By Barbara Falconer Newhall The people I interviewed for my book, “Wrestling with God: Stories of Doubt and Faith,” are like old friends. I like to look them up from time to time and take in their wisdom and their stories — funny, poignant, passionate. To make contact I don’t need to pick up the phone […]
My Rocky Spiritual Journey
You don't have to be a big believer to find something interesting to read here . . . You'll find excerpts from the spiritual journeys of people I've met on the religion beat as well as reports of my own fraught encounters with religion and spirituality . . . as well as updates on my book, "Wrestling with God: Stories of Doubt and Faith," from Patheos Press.
A Mother Who Died With Her Daughters at Auschwitz — Ernie Hollander’s Story
Ernie Hollander’s mother died at Auschwitz, but she was not defeated by her tormentors. Her story lives on. Read more.
A Dream About Wrestling With — Uh, Who Was That Anyway?
I had a dream about wrestling the other night. Was it a message from my deep psyche — or the heights of heaven? Read more.
At the Feet of Annie Dillard, Memoirist, Essayist, Observer of the Real
What draws me to author Annie Dillard — what makes me want to turn off the TV and grab one of her books — is her eagle-sharp eye for the world as it truly is. Read more.
Matthias Church — Budapest’s Splashy, Gorgeous, Over-the-Top Church of Kings
The spectacular painted interiors of Budapest’s beloved Matthias Church make it a must-see for lovers of folk art and art nouveau. Read more.
A Lost Child in Wartime Detroit — A Headscarf Story
I couldn’t see the point of my mother’s skimpy yellow babushka — until the day I found myself a lost child in a cavernous Detroit department store. Read more.
Autumn in the Garden, When Sensible Plants Pack It In for the Winter . . . And a Healing Ankle
It was autumn in the garden and all the grim stuff that happens as winter sets in — death, rot, shrivel and retreat — made for a thing of beauty. Read more.