Last week, while I was working in the library, a message appeared on my screen telling me that my hard drive was about to fail and that I must back up its contents NOW! I will be honest with you and say I didn't take it seriously at first — thought it was kind of […]
A Tribute to My Father
Eleven years ago today, my father died. Below are the words that I spoke in farewell and tribute to my dad at his memorial service on January 25, 2001, in Roseville, Minnesota. Speaking them before 600 people was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. The first part of this tribute was written at […]
Literary Journey – The Late 1980’s
After teaching English in Zhengzhou for two years, I returned to Minnesota in 1986 to pursue a Master's Degree and gain more teaching experience, with the intention of returning to China a few years later. While Stateside, I started serious work on building my China library. These are the books that were key for me […]
Literary Journey — The Early 1980’s
In 1984 I set off for China to teach English for a year. Before I left, the organization that I was working for sent me a book to read. It was the first book about China that I remember reading. Just as that one year in China has turned into a 28 year sojourn, so […]
Viewing Assignment: The Best Life
The Chinese web portal Netease has posted a video clip of interviews with ordinary Chinese about their ideas for 'the best life." It's a sobering look beyond the headlines of China's power and economic clout, at the people of China, most of whom are working under difficult conditions to simply better their lives. The […]
Talking Twice (Corrected date)
Update: The dates have been corrected to reflect THIS month! (Thanks, CR) This is a reminder to my readers in the Twin Cities that I've got 2 talks coming up this week. The first one is on Tuesday evening, January 10 at Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis. Noel Piper and I will be talking about the"Esther […]
