A Time for Beauty

After writing my last post, I went into the kitchen, turned on the radio, and was entranced to find the graceful, familiar melodies of Beethoven's Sixth played by the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia (www.chamberorchestra.org). A lovely performance, but what sticks in my mind is the relief from anger. Writing about politics, about the financial mess, about so much in this world, feels like an exercise in controlled (or not so controlled) anger. Yet here was beauty, and a chance to breathe. Beauty has been unfashionable for a long time, culturally incorrect. Without wishing to encourage prettiness, cuteness, or any of beauty's near enemies, I think it's time to bring beauty back.