Author: Dan Rodricks

I received a notice the other day from the U.S. District Court in Maryland that I might be called for federal jury duty. It was not a summons, merely a request that I fill out a juror questionnaire. If I do not do as requested, the letter said, "you may be subject to a fine … Continue reading Mosby trial: Taking the laws of the land seriously

Each winter, I open my collection of Robert Frost poems and read them, starting with my favorite, “Birches.” After reading, reciting and studying the poem for nearly 50 years, I have a few things to say about it. When I see birches bend to left and right Across the lines of straighter darker trees, I … Continue reading On ‘Birches’ by Robert Frost

In my latest Sun column: Rep. Jamie Raskin, Maryland Democrat, talks about his bill to prohibit activities of the self-proclaimed militia we saw on display during the Trump years and at the Capitol on Jan. 6 -- the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys and other groups of camo-clad white men in protracted adolescence. Raskin often hears … Continue reading No, you don’t get to overthrow the government of the United States

The photo to the right is of the Staples parking lot behind the York Road store in Baltimore, a classic example of a place that needs to be turned back to urban forest -- or developed into a much-needed something else. I can't think of a time when, during fairly frequent trips to this store, … Continue reading Tear up unused parking lots, plant trees

Help me out here. What are the characteristics of people we like the least? Who is the person we are most likely to avoid, much less nominate for a position of honor or power? No one likes a bully, right? No one likes men or women who boast all the time, exaggerate or lie to … Continue reading The kind of person we little care for

Since the pandemic, regional theaters have been struggling, and the news from Center Stage in Baltimore last week was not great: Some layoffs and a cut in pay for the remaining staff. Center Stage underwent a $28 million renovation before reopening in 2017; it also saw a high turnover in board members in recent years. … Continue reading A new model for live theater?

Ron DeSantis, the annoying Florida governor who burned through a grotesque amount of money in a failed bid to wrest the Republican nomination for president from Trump, must, during his morning shave, look in the mirror and tell himself: "It's a cult, and you can't crack a cult." I have no proof of that, of … Continue reading DeSantis lesson: You can’t crack a cult

I bought a quart of milk in a glass bottle, and while I know milk-the-old-way is a thing – a Whole Foods/local dairy thing that has been around for a while – this was my first indulgence in glass in a very long time. The $2.99 purchase caused me to stop and think – because … Continue reading Milk in glass bottles

For more than two decades, Christine Lemarié and her sister, Dominque, sat in Maryland courtrooms for WBAL-TV and WJZ-TV to capture scenes from trials for the evening news. Cameras were not allowed in Maryland courtrooms -- they are still prohibited -- so it was left to the Lemarié sisters, immigrants from France, and their talented colleagues … Continue reading Deadline Art: The courtroom drawings of Christine Lemarié 

Readers might recall Bassam Nasser, head of the Gaza office for Catholic Relief Services and the subject of a recent column. He's the man who, after an interview at CRS headquarters in Baltimore a few years ago, surprised me with a gift of handmade rosary beads. When last we heard, he and his family had … Continue reading With love, from Palestine