MSI Press Blog

  At midnight, everything resets—without fanfare, without finality. July 18 arrives bearing borrowed weight: the birthday of John Glenn (1921-2016), first American to circle the earth and US Senator from the great state of Ohio. I remember John Glenn—not in conversation or collaboration, but in presence. He was around NASA when I was there, preparing for his celebrated return to space at age 77. The headlines called it history. The internal atmosphere? Not quite celebratory. The flight, while advertised as an experiment to learn about the effects of space on older people (a worthy topic), it was seen by many as a publicity play. Moreover, it took a rarely available seat from younger astronauts needing experience to rise through the ranks. Glenn had already reached the stars; the rest of them were still climbing. And while his contributions were vast—undeniable—it was hard not to notice the friction. Legacy, it turns out, can be both earned and inconvenient. That year (1998), Ho...

When a spouse dies, memory plays tricks on us. Grief is not just about missing someone—it’s about trying to make sense of a life that is now suddenly only past tense. One of the most complicated truths of bereavement is that we often don't remember our loved ones as they truly were. We remember them as either an icon —glorified, idealized, a figure bathed in soft light—or as an ogre , the shadowy figure who made life hard in their final days. Neither version tells the full truth. The "icon" memory is seductive. It’s easier to remember only the best—the laughter, the shared victories, the warm touches and private jokes. We place them on a pedestal so high we forget the arguments, the disappointments, the human flaws. It's a comforting illusion, but it can leave us feeling confused when our true memories sneak back in. We wonder if we’re betraying them by remembering anything less than perfection. On the other end of the spectrum is the "ogre" narrative, espec...

  The following post is shared by Arthur Yavelberg, author of  A Theology for the Rest of Us , This is a painting by the 20 th  Century American Painter, Edward Hopper .   It is titled, “Night Hawks.”  To ask in the spirit of Captain Obvious: is this real ?   The answer, though, is not so obvious .   It is “real” in the sense that it is a painting that one can see, touch and even smell .   In other words, it is some -”thing ” that is composed of a variety of material elements .   However, it is not “real” in the sense ( read more ) A Theology for the Rest of Us  has earned the following awards: Best Indie Book Award Literary Titan Silver Aware For more posts about Arthur and his book, click  HERE . Sign up for the MSI Press LLC newsletter Follow MSI Press on  Twitter ,  Face Book , and  Instagram .   Interested in publishing with MSI Press LLC? Check out information on  how to submit...