Words are being spilled in torrents these days from those who see what’s happening to America as they try to wrestle against the peril we face in our current moment. As acute as the danger is, they often blend together to make noise more than sentences with meaning. That’s not the case here.
Famed documentarian Ken Burns delivered the commencement address to the 2024 graduating class of Brandeis University and, like the work in many of his documentaries, his words cut to the bone with a surgical precision.
There’s lots of talk from the talking heads trying to make the news that Burns’ admitted departure from his position of neutraility is the news here, but I personally don’t find it much of a departure from the stories he’s gifted us with previously. I mean that as high praise.
It’s a terrific address. It’s a serious summation of the moment. It’s worth your time to watch and listen. It’s worth more to heed them.
If you prefer to read it you can find the transcript here.
You can find more of my writings on a variety of topics on Medium at this link, including in the publications Ellemeno and Rome.
Life on the Wicked Stage: Act 3 