See part 1 of “Anita’s Story” here. “Vision: Anita’s Story” by Alan Brody In the chill of an autumn morning’s sun, those late insect visitors are absent, but the flowers have now an intensity of color and texture and a longevity in this cooler, crisper time of year that allows one to linger over their…
See part 2 of “Anita’s Story” here. Vision: Anita’s Story by Alan Brody I wonder how vision and emotion intertwine in the infant child, in those early days before its eyes have focused. Many times I watched my own children gazing into the face of their mother as they suckled, pondering the miracle of love…
It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a million different centers of…
Because of Alan’s time in Afghanistan, and because of the timing of his work with the UN in Afghanistan from 1993 onward, I was thrilled when he agreed to review the political satire “Charlie Wilson’s War.” I’d seen the film, thought it well-made, and well-acted, but really could find no words to share. So, it…
Alan Brody worked for twenty-two years with the UN Children’s Fund, most recently as UNICEF Representative in Swaziland (1999–2006), and before that with assignments in China, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Nigeria. He is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Iowa, and served for over seven years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana…
Spare Change? In an opinion article titled Republican tactics for collecting spare ‘Change’ written for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, Alan Brody nails the Republican “Change” strategy with an on-point metaphor. I hope you get a chance to read this…quite entertaining and shows the power of metaphor and imagination at work…to illuminate our current political process.
What if, indeed, as Buddhist say we are all mothers to one another (past-present-future)? How would that change your part of the world? 2)What are the stories of mothers you’ve known? Wikipedia agrees that Mother’s Day isn’t just about biological mother’s. It’s about nurturing. Mother’s Day is a celebration that honors mothers and motherhood, maternal…
I’ve lived so many places in my life that long term friends are precious.They hold the thread of my life. They knew me when and they know me now. Thus it is with Alan and Mary Brody. We met in 1973 in Ghana, West Africa when we were all young. The Brody’s went on to…
Alan Brody worked in third world countries for 40 years. He’d know if America were becoming one.
One of the better side benefits from dedicated blogging is that you make friends. Sometimes, very good friends. If you aren’t a pro-blogger, you meet others similarly involved in this labor of love. I’ve been lucky in the friends Riehlife has attracted to our village. Two such friends, as yet unseen, are poet Stephen Kuusisto…