Dear Frank Thomas Smith,
Thanks for that nice story!! I’ve thought, from time to time, that some anthro with pockets should offer a yearly prize for the best short story (or play—maybe a separate prize) that has, as its context, a spiritual understanding of life.
Walter Alexander
Hi Frank, good afternoon.
First of all excuse my poor English but I think practice makes perfect. I prefer WhatsApp rather than email. I have already read your story "A streetcar named Karma". Marvellous story. Its plot caught my attention from the beginning to the end. I could see a strong romantic idea, which led the narrative. On the other hand I found a wide vocabulary, some idiomatic expression, many words and phrasal verbs which are in a superior level for me. But patiently and with a good dictionary I could overcome obstacles. From now I have to learn how to apply these expressions in my English.
Thank you so much Frank. I really enjoyed your story and it was useful. I go for more.
See you soon,
Marcelo
Dr. Marcelo Barrionuevo
Villa de las Rosas, Argentina
RE: Sojourn in the South by a Yankee, a Jew and a Negro
Hello,
1953 was the year I got married, at the age of 21. (I wonder how many old readers you have.) You are correct---Life was worse for Negroes then. We think it is now very bad, but a lot of younger people have no idea what "the situation in the south", (as we would term it in college-years late night discussions,) was like. They may have a notion, especially if they have seen the movie "The Green Book", which shed light on an experience similar to yours. Depending on their age, they may have had a month of African-American focused studies every year. Still, I think your article must have been interesting to many readers. Thanks for sharing your real experience.
It was interesting to read that even in Arizona the prejudice against non whites was prevalent. I remember being shocked when I was in my twenties, talking with a friend who grew up in Long Beach, California. She said that Mexicans had to sit in the back rows of movie houses. (Prejudice?? Segregation?? Right here in California??? I had a difficult time believing it.)
We Americans still have along way to go, especially in some regions. I am glad for the progress that has been made. Let's hope there is little backsliding.
Beverley Polt in Oakland
RE: Coronavirus and the Indwelling Divinity in Each Human Being
After reading this quite long article, I was sitting back and said loud: “Wow! What a great article.” This is my very first and spontaneous reaction and I am thrilled about the light and airy wording of such an interesting but difficult issue. After reading Judith von Halle’s Coronavirus book yesterday, I was intrigued even more by this wise, talented and interesting woman (I have heard some rumours). What a wisdom and then, today, this article with so much information but also clarity and lightness, which is not always the case in anthroposophical writings; I am encouraged again and I thank you very much for this information in a clear, light and non judgemental way.
Warm regards,
An (Australia)
Thank you Jeremy Smith for writing this excellent review!! Thank you Frank Thomas Smith for translating!!! Frank, please translate Judith von Halle's auto-biography. Charge a high price and give a donation to her Free Society of Anthroposophy, I own, have read and continue to re-read all of JvH's books. Her work has an enlivening and motivational effect on me. I LOVE her.
Ed Shook
Colorado, USA
Thanks for sharing this important article.
Ute Craemer,
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Thank you! Appreciated this initiative very much, especially in light of the difficulties she mentioned of getting to know about her work, without all the personal hype. I hope to meet Judith von Halle some day! How does one subscribe to your newsletter? Best greetings in the new year,
Barbara Vall (or Wall),
Bandhagen, Stockholm, Sweden
RE: Swedenborg
Dear Frank,
I have read this GA 253 (12 Sept, 1915) lecture, it was really good. I would like to mention that Steiner's lecture 2 days later (14 Sept, 1915, still GA 253) elaborates on Swedenborg's clairvoyance even further by pointing out its relation to sexuality, so I would definitely publish that lecture, too: https://wn.rsarchive.org/GA/GA0253/19150914p01.html
Cheers, Norbert
Hungary
Frank Thomas, that is an awesome lecture and a sound reminder of the sorts of trouble we can get into by transferring habits from one plane of knowledge to the next. I am wondering if something specific prompted you to distribute at this time? Is there a meaning I could be missing?
Raun Griffiths
Constance Bay Ontario
RE: POW Nation
Dear Sir, thank you for sending this nugget of wisdom and insight. I served 2 tours in Vietnam as an infantryman. It was a sad time. Despair was both my friend and my enemy. The lives and treasure that are literally thrown to the dogs year in and year out in is an indictment of both aberrant policy and a polity clouded by the detritus of materialism. If we are truly ‘woke’ then as a people we will have to rise and soon, or all will be lost to the desperate, destructive and devious desire to spread war near and far for 30 pieces of silver.
Sincerely,
James M. Zderic
Dear SCR, thank you for another excellent and timely article from Andrew Bacevich. I feel I should point out an implied error in the text, as far as my reading of it goes. It seems from the article that Dr. King’s address, sometimes called ‚Beyond Vietnam’, ( I am not sure it was a sermon but an address to a meeting of ‚Clergy and Laity Concerned’) was given in 1968 as this year is later highlighted and explored in more detail. In actual fact it was given on April 4th 1967, exactly one year to the day before his assassination. In my reading of history and the significance of recurring dates, it seems likely, indeed almost certain, that the two events are connected. This is confirmed by the extremely adverse reaction to the address which is detailed by Andrew Bacevich.
I have read and listened to this speech (sometimes simultaneously) many times. I must thank your good selves and Andrew Basevic for shining more light upon it and confirming its prophetic nature by the most pressing of current contexts.
With sincere thanks and best wishes,
Richard Greenslade
Hello,
Are you familiar with the World Economic Forum's aims and what "Build Back Better" actually means? For your information, I am a Mexican- American and Native American Trump supporter. I am not really interested in articles like this which are old news. I support the first president in years to start zero wars, brought our troops home, donated his income to our country each year, let the Patriot Act expire, and got us out of the TPP.
Monique verdin
RE: Shallow End
This is one reason, I wanted to bring that story to light at this time:
Attacks against Asian Americans are on the rise.
Here's what you can do - CNN.
This spike in hostility towards Asian Americans coincides with the Covid-19 pandemic. Between March and December of 2020, 2,808 complaints were reported to Stop AAPI Hate.
Richard Lord (author)
RE: SouthernCrossReview.org
Dear Frank,
You have my sympathy for your recent computer crash! Our online conferences are 1000% dependent not only on my own computer, but on the integrity and dependability of servers that are located in Los Angeles and, I believe, Iceland as well. It never fails that when we start up our very intensive and highly populated summer session, either my computer or the servers undergo hacking, crashing, and otherIssues that undoubtedly are of the greatest delight to Ahriman and his minions. Your recent crash undoubtedly indicates that he is concerned that you, too, may be standing in the way of his mission!
I deeply appreciate all that you bring in the Southern Cross review and I thank you for having me on your list. My very warmest wishes to you and your family for a wonderful Christmas on the other side of the world. (We have some of your countrymen joining us for our southern hemisphere online conferences right now.)
Very warmly,
Eugene Schwartz
Visit iWaldorf.net
Hello Frank,
I hope you and yours are well. I look forward to the arrival of the SCR and your work. I found this link below revealing. It seems to me something newish has come into existence with the support of exploding communications. Does apophenia provide irresistible answers and calming explanations to an increasing audience caught in the endorphin supplying web of social media? Maybe ...
https://medium.com/curiouserinstitute/a-game-designers-analysis-of-qanon-580972548be5
Ben Bowers
Thanks, dear Frank! Just scanning the new collection has already sparked my appetite! I really appreciate your inter-hemispheric stimuli. I’m happy to pass the link to my friends „down under" as well as those „up above". (Please forgive my little neo-colonial joke, I hope you realise that I write that with a little winking of an eye.)
Dear Frank,
Your sending articles, when ready, is fine with me. However, a huge advantage to your readers would result if you sent the entire article or item. The need to continue reading by linking to some other site is time-consuming and ultimately frustrating. Can you send items in full? With appreciation for your work,
Ken Ingham
Newton, MA, USA
Receiving the Southern Cross Review has been a treat and I hope that it can continue. Thanks for your work over these many years. I have a suggestion for an article in your publication. My interest is in learning more about the “Saturn Way” as put forth by Rudolf Steiner. Bernard Lievegoed has addressed this “Saturn Way” in his book The Eye of the Needle. Some excerpts from this book are attached, e.g., “the starting point is not the imaginative life as it is in the Moon way but the life of action.” Has anything on on this subject been previously published in the Southern Cross Review? Or are you aware any initiatives that have developed the form of the the Saturn Way? Of course, all of the anthroposophical initiatives like biodynamic agriculture are action oriented. As great as they initiatives are, most people have little or no opportunity to be involved in an anthroposophical social organization. I would love to read in your SCR from someone who has experience with this reversed way to intuition and could relate to present conditions in the world.
Leonard Leikas
Hi Frank,
I love your newsletter and thought you might like to see this: https://patrickwey.com/blog/tag/images-3
With warm regards
Carol Wolfley
Thank you so much for all the work you are doing. Southern Cross Review is a great website and I have learnt a lot from it.
Best wishes, Chris Kaufman