An "arresting notion" that gives comfort to a dementia sufferer

I was touched to read a beautiful essay by Russell E. Saltzman in which he wrote that an "arresting notion" from my book Remembering God's Mercy had given him comfort since his recent diagnosis with small-vessel brain disease, which is also known as vascular dementia. His essay appears on the Aleteia website, where he also reviewed Remembering God's Mercy when it came out in 2016. I know you'll want to join me in praying for him after you read his reflections, with thanksgiving for how the Lord is enabling him to witness to his faith in time of hardship.

Statement concerning Austin Ruse

The following is a text version of the statement issued on my behalf by my lawyer. Click here to see the original (in PDF format).

June 22, 2021 

A statement from Dawn Eden Goldstein concerning Austin Ruse: 

“I recently sought an anti-stalking order against Austin Ruse in the District of Columbia in response to his many months of online harassment, including his repeated statements on Twitter that I am mentally ill and, as a result, unemployable. Mr. Ruse continued his course of misconduct after I repeatedly asked him to stop and informed him that his harassment was causing me emotional distress. Even after I blocked his Twitter account, he publicly bragged that he was creating fake accounts in order to continue to monitor my activity. 

“Mr. Ruse’s protracted campaign of lies and defamation forced me to seek legal protection for myself. He has now further perpetuated his lies in a recent article in which he claims that he prevailed in court based on a First Amendment defense. The court decided the case on its narrow interpretation of the District of Columbia’s broadly worded anti-stalking statute, not Mr. Ruse’s weak claim that his harassment constitutes 'journalism'; hence, the judge acknowledged that the decision did not rule out other potential means of legal recourse. 

“What Mr. Ruse is doing is not journalism. It is cyberstalking and cyberbullying. I don’t know why he persists in it, but I pray for him and ask that others do so as well. 

“I have no further comment. Any questions should be directed to my lawyer, William A. Cubbedge.”

Dutch treat

I'm delighted—no, thrilled—to report that the Catholic edition of my first book, The Thrill of the Chaste, is now available in a new language: Dutch! It's called De kick van kuisheid—literally, "The kick of chastity," I think—and is available from the publisher, Betsaida.

This new translation marks the sixth language for The Thrill of the Chaste, although it is only the first translation of the Catholic edition that Ave Maria Press published in 2014 (the others are of the 2006 edition, which was published by Thomas Nelson). The book is also available in Spanish, Polish, Chinese, and Slovak translations.

Priest-to-be cites my book as inspiration

Today I was overjoyed to learn that Deacon John Dudek, who is to be ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit this Saturday, cites my book My Peace I Give You as the book that most influenced him. Please join me in praying for the soon-to-be Father Dudek and for all who are preparing for ordination.

I write for Where Peter Is on what's missing from Catholic catechesis on marriage

"When have you ever heard a homilist speak on what marital love is?" I ask that question and speak about the substance of marital love in "Chaste Love Is for Everyone," my reflection published today in Where Peter Is.

New book uses my writings without permission

 Late last year, John Lamont approached me to request permission to reprint writings I composed with Robert Fastiggi, who chairs the department of dogmatic theology and Christology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. Lamont wished to use my and Fastiggi's article "Critics of Amoris Laetitia Ignore Ratzinger’s Rules for Faithful Theological Discourse," as well as a follow-up letter we wrote to a critic, to represent the "other side"—that is, the pro-papal side—in a book he was editing that would attack the Holy Father's teachings (the same teachings to which every Catholic is expected to give religious submission of intellect and will).

I responded to Lamont that I would check with Fastiggi and get back to him, but I did not commit myself. Fastiggi responded to both myself and Lamont, saying he would not object to the republication. In the meantime, I reflected upon the request and decided not to grant my permission. I then forgot about the matter and did not respond further. Had Lamont written me a second time, I would have told him no.

But Lamont did not write me a second time. Instead, he went ahead without my permission and reprinted my and Fastiggi's writings in his edited volume Defending the Faith Against Present Heresies. I wish to state here for the record that the use of my writings in that book without my permission is illegal and wrong. It does not qualify as fair use and is a violation of copyright law. 

My back pages

So happy to see that librarians and archivists are enjoying this Twitter thread about my rock-journalism past! Click the tweet to see the entire thread.

Thread:

With CDs disappearing, it's hard to explain to people what I did as a rock historian writing liner notes--the booklets that came with CDs & told the artist's history. So I was elated to discover that @internetarchive is now archiving CDs complete with liner notes. ...

— Dawn Eden Goldstein: Wear a Mask/Stop the Spread (@DawnofMercy) March 3, 2021

I write for Where Peter Is on Frank J. Hanna III's "Official Catholic" dark money

Where Peter Is today features my story "Catholic Foundation’s Form 990 Exemption Suggests Lack of Oversight." It is a follow-up to my post last week concerning EWTN donor and board member Frank J. Hanna III. I am grateful to Where Peter Is editor Mike Lewis for recognizing the importance of this story.