Pledge the Understanding Campaign -- just a little more than a week to go!

Help the Understanding Campaign teach the world just one word of Arabic and help breakdown a barrier that's been centuries in the making. William H. Macy, Yoko Ono, and 180 others are behind the Understanding Campaign so far... Please consider giving -- only a little more than a week to go and if they don't make their goal amount ($10k) they don't get a red cent.

Might I suggest the $25 level? It get's you a cool t-shirt. And if you are reading this blog you know you can afford it.

Already given? Maybe bump your pledge up another $10 to make sure they make it?

It's been great working with Justin, Haneen, and friends to get the Understanding Campaign off the ground.

As we worked together this summer to plan the fundraiser, people were frothing over a (not) Ground Zero (not) Mosque and a minister was threatening to burn a Koran -- to name just two illustrations of the work that remains to re-build some of the values this great country I live in was built on: cultural open-ness, religious tolerance, fairness.

We need more understanding in all kinds of directions, no doubt. But that's not a criticism of the campaign, but reinforcement of the need -- let's take one step by making the Understanding Campaign a reality, and then move forward with step after step from there.

The Monumental Reading Series (at my house)

I swear I'll have a real housewarming, but before that... We hope you'll join us for the new Monumental Reading series from Narrow House. This sporadic series kicks off with a slate of readers from Artifice Magazine on their Issue 2 Release Tour.

Wednesday, October 15, 2010
7:30pm - 9pm
24 East Mount Vernon Place, #4

Baltimore, MD

Readings by:
Molly Gaudry
David Blomenberg
Andrew Farkas
M. Kitchell
...and others!

There'll be beer, fun, and friends, but feel free to bring more of all of those things!

P.S. Narrow House's-own Lauren Bender will be reading on the same night, at the same time across town at the Worms reading. The scheduling gods are unkind, I know, but we're sure you'll make it to one even or the other.

Here's the Facebook event for it.