DAILY INSPIRATION AND STEPS TOWARD UNITY

LINCOLN STILL CALLS US TOGETHER—This week, our whole community of writers and editors is thrilled to launch a unique new series of books with the release of 30 Days With Abraham Lincoln—Quiet Fire. 

Based on a popular radio series from Lincoln scholar Duncan Newcomer, this book is designed with a month’s day-by-day readings, as well as easy links to listen to the original broadcast of each day’s story as well. Historians, teachers and inspirational writers already are encouraging Americans to help with this unique, interactive project.

Read our magazine Cover Story, this week, which has news, plus links to get involved in many ways. The important first step? Get a copy of the book. Then, we also have launched a Front Edge Publishing resource page for the new book series, which has free downloadable media resources to spark interest in this series among friends.

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Remember When America Welcomed Immigrants?

A CUBAN-AMERICAN FAMILY shares their dramatic story from the early 1960s with columnist and author Suzy Farbman this week.

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Holidays & Festivals:
MANY WAYS TO MARK AUTUMN—

SPIRITUAL SIDE OF FOOTBALL

MARTIN DAVIS’s October column explores the spiritual side of football, which may seem like quite a creative leap to many of our readers. In fact, Pew and Gallup tell us that football remains American’s favorite sport, a true autumnal festival—and Martin tells a dramatic, personal story of how this sport has shaped his own family.

DIWALI

INDIAN FESTIVAL of LIGHTS—A billion people are celebrating the festival of Diwali this week. In recognition of the triumph of light over darkness, Diwali bears great significance for Hindus, Jains and Sikhs alike; as awareness of Indian culture spreads, major celebrations now are hosted around the world. Holidays columnist Stephanie Fenton has the story.

Care to see all the holidays? It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances—just remember the address InterfaithHolidays.com

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Faith & Film

ED McNULTY, for decades, has published reviews, magazine articles and books exploring connections between faith and film. Most of his work is freely published. Ed supports his work by selling the Visual Parables Journal, a monthly magazine packed with discussion guides to films. This resource is used coast-to-coast by individuals who love the movies and by educators, clergy and small-group leaders.

Among Ed’s free reviews and columns are:

• THE JOKER—Ed writes: “Of all the super villains, in the D.C. or any universe for that matter, the Joker is the most interesting. Definitely worthy of his own origin movie.” (4.5 out of 5 stars)
• AD ASTRA—Ed describes the film and its faith connection this way: “The Psalmist might see the hand of God in the stars, but to the analytical Major Roy McBride (Brad Pitt), son of famed pioneering astronaut H. Clifford McBride (Tommy Lee Jones), they are merely distant destinations.” (4 stars)
• ALL ABOUT FIDDLER! This week, Ed McNulty adds three reviews celebrating the long life of Fiddler on the Roof. New for 2019 is Fiddler: A Miracle of Miracles, a terrific new documentary that traces the tale all the way back to its roots in Yiddish theater. Then, Ed goes back in time to review the 1939 production of Tevya, which is closer to the original stories of Sholem Aleichem and the play produced for Yiddish-language theater in New York. Today, this Tevya is free to view on YouTube and Ed provides an easy link. Then, Ed moves to 1971 for a full review of the movie-musical version starring Topol. Today, Amazon Prime viewers can enjoy the 1971 musical free of charge.
• LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE—Ed writes, “Those who have enjoyed Ken Burns exquisite PBS series Country Music will love Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s rousing tribute to a great singer.” (5 stars)
• OFFICIAL SECRETS—This British political thriller is as absorbing as any pulp spy novel, Ed says. (4.5 stars)
• HONEYLAND—Make a point of looking for this remarkable documentary about women trying to survive in a bleak Macedonian village. (5 stars)
• DOWNTON ABBEY—Ed gives the long-awaited movie 5 stars and writes, “Julian Fellowes’ beloved characters are back, and thanks to the giant screen, bigger and bolder than ever. Judging by the enthusiastic audience at the advance screening I attended, the film should be a big hit.”
• THE GOLDFINCH—Ed writes, “While watching director John Crowley’s thriller, based on Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer prize-winning novel of the same name, I thought of a jigsaw puzzle. One has to discover how to place each seemingly unrelated scene together like the jagged pieces of a puzzle.” (4 stars)

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