NY Mysteries February 21, 2020
I have attended Judson Memorial Church for a number of years. Judson is known for its dance movement, its civil rights stand and for being a member of the sanctuary movement. Until recently, it was very white. Thanks to the current ministers and ministry that’s changing slowly. Michelle Y. Thompson is the Director of Arts and Community Engagement. On February 16 Michelle’s production of Black Women as Sacred Text was the Sunday service. Our chairs circled an open space. Nehemoyia Young danced and created an altar with a combination of photos of accomplished women, flowers, and tech. Vanisha Gould and her trio sang and played Song of Songs. Dora King, Nia Calioway and M. Alsando reflected on their experiences. It was a moving and awakening moment for our congregation.
Sisters in Crime presented AN EVENING WITH PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR CATHERINE TOWNSEND.
You can imagine mystery writers licking their lips as Cathereine fascinated us with her adventures as a private eye in California, New York and Kansas. It was in Kansas that she began her detecting. Her sister’s friend was murdered and Catherine was determined to find the killer. She then moved to California and worked for three years for an investigator, in part, to obtain her license. We peppered her with questions. No, she doesn’t carry a gun. Yes, she often works with a partner. Process serving could be dangerous. She avoided serving someone in a deserted area. Catherine has a podcast, Hell and Gone. We then went to Sammy’s for supper. Sammy’s is a dark, simple Chinese restaurant that could have been featured in a James M. Cain novel. How apt is that??
Now for a stern note. Governor Cuomo wants third parties to increase their number of votes if they’re to remain on the ballot. I belong to the Green Party and received this disturbing letter from the Green Party. Howie Hawkins, our presidential nominee, is quoted.
In an open letter, Noam Chomsky, Barbara Ehrenreich, and other progressive luminaries insisted that Howie Hawkins and the Green Party vote Democrat for president in battleground states.
They condescendingly describe Green votes as a self-indulgent “feel-good activity” as if Green votes are not votes for urgent climate action, real social and economic justice policies, and peace policies.
Don’t they see that the Democrats have joined the Republicans in supporting pro-corporate economic policies and pro-war foreign policies that have generated growing inequality at home and endless wars abroad?
As Howie said, “The left cannot outsource fighting the right to the Democrats.”
Howie points out that the Democrats have helped to normalize Trump by joining with him to overwhelmingly support military budget increases, the US Mexico Canada Trade Agreement (NAFTA 2.0), and the prosecution of Julian Assange and persecution of Chelsea Manning.
Graphic Lessons: What do a thirty-four-year old, a nine-year-old and an eighteen-year-old have in common? Murder.
Millie Fitzgerald applies for a Windsor School teaching job, faints on a dying man in the school kitchen, deals with a troubled nine-year-old and with the eighteen-year-old niece of the murdered man.
Graphic Lessons: Nine-year-old Dana is the only witness who overhears a person fighting with George Lopez, the soon to be stabbed Windsor School kitchen worker. Who can she tell? Her mother who accuses her of lying? Her father who’s fled to Singapore? She tells Millie.
Graphic Lessons: NYPD Detective Steve Kulchek is assigned the murder case at the prestigious Windsor School. What’s bugging him? His partner was stabbed. He feels remorse over screwing up an important case. His corrupt boss is a trustee of the Windsor School. His girlfriend married his boss. And his daughter quit college.