Southern Cross Review

Review of fiction, education, science, current events,
essays, book reviews, movie reviews, poetry and Anthroposophy

Number 46, April-May 2006



交谈中的女人
Pan Yuliang (China) (1895-1977)

23rd Qualm

(Written by a retired Methodist minister – we’re told.)

Bush is my shepherd; I dwell in want.
He maketh logs to be cut down in national forests.
He leadeth trucks into the still wilderness.
He restoreth my fears.
He leadeth me in the paths of international disgrace for his ego's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of pollution and war,
I will find no exit, for thou art in office.
Thy tax cuts for the rich and thy media control, they discomfort me.
Thou preparest an agenda of deception in the presence of thy religion.
Thou anointest my head with foreign oil.
My health insurance runneth out.
Surely megalomania and false patriotism shall follow me all the days of thy term.
And my jobless child shall dwell in my basement forever.


The “Editor’s Page” this issue delves, again, into the mysterious interest in the Mary Magdalene phenomenon and how it relates to the identity (divine or not) of Jesus Christ.

“Current Events”, again, is mostly preoccupied with the increasingly ominous Bush-Iraq phenomenon, with contributions by a young Iraqi woman, the editorial from an Argentine newspaper and an impeachment vote from Vermont; but it also goes back in time to the Communism phenomenon in a Gaither Stewart article.

The “Fiction” section carries stories by the usual suspects: yours truly, Gaither Stewart, the continuation of Orwell’s 1984, and a new writer, Christopher Woods.

Under “Bilingual Fiction”, we offer Dostoyevky's riveting Grand Inquisitor chapter from The Brothers Karamazov and an R. L. Stevenson story.

In the Children's Corner a bilingual children’s story is offered. (Note that more Spanish language items have been included. It is interesting to observe that more people read the Spanish versions than the English.)

The “Anthroposophy” section continues Rudolf Steiner’s autobiography and includes two of his lectures, one about thinking and the other the second lecture of the so-called Astronomy Course.

One of my favorite poems is offered this month: T. S. Eliot’s “Four Quartets” – which for some reason are quintets.

We'd like to remind you that all the articles, stories, poems, etc. published during SCR's six years are available in our extensive ARCHIVES. Our E-book Library contains free e-books which will be of interest to many of you.

You can find us under the Southern Cross constellation in the Traslasierra Valley Province of Córdoba, Argentina. Visitors always welcome. Just follow the sign that reads: La Cruz del Sur. See you next time.

Frank Thomas Smith, editor

Jo Ann Schwartz, associate editor


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