Dearest readers, our beloved book review editor, B. Kent Harrison, passed away on 14 August 2024. He had been with SquareTwo from the beginning. A good man, a scientist full of wonder, a firm advocate for women, and a faithful member of the Church was Kent. We miss him sorely. We offer a biography of his life here.
Our second piece is very timely. Rachel Zirkle outlines how it is possible to stand for truth and yet not be contentious. While that feat is always easier in the abstract than it is in concrete reality, Zirkle is able to offer practical advice, based on her own family experiences. Would that all could take her advice to heart in this election season!
Our third piece is a real zinger. I am a huge fan of Andrea Dworkin, a real prophetess in her time, an almost John the Baptist-type figure. Though hugely controversial then and now, and certainly not G-rated, reading Dworkin is like having your head lit on fire. Imagine my delight when Holly Hamilton-Bleakley of the Department of Philosophy at the University of San Diego wanted to write an essay on what she, as a Latter-day Saint, found compelling about Dworkin’s stance on pornography. I believe Holly has the distinction of being the first Latter-day Saint to write (approvingly) about Dworkin, but this cross-worldview synergy works really, really well.
Our fourth piece is a sacrament talk that V.H. Cassler recently gave on “dark miracles.” How is it that the very worst things in our lives are the most powerful source of change? Calling on insights from Carlfred Broderick, Francine Bennion, Jeffrey R. Holland, and others, Cassler makes the case that suffering is a dark miracle. Ask yourself, would the Atonement have been the Atonement if Jesus had been given an anesthetic? If not, why not?
Our final piece is a double book review of Julia and of The Power by V.H. Cassler. Each has an intriguing feminist premise: Julia is the story of Orwell’s 1984 told from the point of view of the character Julia. The Power’s premise is that all women—but no men--develop an electric skein under their skin that enables them to kill instantaneously simply by touching someone. Cassler finds these works intriguing, but ultimately deeply flawed.
We have some responses to our current Readers’ Puzzle, and a new Readers’ Puzzle for you to ponder.
Enjoy this new issue!
Full Citation for this Article: Editorial Board, SquareTwo Journal (2024) "Editor’s Intro, Summer 2024," SquareTwo, Vol. 17 No. 2 (Summer 2024), http://squaretwo.org/EditorsIntroSummer2024.html, accessed <give access date>.
Would you like to comment on this article? Thoughtful, faithful comments of at least 100 words are welcome.