Keeping Watch

Reflections on American Culture, Education & Politics

by Paul F. Cummins


Formats

E-Book
$3.95
Softcover
$13.95
$9.50
E-Book
$3.95

Book Details

Language : English
Publication Date : 4/18/2002

Format : E-Book
Dimensions : E-Book
Page Count : 120
ISBN : 9780759667211
Format : Softcover
Dimensions : 6x9
Page Count : 120
ISBN : 9780759667228

About the Book

Keeping Watch is a collection of short, concise, and clearly written journalistic essays about American myths, realities, social and political issues, and educational shortcomings. The book also offers visions for change and dwells upon possibilities along with liabilities.

The articles are grouped into three sections...culture, education, and politics and society. A common thread running through all is the vast and growing discrepancies between wealth and poverty, between reason and fairness as opposed to illogic and greed, and between enlightenment and ignorance. The author, an unabashed liberal, believes that liberalism itself has been nationally discredited and that an oligarchy rules America masquerading as a democracy.

The essays are a powerful reminder of our ability to overlook obvious shortcomings in society and politics while inertia and selfishness rule the day. For example, the author shines the light on America’s infatuation with guns, America as the major arms dealer in the world, America as the world’s leader in environmental resources depletion, America’s position as the world’s leader in putting people in prison (now two million), and so on.

Keeping Watch is not, however, just a tirade on what’s wrong; Cummins also offers exciting visions of what could be, of hope, of possibilities. His educational visions, for example, are not only idealistic, they have roots in schools and programs that work. Many readers of these articles say, "They are inspirational."


About the Author

After a long career of teaching, Paul Cummins set about to create schools...first Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California, then New Roads School in Santa Monica and Los Angeles, and then partnering with others to create a charter school...Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in Los Angeles. As of August 2001, these three schools occupy nine campuses. Often called a visionary, Cummins has combined curricular and school innovation with skills of fundraising and implementation. He also started an arts foundation that provides the arts to ten public school sites, and is currently working on a new vision of creating an inclusive and interactive educational village of various non-profits serving children. Along with all this he has written two books: Dachau Song: The Twentieth Century Odyssey of Herbert Zipper (translated also into German and Chinese) and For Mortal Stakes: Solutions for Schools and Society (translated also into Japanese), has published numerous poems, and has written Keeping Watch, a compilation of articles from the Santa Monica Mirror newspaper, which represents a new foray into journalism and social commentary.