Author Archives: paulefallon

About paulefallon

Greetings reader. I am a writer, architect, cyclist and father from Cambridge, MA. My primary blog, theawkwardpose.com is an archive of all my published writing. The title refers to a sequence of three yoga positions that increase focus and build strength by shifting the body’s center of gravity. The objective is balance without stability. My writing addresses opposing tension in our world, and my attempt to find balance through understanding that opposition. During 2015-2106 I am cycling through all 48 mainland United States and asking the question "How will we live tomorrow?" That journey is chronicled in a dedicated blog, www.howwillwelivetomorrw.com, that includes personal writing related to my adventure as well as others' responses to my question. Thank you for visiting.

The Patriotism of Isolation

Posted on 09/23/2020 by paulefallon

This week’s post is penned by my niece, Caroline Bringenberg, an LA-based Millennial activist who challenges me to think about the world I am leaving the next generation. Growing up I remember hearing stories, at home and in history class, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Caroline Bringenberg, citizenship, coronavirus, Rosie the Riveter, World War II | 6 Comments

My Summer of 75 Things

Posted on 09/16/2020 by paulefallon

On June 2, 2020 Corinne Shutack published an article on Medium, “75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice.” Quick on the outrage of George Floyd’s killing, with a long pandemic summer before me, I decided to make a … Continue reading →

Posted in United States | Tagged Amber Ruffin, Black Lives Matter, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Corinne Shatuck, Kara Springer, racial justice, SURJ | Leave a comment

The Measure of All Things

Posted on 09/09/2020 by paulefallon

Pat Barker’s 1992 novel, Regeneration, is about many things. The futility of war, the assumptions of Freudian psychotherapy, the defacto caste system of early twentieth century Britain, the absurdity of England’s attitude towards homosexuals. An anti-war novel without a single … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Freudian analysis, Pat Barker, Regeneration, WWI England, WWI shell shock | Leave a comment

Two-Way Affirmative Action

Posted on 09/03/2020 by paulefallon

Recently, I completed a survey from Beth Israel Lahey Health, the mother ship of Mount Auburn Hospital, where I volunteer three days a week. It was a simple, two question survey from the Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Career … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, United States | Tagged Affirmative Action, Black Lives Matter, essential employees, living wage | 7 Comments

Pool Paddle

Posted on 08/26/2020 by paulefallon

A few years ago a friend of mine was minding his sister-in-law Adelaide’s son for the afternoon. The day was hot and sticky, so Mike took five-year-old Zach to a local pool. When it was time to go home, … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, United States | Tagged personal responsibility, police brutality, restorative justice, transformative justice | 1 Comment

Measuring Experience

Posted on 08/19/2020 by paulefallon

Toni Morrison once told Hilton Als that being a black woman writer is “…richer than being a white male writer because I know more and have more experience.” (The New Yorker, October 27, 2003). Immediately upon reading that phrase, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged F. Scott Fitxgerald, human experience, Marcel Proust, Marlene Dietrich, Toni Morrison | Leave a comment

August Recess

Posted on 08/12/2020 by paulefallon

I received an email ripe with despair from an activist mentor the other day, her festering rage deflated by exhaustion and lost hope. Instead of rallying her to carry on, I took a different tack. Told her to take a … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 6 Comments

The Long Blue Line

Posted on 07/29/2020 by paulefallon

“It shall not be lawful for any negroe or other slave to carry or arme himself with any club, staffe, gunn, sword or any other weapon of defense or offence, nor to goe or depart from his masters ground without … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, United States | Tagged History of Police, Jill Lepore, Police, Slave Codes, The New Yorker | Leave a comment

STOP Trusting Polls

Posted on 07/22/2020 by paulefallon

Independence Day is in the rear-view mirror. Labor Day looms, and with it, the final laps of this Presidential marathon. Biden leads nationally by eight percentage points. Biden and Trump are tied in Wisconsin. Biden widens gap in crucial Pennsylvania. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment