Michael Field's Blog

  A Short Statement on Friday’s Attack at Chautauqua Institution   Michael Field August 14, 2022   At the beginning of the season, a lecturer referred to the Chautauqua experience as “America at it best!” On Friday, the Amphitheater was the site of “America at its worst!” Salman Rushdie was practicing freedom of speech when he wrote Satanic Verses , despite living in a theocracy which didn’t, and still doesn’t, recognize that freedom or other basic human rights. He was practicing it over 30 years later when, despite still being under the threat of death from a religious fatwa, he took the stage at the Amphitheater. The armed assailant attacked fundamental freedoms and values while inflicting grievous bodily harm. May Mr. Rushdie and Mr. Reese recover swiftly from the damage to their persons, may Chautauqua emerge stronger from the attack on its values, and may America recover from all who would do it harm. Reflection on today’s events in Chautauqua, NY   Several weeks ago, as

  Ruminations On My First Self-Editing Class Michael E. Field August 2022 I am preparing for the first class of what is a new course for me, ‘Self-Edit Like a Pro: Creative Nonfiction’, and I am approaching it with some trepidation. My writings are my babies and nobody gets to call them ugly, least of all me.  At least the instructor, Maia, is a known entity, as well as you can know someone you have only met in online writing classes.  Due to circumstances, I am not in my usual place for writing. Rather than being in front of my computer with my keyboard on my lap, I am Zooming from my iPad in a community room. At the next table, somebody is doing a jigsaw puzzle; and, through the wall, I can hear strains of 1950’s songs from the ‘Down on the Corner’ Doo Wop singers, the rehearsal I skipped out on for this class. Fortunately, I was there long enough to practice the National Anthem as, next Saturday, we will sing it before the first pitch of the Durham Bulls AAA baseball game. M