Martin Luther King Jr. and Boris Pasternak

Completed the Autobiography of Martin Luther King Jr. which was disappointing in the sense that it was an in-house production, from which all the human drama of King’s personal life had been stripped away. There were Valentine greetings to Mrs. King, without mention of King’s infidelities. It’s the human passion, hinted at in his statements that he is a sinful man struggling to live up to his ideals, that gives a portrait flesh and breath. As inspiring as this work is, it falls short.

 King is right when he concluded that the U.S. is often on the wrong side of history. Our Declaration of Independence is the first cry for freedom, and peoples throughout the world are inspired by it.

 But America has multiple personality disorder. We love freedom, but we also love the wealth produced by business. And business isn’t democratic. Workers typically do not have free speech. Corporations call on the American military to exercise its might on behalf of their holdings throughout the world. Often we are directly blocking the path of people demonstrating for freedom and for subsistence rather than destitution.

 I love my country. I honor our soldiers for their courage, loyalty and skill. But sometimes I wonder if politicians and business leaders, in private suites of privilege, take advantage of the bravery and commitment of our troops, if in fact we aren’t defending profit rather than freedom.

I’ve been reading spirituality and social issues steadily for months, and decided I need to go a different direction for my next project: Pasternak’s Dr. Zhivago.

As a high school student I loved all things Russian. I studied the Russian language for three years, but all that is lost now. I enjoyed, however, seeing things from a different perspective.

Pasternak is a master of creating the artistic scene, especially the striking or elegant metaphor. He also deftly builds character with subtle brush strokes. You really can’t catch him at it, until you’ve read the book more than once.

I also love the book because it’s a gift in 1966 from my beloved sister Patrick. Thanks be to God, she’s survived heart surgery this year and is going strong as ever at age 68!