A Spiritual Adventure in Music: Discovering an often-overlooked jazz genius

COVER STORY—Composer, performer, educator and now writer Deanna Witkowski has devoted two decades to exploring the life and musical genius of the often-overlooked Mary Lou Williams. Do you recognize Williams’ name? If so, you’re probably already a jazz fan. If this is the first time you are reading about this remarkable jazz pioneer, then you’re in for a treat! Mary Lou Williams shaped American jazz—and composed or arranged major jazz works—from the 1920s through the 1970s. Our cover story describes her career and includes links to Deanna’s new biography of Mary Lou Williams, a new full-length tribute album Deanna has just released and to several related videos. This is a unique multimedia opportunity for individual enjoyment and for sparking discussion with friends. And, yes, we even give you links to reach Deanna herself if you want to learn more about her ongoing work.

From our authors—

Rabbi Lenore Bohm

Want some good news you can share right now?

THIS WEEK, we are inviting readers to take an early peek at the “coming-soon” book trailers for the upcoming Torah Tutor: A Contemporary Torah Study Guide by the popular teacher Rabbi Lenore Bohm. This book is an inspiring choice for individual reflection and for group discussions. You can help this launch, right now, by taking a look at these short book videos, sharing the news with friends—and, if you’re intrigued, you can pre-ordering your own copy today. The book will be shipped on March 29, 2022.

Rodger Murchison

Organizing a prayer service for Ukraine

THE REV. RODGER MURCHISON—author of Guide for Grief, a book that has helped thousands of families around the world—writes this week about how his community organized an interfaith prayer service for the people of Ukraine.

David Crumm answers …

Why do we spell it “antisemitism”?

IN OUR FRONT EDGE PUBLISHING COLUMN, this week, Editor David Crumm writes about consensus among journalists to stop using either a hyphen or a capitalized letter in spelling antisemitism.

Martin Davis

Please join me on your March 30 lunch hour

THIS WEEK, we received this open invitation to share with our readers from Martin Davis, author of the new 30 Days with America’s High School Coaches. Martin writes: “Join me on Wednesday the 30th for a celebration of high school coaching. I’ll be reading a chapter from the book, and fielding questions about high school coaching and the impact it has on the lives of students.” The session is free at 12-Noon Eastern Time, March 30, 2022. Here’s the link to register.

John Harnish

Getting your spirit in shape with E. Stanley Jones

THIS WEEK, the Rev. John “Jack” Harnish is featured in the United Methodist podcast Get Your Spirit in Shape. In this half-hour interview, Jack tells his own story of encountering Jones from his father, who had a quote from Jones inscribed on his tombstone. And, Jack describes his once meeting Jones—this “aging gentleman with a very soft and reflective voice.” As the podcast unfolds, you’ll also learn about Jones’ impact on the lives of Gandhi and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Holidays & Festivals

When is Easter?

The answer is not as simple as you might think

In our HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS column this week, we explain this oh-so-hard-to-pin-down holiday.

WANT TO SEE ALL OF THE UPCOMING HOLIDAYS & FESTIVALS?—It’s easy to find our annual calendar of global observances. Just remember the web address: InterfaithHolidays.com

Click on this image to read Ed McNulty’s review of the documentary, Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom

Faith & Film

Click on this image to learn more about the March 2022 issue of Ed McNulty’s Visual Parables Journal, packed with discussion guides for individual reflection and use in small groups.

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:

WINTER ON FIRE—“I hope that freedom-loving people all over the world will tune in to Netflix’s new documentary. An Oscar nominee for Best Documentary, it provides a fitting prelude to the current violence unleashed by the ruthless land-grabbing Russian tyrant, as well as a fitting tribute to the brave people opposing him.”
CARRIE’S WAR—“The story is set during the London Blitz when the decision was made to ship the children out into the country-side for their safety and their parents’ peace of mind.”
WRITING WITH FIRE—”This Oscar-nominated documentary’s title must have been derived from the white hot passion of journalist Meera Devi and her colleagues at their newspaper located in northern India. Khabar Lahariya, which means in English “Waves of News,” is staffed by Dalit women.”
BUTTER—“Virtually all teenagers have felt isolated and hopeless at times, if not by the obesity of the film’s Butter (Alex Kersting), then by some other difference that makes them feel judged and rejected by peers,” Ed writes in recommending this film.
DEATH ON THE NILE—”He’s back, that French detective with a mustache so large that it could be regarded as a fire hazard. Just as he was a passenger in 2017’s Murder on the Orient Express, so Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh) is again a passenger, but this time on a luxury paddle boat a few hundred miles south—the Nile River.”
DRIVE MY CAR—”This film of bereavement and guilt was adapted by director Ryûsuke Hamaguchi and co-writer Takamasa Oe from a short story of the same name by Japanese author Haruki Murakami.”
BREAKING BREAD—Central to documentarian Beth Elise Hawk‘s film is Dr. Nof Atamna-Ismaeel—the first Muslim Arab to win Israel’s MasterChef on the TV show MasterChef Israel. In fact, Ed’s main criticism of the movie is that he wishes it was longer to showcase more of the festival!
CYRANO—Ed urges us not to miss the new version of the Cyrano story, starring Peter Dinklage. He also likes the musical additions. “The film’s songs do not pop out and burn themselves into your memory, but thy do add poetry to the play and enhance greatly the drama,” he writes.
THE STATION AGENT—Seeing Dinklage in Cyrano, inspires Ed to reach back and republish his review of the quirky 2003 film, The Station Agent. If you enjoy stories about “outsiders” learning to connect with others, then you’ll love this film, Ed writes.
LINCOLN’S DILEMMA—Ed praises the new four-part series about Lincoln and Frederick Douglas that just debuted on Apple TV+
SUNDOWN—Mexico’s Michel Franco’s new film challenges viewers to figure out their feelings toward its troubled main characters.
BINTI—Ed McNulty writes, “Tanzanian director and writer Seko Shamte, with fellow writer Angela Ruhinda, decries the plight of four women whose stories are loosely connected by their gender that leaves them almost powerless in a male-dominated society. The title means ‘young woman’ in Swahili.”
LUNANA: A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM—”The setting of this film is indeed exotic, but the theme of welcoming friendship and the transforming power of love and respect is universal.”