Housekeeping

by Danny Fisher

I know that I have been very slow to put out a second podcast in the new series on Richard H. Robinson, Willard L. Johnson, and Thanissaro Bhikkhu’s Buddhist Religions: A Historical Introduction. Apologies to those of you who have noticed and inquired. I’m pleased to announce that the second podcast will be appearing very shortly. For those following along in the book, it will cover sections 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4. This is contrary to what I said at the end of the first podcast. I still plan to work slowly through the book, but I think it makes sense to cover this particular material in one long podcast rather than a few short ones. So, please be prepared for a new podcast of some considerable length!


I finally got around to seeing Glenn Holsten’s documentary film Saint of 9/11, which I talked up at this blog before its release in September 2006.

If you’re not familiar with the film, it tells the story of Fr. Mychal Judge, the gay Franciscan monk and New York City Fire Department chaplain who became the first officially recorded victim of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, September 11, 2001. Fr. Judge refused Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s request to leave “Ground Zero” with him, opting instead to remain with firefighters and those being evacuated from the towers.

I found it to be an exquisite film. It certainly lavishes a great deal of love on its subject, but it also doesn’t shy away from his humanness. Holsten deals directly with Fr. Judge’s alcoholism, as well as the priest’s struggle to reconcile his responsibilities to the Church with his sexuality. It is this unflinching quality that makes the film something more than a hagiography. Yes, he ultimately goes into recovery and helps other alcoholics. And yes, he ultimately does some great and radical services for the gay Catholic community. What is special, though, is that the filmmakers are just as interested in the all-too-human bumps along the way as they are in the inspirational triumphs themselves.

Sir Ian McKellan’s narration, and particularly his readings of Fr. Judge’s writings, were also quite moving. The only other time I’ve been that astonished and affected by a narrator’s work was when I first saw Bonhoeffer and heard Klaus Maria Brandauer’s readings of the subject’s work.

Anyway, I highly recommend Saint of 9/11. Visit http://www.saintof9-11.com for more information.


Lastly, something fun…

Winners of the Second Annual Blogisattva Awards were announced this week. I was very happy to win one award: Best Multi-Part Blog Post, for my twenty-five posts from India. Visit the Blogisattva webpage for a complete list of nominees and winners. My thanks go once again to Tom for the kind recognition.