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Barbara Falconer Newhall

Veteran journalist Barbara Falconer Newhall riffs on life as she knows it.

  • A CASE OF THE HUMAN CONDITION
  • MY EVER-CHANGING FAMILY
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  • MY ROCKY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY
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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.

Christmas in Mexico — It’s All About the Baby Jesus

January 1, 2014 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 7 Comments

posada procession christmas eve 2013 san miguel de allende. photo by bf newhall

 

If it’s the Baby Jesus you’re looking for on Christmas Eve, the colonial town of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, is the place to be. Read more.

A Festive Christmas in San Miguel de Allende

December 26, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 2 Comments

Santa was nowhere to be seen in the days leading up to Christmas in San Miguel de Allende.

Winter Solstice — My Mother’s Last Words to Me Before She Died

December 19, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 9 Comments

tinka falconer at Lake Michigan

My mother’s last words to me were nothing much. No parting words of love. No heartfelt messages to the grandchildren. Read more.

SXSW: Austin — A City With Its Soul on Its Sleeve

November 7, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 4 Comments

A statue of the Virgin Mary in blue and white clothes and outstretched arms in a front yard in Austin, TX. Photo by BF Newhall

 

Austin has the reputation of being not your typical Texas town — it’s more liberal and more secular than the rest of this Bible Belt state. Perceptions aside, there’s plenty of religion going on in Austin, and you can see it from the street. Read more.

The Ghost of 300 Million Drought-Killed Trees Hovers Over a Lake in Texas

October 10, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 14 Comments

Motorists get a glimps of the THIRST Ghost Tree temporary art installation from the Lamar Bridge in Austin, TX. Photo by BF Newhall

 

Some temporary art installations – you’re glad they’re temporary. But there’s an installation in Austin, Texas, right now that deserves its full ten weeks of fame.

Who Is a Jew? The Pew Research Center Tackles the Question — And Gets Some Answers

October 2, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 11 Comments

title page of the Bleichrode 1923 German edition of Jewish prayer book. photo by bf newhall

 

Who is a Jew? Before it could undertake its 2013 survey of U.S. Jews, the Pew Research Center had to think hard about what makes you Jewish in twenty-first-century America. It turns out that believing in God is not essential to Jewishness, and neither is being married to a Jewish spouse. Having a sense of humor helps a lot, however . . . Read more.

Yea! A Book Contract for “Wrestling with God”

July 25, 2013 By Barbara Falconer Newhall 30 Comments

Writer Barbara Falconer Newhall in her writing room holding a copy of her book contract with Bondfire Books. Photo by Jon Newhall

Good news. I’ve signed a contract with a publisher for my book "Wrestling With God." The publisher is Bondfire Books in partnership with Patheos.com.

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ON THE FUNNY SIDE

Tulips and Sex — Writing as If Everyone I Know Were Dead

looking at pink tulips just opening from the underside at Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, CA. Photo by BF Newhall

I want to write about tulips today. I don’t want to write about sex. The trouble is, for me, writing about tulips means writing about sex: something about their juicy curves brings erotic metaphors to my particular mind. I had thought that once my mother — and father — were no longer alive and reading over my shoulder, I’d be able to write my heart out, but . . . Read more.

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TO MY READERS

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