Robert Ingersoll…”A most precious treasure”
January 27, 2008 by Bill
Robert Ingersoll, “a glorious flame of free thought.” How can I do this genius justice in such a short space? I will try. He lived from 1833 to 1899 and was internationally known as the “Great Agnostic”, one of the most brilliant thinkers, lawyers, orators, debtors and authors of his day, or any day. Twelve volumes of his works are still available and are a collector’s treasure. He lectured all over the United States and abroad to standing-room-only audiences. He spoke on many subjects, but thousands upon thousands turned out to hear him demolish the absurdities of orthodox religious dogmas, including Christianism. He found them repugnant due to the damage they did to the human mind and spirit. And yet, on a deep and profound level he had a sense of the Mystery that was breathtaking.
I can tell you that, without exception, his funeral eulogies are the most beautiful that I have ever read in the English language.
WALT WHITMAN, the poet laureate of the universe, said that only one man could speak at his funeral and that man was Robert Ingersoll.
CARL SANDBURG, said of Ingersoll’s eulogy of Whitman: “It was a most precious treasure.”
My hero: Mark Twain
January 20, 2008 by Bill
Directly above my computer, framed, are these words about a writers “worthy calling” by Mark Twain: “ours is a useful trade…a worthy calling…and it has one serious purpose, one aim, one specialty, and it is constant to it…the deriding of shams…the exposure of pretentious falsities…the laughing of stupid superstitions out of existence…Whoso is engaged in this sort of warfare is the natural enemy of royalties…nobilities…privileges…and all kindred swindles…and is the natural friend of human rights and human liberties.” Ken Burns, the Executive Producer of that magnificent television documentary on the “Civil War” has just finished production of what he said was the most important work of his long and distinguished career, his real “labor of love”. It was on THE LIFE AND LITERATURE OF MARK TWAIN. It was shown on PBS last Monday and Tuesday night. I ordered both the video and the book that goes with it over a month ago and have been absorbing them like a sponge, even though I was familiar with the majority of the material.
I think that I have in my personal library every book written by, or about, Twain. He is easily in the top three of my “role models”, to use a popular phrase of the day.
Ernest Hemingway paid his tribute to Twain in these words: “All modern American literature comes from one book by Mark Twain, called ‘Huckleberry Finn. There was nothing before. There has been nothing so good since…” T.S. Eliot called it “one of the permanent symbolic figures of fiction.” William Dean Howells called Mark Twain “the Abraham Lincoln of American literature.”
Edelen chosen for Palm Springs Walk of Stars.
January 15, 2008 by Bill
William Edelen was chosen, by a unanimous vote by the Board of Directors, to receive a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars. The star was awarded to him for his contribution to the city in religious literacy and general education. The police said it was one of the largest crowds they had seen at a star dedication. The star is located in the Vineyards area at Baristo and Palm Canyon Drive. That location was chosen by Edelen.
Order a hardbound, limited edition, signed by William Edelen
