivity. Embracing the worst somehow should feel

good. Some songs illustrate a persistent plodding into the vanishing point of an all-consuming forever future that is in view, but not yet. We march on, and this march is noble hoping the distant future might be noble too.

Recently, darker secular songs have waxed hopeful with spiritual themes. The music embraces the unresolved earthly tension of fallenness, but evades the inevitable breaking; the “Preacher,” Qohelet, holds this tension in submission to the goodness and omniscience of God. Both look to the farthest possible future for unseen resolution of the present paradox of vanity. “Stone” withholds nothing as it rolls neatly into a near lockstep with the book of Ecclesiastes.

“A Stone Only Rolls Downhill” Song Analysis

Holistic foci throughout the band’s tenure punctuate, reinforce, and even redefine the lyric message with video feats that include Rube Goldberg machines, white-knuckling stunt dogs, musical cars, writing without walls, Muppets, and thousands of umbrella dancers in Japan, to name a few. As far as “Stone” goes, the subtext in the art form explains the human condition with brutal honesty. Every component video, vocal performance, audio mixing, and lyric sings the same message in the same way.

Consider the chorus of the work. “These things, they’ll be what they will” immediately follows the title phrase (0:36). The statement reinforces the powerlessness of mere wishing for better days. The line “I wish I could say” is repeated, with some variation, twelve times (0:09-3:10). Yet its melodic and rhythmic placement diminishes the wish into a mere breath— In Qohelet’s words, a hevel (The Holy Bible Ecc. 1.2).

Explanation meets experience in the bridge. The lyrics “Oh, the inertia of our ravenous brand of avarice” accompany feed of an elaborate hand dance from 42 identical smartphones (part of a 64-unit fleet cited for the 64 videos within the official video) resting upon a mess of their charging cables (2:03). The hands resemble the spread of a contagion. Not stopping at visuals, harmonies dance around but do not land on, unusual and unsettled chords, of types known as “borrowed,” “relative,” and “Neapolitan” in music theory. Stereo mixing gyrates between the audio channels, initially slowly, but rising to more than thrice each second at the line “now we’re overrun” (2:16). From a leading “I” in the chorus, the moment now paints the human race as collective, passive, powerless recipients of electronic overwhelming. The listener’s ticker quickens, imploring some sort, any sort, of resolution.

On the meticulous production’s downhill spiral (at 1:51, the video literally spirals), every detail gathers not moss but the hearer’s disorientation in fitting symbolism of the spiraling depravity of Christless humanity. The message is clear: in a sort of impending technocalypse, digital devices driven by AI and quantum computing consume (like their users) with boundless selfishness, it all rolls from bad to worse, and it is bringing ruin.

“I wish I could say it’ll all be all right” is not the final phrase; simply “it’ll all be just fine” (3:17). The phones and chargers vanish as lead singer Damian Kulash locks his somber, unreadable gaze with the viewer. Things are human again. Pure gloom is overcome by potential, unrealized reassurance. Perhaps reassurance was always there. In context, only the rightful fear of the inevitable is nihilist, but the broom of “happy” major intervals sweeps fear into an under-rug crevice. Maybe all we need is someone to trust. Does Kulash believe there is hope with his glance? The artistic beauty leaves the hearer with a sense of “I can’t tell,” but a definite possibility. The ending is intentionally vague. Starting from vagueness, does the song bear the weight of its final hope for hope? Yes, with a missing pillar.

What the world needs now…

Take as evidence the opening months of 2025: every newsreel serves its viewership whiplash from confused chaos to astounded anger. Broadcasters place singularly odd sordid political events before woefully unprepared eyes at a scandalously alarming pace; the beholding brain buzzes with bewilderment. If “Stone” had the last say, the avalanche, far from settling down, would only quicken and worsen until the presumed implosion, explosion, or nuclear annihilation of the universe, or at least its intelligent life forms. Presumably, the human unable to reverse the decline should then kick back, raise hands in the air, and shout “Whee!” as the slide careens downward. Here, have a glitzy device to help you enjoy the journey. Clearly, OK Go doesn’t intend such an unsatisfying answer. So, must the claim of “only downhill” be definitive? Asimov in “The Last Question” (remarkably intertwined to the song, beyond the scope of this writing) surmises, in uncanny humanness, that entropy continues unabated unless complete omniscience and omnipotence interferes, and only then when there is nothing left. (6-15) If the natural world is all there is, the obstinate sinful nature of humanity becomes exhibit A in the logical necessity of soft

nihilism. The Second Law of Thermodynamics and Occam’s Razor step in as the jurors who seal doom’s veracity.

Enter ‘if’. My father called ‘if’ the biggest two-letter word in the English language. Rudyard Kipling, in a poem memorized as a child, called ‘if’ the very mark of manhood (167). Facing nihilism, ‘if’ shimmers grander, brighter. If there is anything, anything at all beyond the natural, demise lies defeated. If but one thing can be shown not to entropy, then ‘nothing’ comes to nothing. If ’if’ has any claim with its own weight, the see-saw swings against nihilism and somewhere, somehow, a stone rolls uphill. Or even away from the royal-sealed maw of a first-century rock tomb near Jerusalem.

Recognizing nihilist logic, Paul proclaims the following:

But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. …If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. (1 Cor. 15.13-19)

Paul, as with His creator, gloriously did not stop there. Remember, Paul suggests, He is risen! Christ has risen from the dead! After Paul’s first proofs, changed human history has corroborated, yea, been upended by, the simple lynchpin of Christ not dead, but living. People, globally, stake an eternal, unshakeable hope not on stopping the downhill roll but on the relative smallness of the hill. Something bigger than the rolling stone or a breathy wish is found in the King and His Kingdom. Unshaken reality lies beyond what is passing, consuming, and shaken. Consuming things are consumed. A better word abides, and this word overturns stones.

Resurrection is the desired hope in “Stone”

Strange sensations sidle up to “Stone’s” unsuspecting listener. The song is weirdly cheery for its heavy words. Its deceptive bounce exceeds merely kicking back and enjoying a long cataclysmic slide. Surely, “Stone” doesn’t mean to be as solemn as mere words and visuals suggest. It is a unified piece of art. The senseless arc may bend only one way (1:16).

Nonetheless, the most real is not technological, rather unmistakably human.

Even Jesus in his resurrection manifested not “utterly different” but utterly remade: His followers could feel his scarred human flesh (Lu. 24.4043). In this moment with Jesus unlike any other, the mystery of how God had set eternity in man’s heart was uncovered. “Stone,” spheroid, imperils the action hero. Can the hero hide in a crevice? The resurrection of Jesus deals to uncertainty exactly the right crevice: a hole in his side where a spear had just validated his death yet here he is, alive.

Resurrection exceeds the stone. When Kulash finally hides the phone and its contagion-like scenes, he suggests that he, with the viewer, can in some way withstand, even exceed, the fateful invasion. The video has a boundary, hidden in plain sight. The fourth wall is human. Humanity, though, in a worldly sense, is part of the stone. Humanism drags into death by the same power as the all-consuming cellular. Even the world’s end is inevitable. Jesus Christ, inaugurating a completely new humanity, transcends the world. Amidst crushing human experience, Christ invites humanity beyond the crushing. “Only Rolls Downhill” has a boundary; resurrection breaks that boundary.

No one denies the reality of the downhill condition. I, too, have been at the bottom of slopes where heavy stones tend to roll and knock out all my breath. No one can take away, though, the very human, newly human, trust in a King who builds an eternal people, who disempowers death. The “all right” of the final, eternal Kingdom of Christ enters from outside the boundary of “always” and “only.” While a stone only rolls downhill, the immortal King calls upward with a power wholly other than the lifeless stone.

In Jesus, it’ll all be all right.

Works Cited

Asimov, Isaac. “The Last Question.” Science Fiction Quarterly. Robert A. W. Lowndes, ed., Columbia Publications, Inc., Holyoke, MA. November 1956. pp. 6-15.

Hanstock, Bill. “Super Bowl Commercials 2012: OK Go’s Chevy Sonic Music Video.” SB Nation, February 5, 2012. www.sbnation.com/2012super-bowl/2012/2/5/2773416/2012-superbowl-commercials-ok-gochevy-sonic. Accessed March 12, 2025.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2001.

Kipling, Rudyard. “If .” Rewards and Fairies. Doubleday, Page, & Company, 1910. p. 167.

OKGo.net. Website. okgo.net/category/music. Accessed February 27, 2025.

OK Go. “A Stone Only Rolls Downhill.” And the Adjacent Possible. Music Video, January 2025. youtube.com/watch?v=MOEULOSVNK4. Accessed 1 February 2025.

. “Going Home.” And the Adjacent Possible. 2025. Music Video. okgo.net/category/music. Accessed February 27, 2025.

. “I Won’t Let You Down.” Hungry Ghosts, Paracadute. 2014. Music Video. youtube.com/watch?v=u1ZB_rGFyeU. Accessed February 27, 2025.

---. “Needing/Getting.” Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, Tarbox Road, 2010. Music Video, 2012. youtube.com/watch?v=MejbOFk7H6c. Accessed March 22, 2025

---. “This Too Shall Pass.” Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, Tarbox Road, 2010. Music Video. youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w. Accessed March 11, 2025.

. “The Writing on the Wall.” Hungry Ghosts, Paracadute. 2014. Music Video. youtube.com/watch?v=m86ae_e_ptU. Accessed February 27, 2025.

. “White Knuckles.” 2010. Of the Blue Colour of the Sky, Tarbox Road, 2010. Music Video. youtube.com/watch?v=nHlJODYBLKs. Accessed March 8, 2025.

Sawdey, Evan. “Do What You Want: OK Go and the New Landscape of Artistic Integrity.” Pop Matters, July 15, 2014. www.popmatters.com/183361-do-what-you-want-ok-go-and-thenew-landscape-of-artistic-integrity-2495645008.html. Accessed March 8, 2025.

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Growing Up

By Dylan Chastain

Everyone remembers their childhood home. Some have deja vu of their childhood bedroom and the smell of the floors and the air fresheners in the room. Others reminisce on their childhood backyard, which may contain a swing set or trampoline. These things all have their own feelings and emotions attached to them, and I also have strong feelings about where I grew up. For me, it is the days on the Tennessee River or the smell and sounds of summertime campfires. My name is Dylan Chastain, and I grew up in a small town in Alabama called Scottsboro. I can recall many memories from living and growing up in Alabama that I look back on fondly, and I am thankful for the opportunity to create such memories.

Scottsboro is a little town nestled into the heart of Jackson County, Alabama. This is the town I was lucky enough to call home for the first 18 years of my life. A significant aspect of living in Scottsboro was the close vicinity of the Tennessee River. Summers were spent on the water - either fishing, boating, or swimming. This led to me having a great love for the outdoors all my life, which I hold with myself to this day. I found a great passion for water activities, and before I was old enough to do high school sports, I would spend hours a day on the water fishing.

In Scottsboro, there were three elementary schools, one intermediate school, one junior high school, and one high school (this has since changed). Because of the tightly knit community in which everyone attends the same school, everyone knew each other well. By the time I graduated high school, most of my graduating class had been in classes with me since before we were old enough to do basic math. This is one thing that makes Scottsboro so special—the closeness of the community. This closeness is shared beyond the schools, as many people know one another even while just leaving the house.

In a small town with not a lot to do, I began bowling competitively just before high school. While bowling started as a hobby, it quickly became a significant part of my life. By the time I graduated from high school, I had received an athletic offer to compete at the collegiate level, bringing me to my current home in St. Louis, Missouri. With this big change came many challenges. For example, this would be my first time moving away from home. This change from small-town Alabama to big city made me nothing

less than ecstatic. Not that I didn’t enjoy where I grew up, but I always knew that somewhere like this would have more opportunities for me to grow. The moment I knew that the change was real was the moment we finished packing for the commute to Missouri, and I could see my entire life laid out before me in boxes and bags. At this moment, I knew that life was changing for the better, and I knew in my heart that I was making the right decision.

My first impression of the city was positive and optimistic. The college campus was everything I was hoping for - social and alive. I made friends very quickly and spent very little time in my room. I loved the faster-paced lifestyle and the social events with friends. It was because of this big change that I learned how to be much more independent. Moving on from high school and my small town back home was hard, as it was all I had ever known. I slowly became more acclimated to city life and found comfort in my new home. I never struggled with homesickness because I always knew I was where I was supposed to be.

Even though I have grown and since gotten more comfortable with my new home, there are certain parts of Alabama that I will always carry with me. I will always carry with me the work ethic that I learned in school and from my friends whom I still visit periodically. I will also carry God with me, knowing that He is always with me during trials and uncertainty. Today, I feel comfortable in the new environment that I now call home. The bustling city, the fast-paced lifestyle, and the vibrant community took some time to get used to. However, through personal growth and development, I learned to embrace the change. I am who I am because of my time spent growing up in Scottsboro, Alabama. Now that I am older and an independent college student in Missouri, I can look back on my time in Alabama and smile because it helped me to grow into who I am today.

Notes on Contributors

Matthew Brennan has published seven books of poetry, including The End of the Road (Kelsay Books, 2023) and Snow in New York: New and Selected Poems (Lamar University Literary Press, 2021). His collection The House with the Mansard Roof (Backwaters Press, 2009) was a finalist for the Best Books of Indiana. He is also the author of four works of criticism, most recently The Colosseum Critical Introduction to Dana Gioia (Franciscan University Press, 2020). His poems and articles have appeared in Valley Voices, New York Times Book Review, Poetry Ireland Review, Georgia Review, Valparaiso Poetry Review, Southern Quarterly, and Commonweal. He has won the Thomas Merton Prize for Poetry of the Sacred. He retired from Indiana State University and now lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Erin Carlton teaches English Language Arts at Windsor High School. With nineteen years of experience in education, Erin specializes in challenging students to expand their appreciation for reading and writing. Erin enjoys using collaborative strategies to encourage interpersonal skills and critical thinking. Erin’s husband and two sons inspire her lifelong commitment to develop personally, intellectually, and spiritually.

Dylan Chastain is a student from Scottsboro, Alabama, and a member of Missouri Baptist University's graduating class of 2028. He is double majoring in Secondary Education and Biology Education, with the plan to become a high school Biology teacher after graduation. He is also an active athlete at Missouri Baptist and a member of the MBU men’s bowling team, in which he was named the Heart of America 2025 Rookie of the Year. At MBU, he has contributed to campus life by serving as an assistant editor for multiple publications, including The Right Words, Intégrité, Cantos, and Fireflies’ Light.

John J. Han, Ph.D., is Professor of English and Creative Writing and Associate Dean of the School of Humanities and Theology at Missouri Baptist University. He is the author, editor, co-editor, or translator of 35 books, including the recently published Certainty and Ambiguity in Global Mystery Fiction: Essays on the Moral Imagination (Bloomsbury Academic, 2024). Han has also published more than 2,500 poems in periodicals and anthologies, including Cave Region Review (featured poet

of the year 2012), Failed Haiku, Frogpond, The Laurel Review, Modern Haiku, Simply Haiku (chosen as the world’s sixth-finest English-language haiku poet for 2011), Valley Voices (Pushcart-nominated), Wales Haiku Journal (nominated for the Touchstone Award), and World Haiku Review.

Hannah G. Kelsey is a wife and mom to Benjamin, Judah, and Esther. She currently works as a preschool aide at a private Christian school and absolutely loves it. She is a senior at Missouri Baptist University, soon to graduate with a degree in Liberal Arts. Her passions include bible study, history, and cultural studies. She loves to make and eat recipes from around the world and has a heart for learning languages. She speaks English and German and is currently learning Chinese with her husband, Ben. She hopes to one day get her master’s degree in Intercultural Studies and TESOL, with the intent of teaching English as a second language.

Isabella Queen, who lives in Missouri, is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in English alongside a psychology minor at Missouri Baptist University. Isabella hopes one day to be an editor of other people’s stories or perhaps an author of stories of her own. She has always loved reading or watching a good story and has enjoyed creating stories of her own throughout her life. Some of Isabella’s other hobbies include drawing, making cube stories in Geometry Dash, playing Minecraft, and watching too many videos of people playing Minecraft.

Amy Quertermous is an English teacher at Owensville High School in Owensville, Missouri, and a graduate student at Missouri Baptist University, preparing to teach dual-credit courses. In addition to teaching several honors classes, Amy collaborated with The Gasconade Republican (Gasconade County’s newspaper) to create The Dutch Mill, an online newspaper for the district. Amy’s daughter, Haley, is completing her senior year at Columba College studying graphic design. Her husband Jason is a blasting technician and BowFishing State Champ. In her spare time, Amy enjoys reading, scrapbooking, family RZR rides with her purebred good boy River (an Australian Shepard), and all things Disney. Amy’s future endeavors include continuing her quest to one day teach at the college level while running her own Disney travel agency.

Laura Ribeiro received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and human services from Missouri Baptist University and her MSW from the University of Missouri St. Louis. She is a licensed clinical social worker and

registered play therapist. Her career has focused primarily on providing mental health counseling to children and adolescents in a school-based setting. Since 2021, she has been serving as a faculty member for the MSW program at Missouri Baptist University and enjoys the opportunity to prepare students to enter the field of social work. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, cooking, and exercising.

Michael C. Roberts is a mostly retired pediatric psychologist seeking creativity through photography. His film and digital photographs have appeared in The Canary, Burningword, The Alchemy Spoon, FERAL, Camas, Word’s Faire, and elsewhere. His book of photographs, Imaging the World with Plastic Cameras: Diana and Holga, is available on Amazon.

Michael Shoemaker is a poet, haikuist, writer, photographer, and editor from Magna, Utah, where he lives with his wife and son and enjoys looking out on the Great Salt Lake every day. He is the author of two poetry/ photography collections, Rocky Mountain Reflections and Grasshoppers in the Field. His poetry has appeared in Boundless 2024: The Anthology of the Rio Grande Valley International Poetry Festival and Petals of Haiku: An Anthology, an anthology that is a #1 top Amazon Release. He is a threetime nominee for the 2025 Best of the Net Anthology awards.

Andrew William Steinbeck labors in the fields of ministry, education, and music composition but is interested in almost everything. Originally from Canton, MO, Steinbeck holds a BA in Music from Truman State University and an M.Div. from Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has pastorally served three churches. Married to MBU’s own Julie Steinbeck and father to Maria and Joanie, he aspires to see everyone marvel at Jesus the Savior. In his free time, he enjoys studying, camping, hiking, playing musical instruments, and science fiction. He teaches music in the Lincoln County (Troy, Missouri) School District. His favorite word is tetelestai.

Julie Steinbeck is a St. Louis-area native. After graduating from Truman State University with her Master of Arts in Education, Steinbeck began teaching college English in 2016 and is now the Director of First-Year Composition at Missouri Baptist University. Most of her teaching work centers on showing freshmen how to write and seniors how to parse sentences and finalize their capstone projects. Her poetry and nonfiction

writing appear in Cantos, Fireflies’ Light, Intégrité, and The Right Words. Steinbeck enjoys the English language, dogs, hot beverages, music, and new recipes. She cannot be left unsupervised in bookstores.

C. Clark Triplett is the Emeritus Dean of Graduate Studies and Professor of Psychology at Missouri Baptist University. He served as co-editor of The Final Crossing: Death and Dying in Literature (Peter Lang, 2015), a coeditor of Worlds Gone Awry: Essays on Dystopian Fiction (McFarland, 2018), and a co-editor of Certainty and Ambiguity in Global Mystery Fiction: Essays on the Moral Imagination (Bloomsbury Academic, 2024). Triplett’s poems have appeared in Cantos, Fireflies’ Light, and the Asahi Haikuist Network. He earned a BA from Southwest Baptist University, an MDiv from Covenant Theological Seminary, an MSEd from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville, and a PhD from Saint Louis University.

Josh Triplett is an Advanced Technologies Specialist at Gulfstream Aerospace with over sixteen years of experience in advanced technologies, including visual effects, augmented and virtual reality, and artificial intelligence. He holds a BFA in Fine Arts from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Triplett is currently working on his first novel, a young adult science fiction/fantasy book that explores themes of finding belonging and worth, learning to live with the consequences of past mistakes, and reconciling the idea that good and evil are sometimes far more complex than we might expect.

John Zheng’s 20 photo essays have appeared in journals, including Arkansas Review, Intégrité, Maine Digital Collaborative, Mississippi Folklife, and The Southern Quarterly. His photographs have also been used for covers of magazines, books, and anthologies. He lives in the Mississippi Delta, where one will see the moon playing a sonata.