Commentaries

From the Garden Gate: The White Garden

Kate Lochte and Roy Helton — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 21:07:04 +0000

Murray resident Roy Helton divides his time between teaching in the English Department at Murray State University and indulging his passion for gardening. In this week's "From the Garden Gate" commentary, the topic is white gardens. Similar in design to the English cottage garden, white gardens feature flowers that are white or silvery, with the intent to overwhelm the viewer with a single color.

50 Years Later: The Assassination of Medgar Evers

Matt Markgraf and Brian Clardy — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 11:35:00 +0000

Today marks 50 years since civil rights activist Medgar Evers was gunned down in his driveway in Jackson, Mississippi by white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith. His murder and the subsequent trial sparked a cultural uproar and inspired national protests. A week later, President Kennedy submitted his Civil Rights bill to Congress, and the March on Washington would follow that summer. Commentator and Murray State history professor Dr. Brian Clardy reflects on how he came to learn about Medgar Evers - his sacrifices, and his legacy.

Good Read: 'When Beggars Die,' an Uncommon Mystery

Kate Lochte and Michael Cohen — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:47:31 +0000

Michael Cohen, Professor Emeritus at Murray State University, brings us his latest 'Uncommon Mystery,' When Beggars Die by E.A. Allen.

E. A. Allen, When Beggars Die (2013) ISBN: 978-1-60653-066-5

When I met Ed Allen—that’s a great moniker, by the way, for one writing in the tradition of Edgar Allan Poe—he was finishing a Ph.D. in history at Tulane and I was teaching at the University of New Orleans. He went on to a career that included a post as Senior CIA Analyst for European Security Affairs. I can’t think of a better background for someone writing a historical thriller about the precarious balance of power in Europe at the dawn of the twentieth century. That’s the period when the action of When Beggars Die takes place, just after the turn of the century, when the English King Edward VII is in Paris to negotiate a treaty.

From the Garden Gate: Have You Tried Ornamental Grasses?

Kate Lochte and Roy Helton — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:34:09 +0000

Here's the next edition our our weekly gardening series, "From the Garden Gate." Murray resident Roy Helton divides his time between teaching in the English Department at Murray State University and indulging his passion for gardening.

Who among the clan of devout gardeners doesn’t yearn for perennials that are easy to plant, require little or no care, serve multiple purposes, and are virtually indestructible—having almost no pests or diseases? I can just hear my neighbor’s answer to that question: “Oh, yeah, I know; you’re talking about weeds.”

From the Garden Gate: The Path of Least Resistance

Kate Lochte and Roy Helton — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:20:06 +0000

"From the Garden Gate" is next. Murray resident Roy Helton divides his time between teaching in the English Department at Murray State University and indulging his passion for gardening.

The Path of Least Resistance

When I was young my father devoted half of our back yard in Nashville to his energetically maintained vegetable garden. And since there were five children in the family, there was a certain obvious utility to all his planting and harvesting.

From the Garden Gate: A Love Affair with Gardening

Kate Lochte and Roy Helton — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:14:52 +0000

We're starting a new weekly commentary. It's titled "From the Garden Gate." It is contributed by Murray resident Roy Helton who divides his time between teaching in the English Department at Murray State University and indulging his passion for gardening.

Commentary: Remembering George McGovern

Brian Clardy, Kala Dunn and Matt Markgraf — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Tom Brokaw once called him “one of the country’s most decent and thoughtful public servants.” Senator and Democratic presidential candidate George McGovern passed away at the age of 90 yesterday. Commentator and History Professor Dr. Brian Clardy remembers the time he met Senator McGovern and National Review founder William F. Buckley, Jr. and reflects on McGovern’s life and legacy in politics.

Commentary: Open Letter Candidates on Foreign Policy

Brian Clardy and Matt Markgraf — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 11:40:00 +0000

We’re gearing up to air special live NPR coverage of the Second Presidential Debate, from Hofstra University in New York, tonight. Commentator and History Professor Dr. Brian Clardy writes an open letter to President Obama and Governor Romney about issues to consider before the debate, centered on U.S. foreign policy.

Archives: Commentary - Von Freeman and the Definition of Celebrity

Brian Clardy — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 22:45:15 +0000

RIP Von Freeman, Chicago jazz legend, who passed away at 88 today. (Article from Chicago Tribune). We pulled this commentary from the archives by Cafe Jazz host Brian Clardy, recorded in 2007.

Earl Lavon Freeman, one of Chicago's most influential Jazz elders, has been playing tenor saxophone since the 1930s. Dr. Brian Clardy talks about why Von Freeman defines the meaning of celebrity.

Freedom of the Press and Congressman Yarmuth

Caleb O. Brown and Tracy Ross — Tue, 12 Jun 2012 18:52:49 +0000

A Kentucky Congressman wants to change the Constitution to effectively overturn the Supreme Court on political speech. But is that a good idea? Commentator and researcher Caleb Brown of the Bluegrass Institute says if you care about freedom of the press, everyone’s speech should get equal protection.