Dickinson and Gilmore (6-21-2005) Current events and the public debate about the death penalty and the right to die have caused Peter Gilbert to think about Emily Dickinson and Gary Gilmore, and to reflect on the under-appreciated power of poetry.
Tsushima (5-27-2005) The Battle of Tsushima is far from well-known now in the United States. But for a century, that critical naval engagement has cast a very long shadow. Peter Gilbert explains.
Janjaweed (5-9-2005)
Reports of genocide in Darfur, Sudan, have Peter Gilbert thinking about the terror of being attacked by men on horseback.
Marine's Hymn (4-26-2005)
Today is the 200th anniversary of an event that, according to Peter Gilbert, connects Reverend William Sloane Coffin to George Herbert Walker Bush, and the lyrics of the Marine's Hymn.
Lilacs in the Dooryard (4-13-2005)
With lilacs about to bloom, Peter Gilbert reflects on the importance of lilacs in New Englanders' door yards, hearts and poetry.
Unchanged Alaska (3-24-2005)
Each year, at the end of March, Peter Gilbert recalls a trip he took in Alaska, which combined romantic adventure with history, new and old.
Melville Ahead of His Time (3-8-2005)
Peter Gilbert was absolutely astonished by contemporary sounding references in Herman Melville's masterpiece Moby Dick.
Silent Stones (2-21-2005)
Vermont schools' February vacation is upon us, and many of us dream of warm beaches. Peter Gilbert thinks of Hawaii and tells us about dramatic developments in understanding Hawaii's prehistory — the time before there were written records.
Remembering Churchill (2-7-2005)
Forty years after watching the funeral of Winston Churchill as a boy, Peter Gilbert still remembers the pageantry of that occasion and feels the pull of that historic man.
Impermanence (1-24-2005)
Recently, the cover of an old New Yorker inspired Peter Gilbert to think about impermanence.
Pearl Buck and the Tsunami (1-12-2005)
Peter Gilbert tells us how Vermont author Pearl Buck made great children's literature out of a Japanese tsunami she witnessed.
Epiphanies (1-5-2005)
What's the connection between the Biblical story of the wise men, Shakespeare and James Joyce? Peter Gilbert explains.
Winter Solstice (12-21-2004)
In the darkest part of the year, Peter Gilbert thinks about those who are discouraged.
Thinking First (12-09-2004)
Peter Gilbert is glad that Congress is once again considering how best to respond to the recommendations of the September Eleventh Commission.
More Great Thoughts: Medical advances (11-24-2004)
In another installment of our series Great Thoughts of Vermont, Peter Gilbert tells us about three path-breaking Vermont physicians.
Remembering Alistair Cooke (11-9-2004)
Peter Gilbert remembers BBC broadcaster Alistair Cooke.
Letting go of good things (10-26-2004)
With summer and most of autumn now behind us and one half or the other of the electorate about to be disappointed by the presidential election's results, poet Robert Frost and Peter Gilbert consider how to deal with loss.
Searching for Robert Frost in England (10-13-2004)
A report issued recently by the Vermont Council on Culture and Innovation makes the connection between historic preservation and a community's economic life. Peter Gilbert has been thinking about how hard — but how important — it is to preserve what's special about rural village life.
Walden, 150 years later (9-30-2004)
Peter Gilbert reflects on an American classic that is celebrating a milestone anniversary this year.
Eisenhower and Reagan (09-16-2004)
Long before Ronald Reagan called for the dismantling of the Berlin Wall, President Eisenhower predicted the demise of the Soviet Union. Peter Gilbert says he even got the timing about right.
Facts and Myth (9-2-2004)
Dragnet's Sergeant Friday used to want "Just the facts, Ma'am." But a visit to a lighthouse in Maine reminded Peter Gilbert of the importance of understanding not only facts, but stories and cultural myths as well.
