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Founding Pastor

From First Thoughts

In 1775, a group of American soldiers raided George Whitefield’s five-year-old grave in Newbury, Massachusetts. Hoping that his relics would secure their protection in battle, they extracted a clerical collar and wristbands from the ­celebrated preacher’s remains and divided the cloth among themselves. The staunchly Protestant Whitefield no doubt rolled in his grave when they returned him to his resting place. Continue Reading »

Visiting the Little Prince

From Web Exclusives

If April has you in the mood to go on a pilgrimage, be sure to visit “The Little Prince: A New York Story” at the Morgan Library before it closes at the end of the month. The exhibit offers a glimpse at the creative process behind Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s beloved book and celebrates its New . . . . Continue Reading »

Poetry’s True and False Art of Speaking

From Web Exclusives

Before we worried about the effect of the digital word on the printed word, we worried about the effect of writing on speech. This debate, as old as Plato’s Phaedrus, is kept alive by Page Meets Stage, a New York arts event where two poets from the two traditions square off against each other. . . . . Continue Reading »