The State of Things

When Marcia Owen began the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham in 1992, it was a traditional gun-control advocacy group. Over time, Marcia realized that new laws weren't going to address the root causes of the violence plaguing the Bull City. Instead of working for Durham's underserved communities, she began working with the people who lived in them. That particular method of social engagement is what Dean of Duke Chapel Sam Wells has been advocating in his theology for years. Wells and Owen have co-authored a new book called “Living Without Enemies: Being Present in the Midst of Violence” (IVP Books/2011).

Yesterday Superior Court Judge Howard Manning declared portions of the state budget that deal with preschool education unconstitutional. Manning says the Republican-authored budget provisions limit eligible at-risk children from enrolling in a state funded prekindergarten program. 

Durham-born writer John Hart has had three New York Times bestsellers, won several awards, and had his books optioned by Hollywood. North Carolina's open spaces and its dark corners continue to inspire his work.

Jack White of The White Stripes calls Dex Romweber a huge influence on his music...and he's not alone. Romweber's stripped-down style has inspired a generation of indie-punk rockers. For the last few years, he and his sister Sara have been playing together as the Dex Romweber Duo.

Writer and musician Shirlette Ammons is not afraid of intimacy. Her poems and songs are like diary pages that she invites audiences to flip through at their leisure. Ammons is used to sharing her personal space. She grew up in a rural country home with a twin sister and dozens of cousins. After she left home for college, she started to explore her race and sexuality and used the power of the pen to document her self-discovery.

When America’s last space shuttle mission blasted off, astronauts weren’t the only living creatures aboard the Atlantis. Thirty mice also went along for the ride. After orbiting the Earth, they may return with some important answers about bone density that can help scientists treat human bone diseases like osteoporosis.