Brown Bookshelf Calls for African-American Children’s Literature nominations for “28 Days Later” project during Black History Month 2008

The Brown Bookshelf is a group of five authors and illustrators, who have joined together to showcase the best and brightest voices in African-American children’s literature. Their special emphasis is on new authors and books that are relatively unknown and not receiving the recognition they deserve.
In conjunction with the African-American Read-In Chain, the [...]

Nadia Boulanger: Choice, Love, Passion…in music and life.

“The essential conditions
of everything you do
must be choice,
love,
passion.”
~Nadia Boulanger, composer, conductor and musician~
Wickipedia note: Nadia Boulanger (September 16, 1887 – October 22, 1979) was an influential French composer, conductor, and music professor. An outstanding music educator at the highest level, she taught many of the most important composers and conductors of the 20th century.

You can [...]

Dancing Brings Community through the river of a man’s life

My father Erwin Thompson continues his story of how dancing and music continue to shape and enrich his life and the lives around him. —JGR
Waltzing and The Broom Waltz
Square dances were my love, along with the simple waltzes, the Rye Waltz, and most of all the “broom waltz” where at several points in the dance [...]

How Old-Time Square Dancing Shaped My Father’s Life—Happy 92nd birthday, Pop!

On his 92nd birthday, in his own words, my father Erwin A. Thompson, tells the power of dancing and music in his life…There’ll be one coming up tomorrow night for his birthday party if you want to come by.–JGR

Great-aunt Mim’s Amati violin
My life before I discovered square dancing
I was born in Schuyler County, Illinois November [...]

Erwin A. Thompson Brush-Clearing Workout Program, Part 2

Since my mother’s death on May 1st, 2006, my father Erwin Thompson has taken on clearing brush on our 100-acre place, Evergreen Heights, in a major way…this, in addition to completing several new novels, calling square-dances, and hosting a weekly musical open house. Oh yes, and he’s about to celebrate his 92nd birthday on November [...]

Erwin A. Thompson Brush-Clearing Workout for Longevity and Health

Since my mother’s death on May 1st, 2006, my father Erwin Thompson has taken on clearing brush on our 100-acre place, Evergreen Heights, in a major way…this, in addition to completing several new novels, calling squaredances, and hosting a weekly musical open house. Oh yes, and he’s about to celebrate his 92nd birthday on November [...]

H.H. Dalai Lama at Emory University on streaming audio

The presentations from H.H. Dalai Lama’s recent visit to Emory University to commemorate his installation as Presidential Distinguished Professor are all available online, in video streaming format. Click here.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama at Emory University
My friend Elaine writes that her son, who was there, particularly recommends the “Summit on Religion, Conflict and Peacebuilding” [...]

Riehl’s poem “Fall at the Lake” observes & celebrates the shift in season

This poem was written in Lake County, Northern California, and refers to Clear Lake, California’s largest self-enclosed lake. I now cross the Mississippi River at least once a week, rather than gazing out on Clear Lake. But, as we’ve slid deeper into Autumn with the time change, this poem from “Sightlines: A Poet’s Diary” (see [...]

Riehl on “African Culture of Story”—Guest blog post in two parts on Damaria Senne’s “Story Pot”

Damaria Senne and I have been having a good time swapping guest posts. She appeared earlier of Riehlife in a post about finding relatives in unexpected places. If you missed it the first time, you can find it here.

Damaria Senne, of Johannesburg, South Africa
Damaria has posted an extensive 2-part interview with me on [...]

Missouri History Museum evening “Journey of African-American Cultural Institutions: Where do we go from here?” generates thirst for continued Kgotla gatherings to pull together and package African-American Cultural Institutions to attract Heritage Tourism Dollars to St. Louis

During my years of community development in Gabane, Botswana (just outside of Gaborone, home of the fictional Precious Ramotswe) working to set up and stabilize Tswaragano Craft Center there, I sat in many a Kgotla meeting or community and tribal council (see Wikipedia note at end of post).
Last week in the cave of the Missouri [...]