Saturday Good Reads

It was announced last week that Buckingham Palace would receive some needed repairs and renovation to the tune of about 369 million pounds (that’s approaching $500 million at current exchange rates). Victoria Howard at The Crown Chronicles spends a little time debunking the true cost of the monarchy (and thumbs her nose a bit at those who would do away with it). And speaking of the royals, Dovid Hockney has been selected to create the stained glass window for Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey.

Thomas Kidd reminds us that it wasn’t the Puritans who came over on the Mayflower and held the first Thanksgiving celebration. It was – drum roll – the Separatists!

Do you remember who died on Nov. 22, 1963? Samuel James reflects on what C.S. Lewis means to him.

“Fake news” is a term much in the news lately, mostly associated with Facebook and the so-called “alt-right.” Turns out there’s fake news and the “alt-left,” and Buzzfeed took a look at the latest “evil-villain-Nazi-racist” – Steve Bannon, appointed by Donald Trump to be his strategy lead. There’s obviously more to this story. (Buzzfeed also has an in-depth stay on why Trump won Wisconsin and Pennsylvania - and it wasn't hacking.)

Some stunning photography this week, and some wonderful poetry. And All Sons & Daughters has a video, “You Hold It All Together,” based on the writings of St. Patrick.

Writing

4 Spiritual Disciplines for Christian Authors – George Guthrie.

Art and Photography

Dead Pine and Moon at Dawn and Fall Fungi – Tim Good.

Road Trip – Athol Dixon.

Sister Hog, Brother Tree, and the Voice of Copper – Jack Baumgartner at The School of the Transfer of Energy.

Frost highlighting the veins of a sycamore leaf – John Ritland via Facebook.

Amazing Survivors, Compton Hill / Gate District – Chris Naffziger at St. Louis Patina.

Biking Mountain and Plain – Neil Ennis.

Faith

Thanksgiving: Not All Turkey and Touchdowns – Thomas Kidd at The Gospel Coalition.

A Sermon for Christ the King Sunday – Diana Trautwein at Just Wondering.

Choosing Suffering with a Purpose – Jason Stasyszen at Connecting to Impact.

What C.S. Lewis Means to Me – Samuel D. James.

Report: Biblical Theology a Predictor of Church Growth – Samanthan Gobba at World Magazine.

Life and Culture

Legutko on the Trump Moment – Rod Dreher at American Conservative.

This is How Steve Bannon Sees the Entire World – J. Lester Feder at Buzzed.

Why Trump Really Won Wisconsin and Pennsylvania - Brandon Finnegan and Jeffrey Blear at Buzzfeed.

Donald Trump and the Great Projection - Pete Spiliakos at First Things.

Poetry

The Window Shoppers – Maryann Corbett at Curator Magazine.

Feeling the Weight of Time – Sandra Heska King.

A Brief History of the Universe – Own McLeod at The Missouri Review.

Meeting Point – Louis MacNeice via The Guardian.

No More Me – Martha Talent Shumba at Realistic Poetry.

Introduction to Poet Cortney Lamar Charleston – Maureen Doallas at Writing Without Paper.

Thanksgiving: A Sonnet – Malcolm Guite.

British Stuff

Debunking Royal finance myths: the true cost of Monarchy – Victoria Howard at The Crown Chronicles.

David Hockney to design Queen’s Westminster Abbey window – BBC.

You Hold It All Together – All Sons & Daughters

(inspired by the life and writings of St. Patrick, on their album Poets and Saints)

Painting: Man reading by candlelight, oil on canvas by Rembrandt van Rijn (1648).