This I Believe:: Philadelphia by Dan Gediman

This I Believe:: Philadelphia Reviews

• 
  Amber

  I would absolutely recommend this book to others. I actually read it twice. The first time I read the book and the second time I listened to an audio book version. The best part about the audio was that all of the stories were read by the original author except for The stories by Anne Frank, Helen Keller, and Albert Einstein. I took in every story and appreciated them all. This is a really well assembled collection. Even stories written by people I don't agree with or regarding ideals/faith that I don't subscribe to gave me insights into the minds of the person writing and had kernels of good ideas and opinions. I actually think I like the audio version better. Some of the stories were pulled from the original show recordings and listening to the subtle cracks and pops and the fuzziness of the vocals were comforting. It's funny to me that so many of the things written in this book (now more than a decade old) are so incredibly important at this moment in America. How writing from so long ago can be so vital a necessary to hear after everything that's happened in the past few years never ceases to amaze me. We always have the wisdom within our reach but we seldom stop to actually consider it. Please read this book.
• 
  Christine

  Disclaimer: I received an ARC via Netgalley. I also live in Philadelphia. Furthermore, I teach at the same college, same department, as one of the contributors. (There are at least 100 people attached to my department).
  
  Despite being in Philadelphia for all my life, I have never heard of this series until this popped up on Netgalley. The volume is a collection of short essays by various people from Philadelphia. By and large, the essays are meditative and reflective, usually looking at religion and community, or service and community. The contributors range from politicians (Mayor Nutter) to community activists/workers (Sister Mary Scullion) to the famous (Margaret Mead) to the everyday. Writers, teachers, artists, and religious men and women are included. The essay is divided into voices from the past – the Radio series – and current voices.
  
  It is a rather beautiful collection.
  
  There are also some surprises. I always forget about Edith Hamilton and her connection to the area, hardly surprising because her Mythology is taught in a quasi-vacuum, with little biographic information given. Hamilton’s essay in this volume, “Of Sonnets, Symphonies, and Socrates,” is about mercy, art, and truth of spirit. Perhaps it is too scholarly for some, but seen in light alongside her work on mythology it is a source of a meditation.
  
  John B. Kelly Sr’s essay is no less well written, though it is far less scholarly. The father of Grace Kelly reflects on sports and faith. If you enjoyed the recent book, The Boys in the Boat, you might enjoy this. James Michener’s essay is about brotherhood and sameness. It is connected to the themes of some of his novels. It is nicely read alongside another essay from the volume, “The Anchor of Life” by Theodore Roosevelt III, a reflection on life and family.
  
  The modern writers are no less poetic, though they are more direct in connection to community and service. They are also seemed more varied in terms of religious beliefs, race, and sexuality. There is a wonderful essay by Carmen Febo-San Miguel about race. Frank Fitzpatrick writers about what it means to be of Philadelphia, a city that is often forgotten about in the news, totally left out in the discussions about New York and Washington, DC. Kenneth (Kenny) Gamble’s essay about race and education is important, especially in light of recent books and such series as The Wire. This essay’s themes. It perhaps reaches the ultimate conclusion with Mayor Nutter’s essay about service told via his personal history. There are essays detailing works such as Philadelphia’s Women’s Way as well as the mural arts program.
  
  The use of the two parts as well as the varied authors – rich, poor, white, black, Hispanic, straight, homosexual, teacher – gives an portrait of a city. A more accurate portrait of what it means to be part of that city’s fabric and one connects with those who share that space.