Timely reading, entirely coincidental: a few days before the U.S. Capitol became the scene of violence and death, I began reading Jailed for Freedom: the Story of the Militant American Suffragist Movement by Doris Stevens. Written a century ago, it’s almost painfully relevant now. Stevens was one of the “Silent Sentinels” who stood in ongoing vigil outside of Woodrow Wilson’s White House, urging him to get behind women’s voting rights.
Not only did the President refuse for far too long, but he stood by when the women who were demonstrating were abused, arrested, and jailed. Note well that the violence was on them, not by them. These were not passive women; they were living proof of how tough nonviolence needs to be in its goals, persistence, and commitment.
That’s not an academic point. Witness the recent events in Washington.
TLDR, spoiler alert: President Wilson finally got the message, and so did Congress. The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified in 1920.
A friend told me about Carrying the Fire, and I have no idea how I missed it before now. It’s wonderful. The author is Michael Collins, a man of parts, probably best known for his time as an astronaut. This memoir covers flight training, Air Force service, and his time at NASA including his role as command module pilot for Apollo 11. Collins writes like a dream; I read pages out loud just to revel in his style.
He offers unsparing (though not unkind) brief character sketches of his fellow astronauts. It’s interesting to read contemporary accounts of men who are now part of history.
Pioneering pilot Charles Lindbergh provides two fitting grace notes to the book. The first is his foreword. The second, shared by Collins at the end of the book, is a letter he wrote to Collins after the Apollo 11 flight. In the years since 1969, Collins has sometimes been treated as a footnote to the moon landing; he was the guy who had to stay in the ship while Armstrong and Aldrin left footprints on the moon. Lindbergh took a different view. The man who flew solo across the Atlantic understood the particular beauty and peace of solitude in purposeful flight. In his letter, he greeted Collins as a man who could understand that.
Litanies and Legacies, Mystics and Mysteries: Themes for living life as a Spiritual Litany is a source of refreshment for me these days. It’s a good companion to Adoration. These are not the usual litanies. From author Rev. Paul G. Mast: “Each litany is different in biographical details and reflection material. But, all the litanies are pathways to God.” (GospelSoft Books, gospelsoftretreats.org)
Open Book is a monthly blog linkup hosted by My Scribbler’s Heart and CatholicMom.com.
Featured photo: Pixabay.
Ellen Kolb 