Stories,photos

33 results total, viewing 1 - 10

From a Caribbean island to Rhode Island, ties that bind

I’d been planning my pilgrimage to the place where patriotism was born and bred: the bleak, black isle of Sint Eustatius. “Don’t go there, there’s nowhere to swim, nothing to see, nothing to do,” advised a pair of sophisticated... more

Mike Fink | 7/1/26

Memories of a bygone era and a toast to patriotism

I remember with regret the cannon and the brick weapon and my boyhood when it loomed at the bottom of my hillside home and steep hill between the Armory and the frequent patriotic events during the “duration” of my boyhood, and beyond. I live... more

Mike Fink | 6/9/26

A window into the Jewish world of Alexander Hamilton

In the final decade of my RISD career, I divided my journeys, my routes, my roads and my readings between the faraway and the nearby. I made it to many but not all, of the Caribbean islands like stepping-stones for my Jewish history all the way to... more

Mike Fink | 5/5/26

Seeking a way: memories of an encounter in Paris

I don't know quite yet where we will convene for Pesach, so I will wonder and wander among my memories. Among my fond recollections of yore is an encounter that took place in Paris, where I was to meet our first-born and return with her to... more

Mike Fink | 4/12/26

A month of anticipation

I wish I could congratulate the President for his efforts with words. When the concentration camps were liberated, a Hershey bar or a cigarette spelled "freedom" and "life!" I rather wish, in a way, that President Trump could... more

Mike Fink | 3/4/26

Family nostalgia: remembering an aunt and uncle

An aunt and an uncle: My mother had a sister in Manhattan, who put me up hospitably if a bit possessively. She suffered from a curvature of the spine but absolutely nothing could slow her down. Married twice, she had a daughter who died-which... more

Mike Fink | 2/5/26

Trees, poetry and nourishment

Tu B’shevat is our Jewish salute to trees often expressed in the poetry of nature’s renewal and rebirth that links it to Israel’s cultural identity. Long ago I studied poetry under the guidance and inspiration of literary critic and professor... more

Mike Fink | 1/21/26

Twelve Tribes and my number

It's my personal number: twelve! I was born on the twelfth day of the twelfth month, and yes, it resonates during Hanukkah with its candles joining the triumphant lights on the menorah, whatever tribe you derive from. Plus, I remember... more

Mike Fink | 12/4/25

Words to enhance Thanksgiving dinner

As we gather for a family Thanksgiving in our nation's capital, D.C. it seems apt to praise our birthright. I wish our public schools would put more emphasis on grammar school courses in civics. Rhode Island has led the way in strengthening civics... more

Mike Fink | 11/6/25

Embracing Creation in all its forms

I/we have saluted Sukkot with different symbols over the years, but this time I hope to bless all the species that share our planet and our universe, Creation in its entirety. Kids used to call me "Nature Boy" to tease me and mock my Career Book... more

Mike Fink | 10/23/25