Opening Salvo // Let us turn to Stevie Wonder to reflect on ‘Higher Ground’ ///  Recommendation //  Empathy: Our national security may depend on Americans learning to talk with one another again. Can the Ideos Institute help us find our better angels? /// Destination // Hawk Mountain: High above the Kittatinny Ridge, a mass migration of birds of prey happens every summer /// Constellations /// ‘The Susquehanna Banana: Diana Lu tells us everything we ever wanted to know about the native pawpaw fruit, including how to use it to repel witches. Show Opening // George Biddle at the Woodmere: Can art help us find our social conscience? An upcoming exhibit at the Woodmere Art Museum believes ican. ///  Show Closing //  Gatecrashers at the Brandywine //  Why in the world did the painting “Scene from the Scottish Highlands” cause such a stir 100 years ago? ///  ‘Stills in the Hills’ // Pennsylvania is trying to reclaim its lofty reputation for making high-quality whiskey. Brain D. Leaf writes about our new Whiskey Rebellion.  Poetry: On Burdens and Bullies // Poetry Editor Joshua Mehigan asks us to consider what it means to demand a pound of flesh, exploring works from Shakespeare and Amit Majmudar // ‘The Art of War’ // Chief Illustrator Christopher Spencer delves into the military strategy of fighting from the high ground /// Book Review // ‘The Scout Mindset’  // What if we stopped being soldiers, and tried our hand at being scouts instead? Ideas Editor Walter Foley guides us through Julia Galef’s advice on opening ourselves to new information and finding peace in intellectual humility. Accompanied by images and an Artist Spotlight on Tom Chambers //// Essay // ‘Reclaiming Nonviolence in the Age of Antiracism’ // John Wood, Jr. of the depolarization project Braver Angels lays out the case for more deeply engaging in the nonviolent approach of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Accompanied by images and an Artist Spotlight on Tim Portlock. 

On the cover: We’d like to thank SterlingCarto for creative use of their beautiful topographical map of Pennsylvania.