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Recent Posts
- Psaltery & Lyre’s New Site
- 123 Psaltery & Lyre: “Agricola Dreams of Flying” by J. Rose Lara
- 122 Psaltery & Lyre: “Communion: a love poem (a villanelle)” by Rachel Bollinger
- Book Review: Philip Metres’s Sand Opera
- 121 Psaltery & Lyre: Rachael Matthews, “Horsehead Nebula”
- Book Review: Monica Ong’s Silent Anatomies
- 120 Psaltery & Lyre: Rachael Matthews, “Return, pt. III” and “Gaia”
- Book Review: Claudia Rankine’s Don’t Let Me Be Lonely
- Book Review: Matthea Harvey, If the Tabloids Are True What Are You?
- Book Review: LoterÃa Cards and Fortune Poems: A Book of Lives
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Tag Cloud
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Columns Archive
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11 Dear Jack: Make It Work
Posted on January 7, 2012 | 2 CommentsDear Jack, Our ward is changing meeting times next year, and we’ll meet right in the middle of kids’ nap and lunch times. Do we make everyone go to church for three hours and spend the rest of the day crabby, cranky, hungry and […] -
Roller Coaster
Posted on January 5, 2012 | 2 CommentsA year ago, I was living in a daze. I was spending most nights curled up against my 11 year old daughter's back as she lay on her side in her bed, willing her pain to dissipate, even hoping to absorb it myself. -
Guilty as charged?
Posted on January 4, 2012 | 7 CommentsIf there’s guilt to be had, I seem to want more than my fair share of it. I feel guilty about a lot of things. I feel guilty when my kids are late to school. I feel guilty when I don’t volunteer to bring homemade […] -
I Resolve …
Posted on January 3, 2012 | 6 CommentsInstead of putting my energies into losing weight -- er, being healthy -- or, you know, trying to be a better person, I think my life in music, books and movies needs some attention. -
Sum Kind of Wonderful, 2011
Posted on January 2, 2012 | 3 CommentsSecond only to Halloween, New Year’s is a favorite of mine. The ritual self-assessing gets me literally giddy as I look ahead at a new year with a clean slate and infinite possibility. I realize we could do this at any time, but having it […] -
Walk to the Book of Mormon Musical
Posted on January 1, 2012 | 8 CommentsIn September, Brent and I went to New York City to attend a party to celebrate my aunt’s wedding to her partner of nearly 40 years. It was a quick trip, but we managed to squeeze in the Book of Mormon musical. We left our […] -
Grondahl Restored 4
Posted on January 1, 2012 | No CommentsPosted with the kind permission of The Sunstone Foundation, the publisher, and Calvin Grondahl -
Ride to Church in Jerusalem
Posted on December 26, 2011 | 2 CommentsFrom all of us at Doves & Serpents, we hope you had a Merry Christmas and we wish you a Happy New Year! We’ve so enjoyed writing for you and hope you’ve enjoyed reading. We are taking a holiday this week, but we’ll be back […] -
Ride to Church in Scotland
Posted on December 25, 2011 | 6 CommentsToday’s beautiful Ride to Church(es) comes to us from Amanda Klein Nokleby and Matt Nokleby, who spent Christmas Day 2009 in Scotland and were nice enough to share some of their beautiful pictures with us. They write: Two years ago we decided to get […] -
Grondahl Restored 3
Posted on December 24, 2011 | No Comments -
Christmas Music Hangover
Posted on December 23, 2011 | 24 CommentsToday, a special Christmas guest post from Colin. They say that the first step in recovery is admitting that you have a problem, so here goes: Hi, my name is Colin and I have a holiday music hangover. There are a lot of Christmas songs […] -
10 Dear Jack: Abundance
Posted on December 23, 2011 | 1 CommentIn the new year I'll be back to answering your questions about life and Mormonism, but I wanted to do something a little different with today's column, my tenth, and send a letter myself. -
Santa and I
Posted on December 22, 2011 | 7 CommentsThe year I turned four or five, we drove to my grandparents in central Wisconsin for Christmas. Actually, we did this for most years of my early childhood- until I was 8 or so and we moved to Florida. Making the 1100 mile […] -
Christmas Eve on the Mighty Mississipp’
Posted on December 21, 2011 | 4 CommentsWe spent eight really fun years in Louisiana (2000-2008). It’s a pretty unique place. The people there know how to enjoy life. Every time I turned around, there was a school holiday for something-and an extra spring break for Mardi Gras. Louisianians have the work/play […] -
Like a Kid on Christmas Morning
Posted on December 19, 2011 | 3 CommentsThis year, I’ve been having a difficult time getting into the Christmas spirit this season. Heck, I’ve had difficulty even defining what “is” the Christmas spirit. For my kids, the season is (still) about presents. When asked to draft a letter to Santa requesting […] -
Reboots: Comic Book Heroes, Origin Stories and Mormon Myth
Posted on December 18, 2011 | 6 CommentsAs a kid I read a lot of comic books. I enjoyed studying the intricate character storylines consisting of their origin stories, their many adventures and their overlapping histories with other super heroes. The result was an impressive creation, a universe akin to the […] -
Grondahl Restored 2
Posted on December 17, 2011 | 5 CommentsRobert Kirby says that his first look at this week’s cartoon marked the beginning of his career in Mormon humor: Tribune humor columnist Robert Kirby says Grondahl, then an editorial cartoonist at the Deseret News , set the standard by which every LDS humorist would […] -
09 Dear Jack: Sternly Part of It
Posted on December 16, 2011 | 7 CommentsHello Jack, I just found out about this site. Is it really for people who have left the church? If so, how can it co-exist with those who are sternly still part of it? I have found another site but it’s very anti-Mormon, mostly 20, […] -
Grondahl Restored 1
Posted on December 14, 2011 | 4 CommentsIn early 70s, if you’d wanted to buy a Mormon book, you’d have had to walk into a Deseret Book somewhere, or, a local bookstore in the Mormon corridor, where you’d have found serious looking hardback books, books such as Miracle of Forgiveness, Pathways to […] -
(Near) Death by Supposed-to’s
Posted on December 14, 2011 | 16 CommentsI am realizing these days that I do a LOT of stuff because I’m supposed to. Mel calls this her “approval whore,” which is a hilariously apt description. I do a lot of things at church that I’m supposed to do. I do even more […] -
Do Not Go Gentle Into Christmas Eve
Posted on December 13, 2011 | 6 CommentsI suspect every family has a list of Yuletide must-see TV such as “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” “Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol, ” “A Christmas Story” or “Elf,” but are literary works included in your Most Wonderful Time of the Year-read […] -
Mormon RUMPspringa: When Mormons Go Worldly
Posted on December 12, 2011 | 23 CommentsIn light of the silly controversy that occurred last week at BYU-Idaho wherein a female student was denied access to the testing center for wearing skinny jeans, we thought it would be fun and funny to create a place where we could post pictures of […] -
Ring Out, Wild Bells!
Posted on December 12, 2011 | 7 CommentsIs your ward like mine – that first Sunday of January brings another round of Sacrament Meeting talks on setting goals? For the record, I love those talks. I’m actually a big fan of liturgical calendars and wish we Mormons had one. I’ll take whatever […] -
Ride to “Church” in Culpeper, Virginia
Posted on December 11, 2011 | 2 CommentsToday’s ride to “church” comes to Doves & Serpents from Matthew Crowley of Culpeper, Virginia. Matthew writes, “Sundays for our little family are often days for outings, particularly to locations in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia we live at the foot of. […] -
08 Dear Jack: Nourishing the Delusion
Posted on December 9, 2011 | 3 CommentsDear Jack, I believe that one of the greatest gifts God has given us is our capacity to think for ourselves. If I do my best to understand a particular issue, and then honestly and openly seek His inspiration, and I reach a conclusion that […] -
Prodigal
Posted on December 8, 2011 | 5 CommentsLast week, at a familiar intersection, the sign a man held up said, "It doesn't take much to be kind." -
When Kids Don’t Believe
Posted on December 7, 2011 | 19 CommentsI never had much angst about the whole Santa thing. We did Santa when I was a kid, but not too extravagantly-no cookies by the fireplace or manufactured footprints outside. But there were always a few gifts (usually the exciting one!) from Santa. I think […] -
In Defense of Coldplay
Posted on December 6, 2011 | 12 CommentsA few weeks ago, I was chatting with some of my students, seniors in a small, rural Texas high school, about what we were listening to. “Mylo Xyloto, the new Coldplay album,” I said, in answer to the question, What’s playing in your car? “Coldplay?” […] -
Calling a Truce in my own Mommy War
Posted on December 5, 2011 | 10 CommentsI reminisced about the lunches with other moms and days spent at museums and pumpkin patches without quite remembering the soul-crushing isolation felt when there was no adult conversation several days in a row. -
The Economics Professor
Posted on December 5, 2011 | 9 CommentsThe story about the economics professor and the effects of “socialist” grade sharing is circulating again. If you aren’t familiar with it, I’ve included a version of it at the bottom of this post.* Here’s a different version: An economics professor at a local […] -
Lighting the Way
Posted on December 4, 2011 | 12 CommentsWhen I moved to Texas several decades ago as a naive, hopelessly midwestern college student, adjustments had to be made. I had to get used to the way people here talked (there is no difference in the way many Texans pronounce “pin” and “pen” for […] -
Walk to Church in the Czech Republic
Posted on December 4, 2011 | 4 CommentsToday’s “ride” to church comes to us from Nathan, Claire’s brother, who writes: ; My sister Claire asked me to submit a “Ride to Church” episode for her blog. So, here it is. Near our house in the Czech Republic there is a “place of […] -
November Staff Stacks
Posted on November 30, 2011 | 10 CommentsSee what we're into this month. -
Happiness Project 2011/12
Posted on November 30, 2011 | 11 CommentsI’ve read a number of challenge books this year. You know what I mean-a new genre seems to have emerged wherein the author decides to do something for a whole year and then write a book about it. Someone publishes it. And then I buy […] -
07 Dear Jack: The Eternal Flame
Posted on November 27, 2011 | 6 CommentsDear Jack, When I think about my testimony of the truth claims of the LDS church, I imagine a candle in my soul flickering. That inner candle used to burn brightly, but over the last few years as I’ve learned more and struggled with faith […] -
Walk to School
Posted on November 27, 2011 | 2 CommentsToday’s Ride to Church is actually a Walk to School–and it comes to us from Amanda in England. Amanda asked whether we’d be willing to run a series of photos of her and her children’s walk to school because she considers their school to […] -
Posted on November 24, 2011 | No CommentsI was thinking about my post from last year and thought it might be worth re-running this simple but profound message this year. Wishing all our readers an abundant Thanksgiving. ; ; The fragrance always remains in the hand that gives the rose. […] -
I am thankful for . . .
Posted on November 23, 2011 | 6 CommentsIn the first couple of days of November, I had the brilliant idea to go to the teacher supply store and get a big piece of bulletin board paper so we could make a Gratitude Wall for the month. (This was before I’d read Mel’s […] -
Songs for Winter … and Summer
Posted on November 23, 2011 | 8 CommentsSomething is wrong with me. I’m not going to even make a case that the way I listen to music is in any way normal. A few years ago, a non-Mormon friend told me that my listening habits were my way of using drugs. Seemed […] -
Lordy, Lordy, Look Who’s Forty!
Posted on November 21, 2011 | 16 CommentsDear body, We have a pretty big day coming up tomorrow. It’s been a long time since we talked, old friend. I hope you still consider me your friend. I’ve known you from the moment I was a twinkle in my mother’s eye and […] -
My Own Personal Canon: Southern-fried Love
Posted on November 20, 2011 | 9 CommentsIn Paul’s 2nd epistle to Timothy, chapter 3, verses 14-17, we read this ringing endorsement of inspired writings: But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and has been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child […] -
Ride to Affirmation Conference in Kirtland, Ohio
Posted on November 20, 2011 | 2 CommentsToday’s Ride to Church comes to us from Hugo Salinas of Oxford, Ohio, who shared pictures from the annual Affirmation conference in September. Hugo writes: On September 16-18, some 110 LGBT Mormons, along with partners and friends, gathered in Cleveland & Kirtland for our […] -
18 A Mormon in the Cheap Seats: The Polygamy Problem
Posted on November 19, 2011 | 36 CommentsPolygamy is a system in which MEN "progress" and "expand their stewardship" by increasing their patriarchal reach. They do it by collecting women like Jay Leno collects classic cars. -
06 Dear Jack: The Weight of the World
Posted on November 19, 2011 | 6 CommentsDear Jack, Our ward primary program is coming up and my six-year-old daughter wants to wear her favorite “fluffy” dress to this special occasion. The dress is white and red with ribbons and tulle … and it’s also sleeveless. I’ve gotten weird looks before when […] -
Bonfire of the Vanities
Posted on November 17, 2011 | 7 CommentsThe idea of a bonfire to rid ourselves of vanity sometimes has it's appeal, especially on mornings when I've braided my 12 year old's hair three different ways and she's still not happy with it. I could chuck that hairbrush straight in to the flames. -
Pursuing Youth and Beauty: Why You Should Never Stop
Posted on November 16, 2011 | 11 CommentsToday’s guest post comes to us from Bella Swan. A few short years after my husband, Edward, turned me into a vampire, I was asked to come up with a fundraiser and present it in a PTA meeting at Renesmee’s school, where everyone seemed obsessed […] -
An Attitude of Gratitude
Posted on November 14, 2011 | 11 CommentsWhen my oldest son was about 18 months old, he used the term “thank you” for “give me.” With his cute little baby accent, he could get almost anything he wanted, especially compared with his younger brother, who at the same age used the term […] -
Our Holy Obligation to Ask
Posted on November 13, 2011 | 3 CommentsThe Epistle of James, held by many Latter-day Saints as written by the brother of Jesus and directed to the twelve tribes, including us in our day, is well known for a number of remarkable passages. James gives us the verse about “pure religion,” a […] -
Walk to Church in Australia
Posted on November 13, 2011 | 5 CommentsToday’s Ride to Church comes to us from Queensland, Australia, courtesy of Spunky from The Exponent. Unfortunately, some of Spunky’s pictures were smaller than others. When I asked her to re-send them, she told me the terrible news that her home had been broken […] -
05 Dear Jack: What the Hookah?
Posted on November 11, 2011 | 21 CommentsDear Jack, My husband and I are DNA Mormons, 5-7 generations on all lines. We have two young adult sons, neither of whom believe in LDS church teachings. My husband has not been a believer since his mission, but attended somewhat regularly until the oldest […] -
The Feast of St. Francis
Posted on November 10, 2011 | 7 CommentsThis year, our family observed General Conference by attending the local Episcopal church. -
Dating 101
Posted on November 9, 2011 | 10 CommentsMy oldest daughter is almost 15. She is not dating yet, but it’s on the not-too-distant horizon. Because Facebook makes teenagers’ lives so visible and public, I feel like I have a window into their world. And I’m not thrilled by much of what […] -
17 A Mormon in the Cheap Seats: True or False?
Posted on November 8, 2011 | 33 CommentsThe last time this was laid out for me in a sunday school lesson I decided to diagram how it actually works. I've tried to be as accurate as possible. -
Return and Report: Chatterton Square
Posted on November 8, 2011 | 4 Comments“She’s pretty, but it’s much more than that. What is it?” she asked in innocent inquiry. “I think it must be because she’s so full of life, but not fussily, not noisily. She seems to have some secret way of enjoying every minute. She doesn’t […] -
Leaving
Posted on November 7, 2011 | 6 CommentsI had only been a member a few months, but was reticent to share my new beliefs with my parents when I met them for vacation. But there was no way to hide it. Though I still felt I was the same inside, there was […] -
My Life in Animals – A love story
Posted on November 7, 2011 | 5 Comments“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” Anatole France ; The Early Years Cindy — Cindy was our first family cat that I used to toddle after and “tree” on the top of the rocking chair. I learned to […] -
Kitten Energy
Posted on November 6, 2011 | 5 CommentsI hope you’ve been enjoying our discussions of animal love (and non-love) this week here at Doves & Serpents. Considering that our blog’s title names two animals, it’s a wonder we haven’t had these discussions earlier! Gurgi was just a year old herself when she […] -
Ride to Haun’s Mill
Posted on November 6, 2011 | 5 CommentsToday’s Ride to Church isn’t actually a ride to church at all, but is a ride to a sacred, hallowed space in Mormon history: Haun’s Mill. Reed writes: “I try to make a trip/pilgrimage to Haun’s Mill every year on the anniversary of the […] -
Going to the Dogs
Posted on November 5, 2011 | 8 CommentsThe following piece is a guest submission by Claudia Ruptier ; Ron liked dogs. He just didn’t want one-even after he’d been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment with likely progression to dementia. I was thinking of a service dog to help care for my […] -
04 Dear Jack: The Girl Who Talks to Animals
Posted on November 4, 2011 | 3 CommentsDear Jack, My husband and I both grew up in the Mormon Church. He is still a more literal believer while I am a friendly agnostic. We have a good relationship and we respect each other’s beliefs, although it took time and effort to get […]