This looking-back post seems like a good time to pass on my appreciation for your blog overall. As someone new to UUism only a few years ago, with no previous religious background and only experience with a few different UU congregations under my belt, I have until lately been still very much in the “100 Questions About UUism” phase. As the newness and glamor wear off, I am beginning to confront the complexities of UUism as a revolutionary and prophetic, but ultimately imperfect (made up of humans, after all), movement. It’s not in regular structured Sunday services but in communication that I’ve found the tools to begin to question and, hopefully, answer, but in communication and specifically in thoughtful and engaging writing like your blog. Thanks for showing me through your frank reflections that it is possible for UUism to be flawed and fallible and occasionally hypocritical, but ultimately still a wonderful place to be…
[Thank you, my friend! How nice! - PB]

Wow. Now I know why I instinctively didn’t like the book even though I haven’t read it. (Does this invalidate my comment completely?) It sounded like one more “Ooh, I traveled the world to enlighten my individualistic upper-middle-class white self and I discovered all this really basic stuff I really could have learned back home.” Sounds even worse though. Nobody had mentioned the exploitation-of-the-locals side of it to me. Ew.

And I’m glad someone agrees with me about Anne Lamott. Wonderful writer, funny, tender, spiritually inspiring — and very, very narcissistic. Why does no one ever mention this?

Now - I am deeply aware that some of my feelings about her are triggered by Writer’s Envy. There. I’ve said it. I want to be a best-seller too instead of having my books languish mid-list. But I still think she’s narcissistic. As for the kid, I haven’t read the recent stuff on him. I loved Operating Instructions and howled with laughter but I think I’m about two books behind, so I haven’t seen the recent stuff on him. He’ll need a good shrink, I guess, but they live in California, so shrinkery is de rigueur. And I do speak from experience since I lived there for ten years ;-).

http://peacebang.blogspot.com/2007/03/eat-pray-love-peacebang-review.html

Thanks.