"The house they shut off to the world"

Also: The NFL is a billion dollar "plantation" [View in browser](    [❤️]( February 13, 2022 Dear Cog reader, There was no shortage of news in Boston this week: the resignation of Boston’s [school superintendent]( protests at [Mayor Michelle Wu’s home]( the ongoing controversy about a [sexual assault lawsuit at Harvard](. You can read about all of those things in the newsletter this week. But we want to direct your gaze to two pieces in particular: First up (and fitting for Super Bowl weekend), Steve Almond’s [blistering critique of the NFL]( in light of Brian Flores’s lawsuit against the league. I don’t think Steve was planning to watch the Rams and the Bengals face off anyway, but in case there was any question: “[T]he NFL is merely the showcase asset in a vast football industrial complex that reflects the systemic racism inherent in American society.” Second: Marie Cahalane wrote an [essay about her elderly father,]( who for years not only refused to repair his dilapidated Massachusetts house, but refused any offer of help. Marie’s piece loosely chronicles the tragedy that befell actress Alicia Witt, whose own parents were found dead at home. Witt hadn’t entered her parents’ home for more than 10 years, and then “the house they shut off to the world had become their tomb.” Research suggests 2% to 5% of the population suffer from some form of hoarding, which can be an indicator of mental health issues. And based on the comments we heard in reaction to this piece, it seems to be an issue many of our readers are familiar with. Ultimately, though, this essay is about getting older and what adult children can — and can’t — do for the parents they love. P.S.– A correction from last week's newsletter: We misattributed Anita Diamant's lush [essay about the Blizzard of 2022](. Cloe Axelson Editor, Cognoscenti [Follow]( Kathleen Burge Editor [Follow]( Support the news   Must Reads [New lawsuit, old story: Harvard undermines victims of sexual assault]( Harvardand other universities have not only shirked their duty to protect students, but have worked to underminethose who bring credible sexual assault claims forward, writes Kaivan Shroff. [Read more.]( [New lawsuit, old story: Harvard undermines victims of sexual assault]( Harvardand other universities have not only shirked their duty to protect students, but have worked to underminethose who bring credible sexual assault claims forward, writes Kaivan Shroff. [Read more.]( [‘The house they shut off to the world’: Alicia Witt’s tragedy was nearly mine]( When the furnace stopped working, Dad refused to repair it, writes Marie F. Cahalane. I pleaded with him but he wouldn't accept my help. [Read more.]( [‘The house they shut off to the world’: Alicia Witt’s tragedy was nearly mine]( When the furnace stopped working, Dad refused to repair it, writes Marie F. Cahalane. I pleaded with him but he wouldn't accept my help. [Read more.]( [The 'Great Resignation' doesn't have to be inevitable in Boston schools]( Early on in the pandemic, when it was clear her students were struggling, Neema Avashia made a bold move: she asked students for feedback, and changed her approach. Now she wants school, district and state leaders to do the same. [Read more.]( [The 'Great Resignation' doesn't have to be inevitable in Boston schools]( Early on in the pandemic, when it was clear her students were struggling, Neema Avashia made a bold move: she asked students for feedback, and changed her approach. Now she wants school, district and state leaders to do the same. [Read more.]( [The NFL is a billion dollar 'plantation']( The NFL makes billions of dollars every year by staging athletic contests in which predominantly Black players risk their brains for the profit of white owners, and the entertainment of mostly white viewers. [Read more.]( [The NFL is a billion dollar 'plantation']( The NFL makes billions of dollars every year by staging athletic contests in which predominantly Black players risk their brains for the profit of white owners, and the entertainment of mostly white viewers. [Read more.]( [Staking out Mayor Wu’s home is intimidation, not protest]( Lawmakers can end these threats of violence by following the example of other communities and limiting protests at private homes, writes Colette Phillips. [Read more.]( [Staking out Mayor Wu’s home is intimidation, not protest]( Lawmakers can end these threats of violence by following the example of other communities and limiting protests at private homes, writes Colette Phillips. [Read more.]( What We're Reading "The movie theater has always been a realm for the therapy of sanctioned crying." "[The Power of a Good Cry]( The New York Times "[W]e must use the coming lull to transition from an emergency response to the management of an ongoing, persistent public health challenge." "[The Covid Emergency Is Ending. Here’s What We Should Do Next]( POLITICO "If our friends become our substitute families, they pay for the failures of our families of origin." "[It’s Your Friends Who Break Your Heart]( The Atlantic "Most of us have been [teaching] for close to two decades, and yet we are now struggling to see what happens for us next month ..." — Neema Avashia, "[The 'Great Resignation' doesn't have to be inevitable in Boston schools]( ICYMI [The $50 I can never spendÂ]( On a recent deep-cleaning mission to pass the hours stuck inside, Alysia Abbott found a $50 bill in the back of a drawer. It reminded her of languid summers in central Illinois and her grandfather, Grumpa. [Read more.]( [The $50 I can never spendÂ]( On a recent deep-cleaning mission to pass the hours stuck inside, Alysia Abbott found a $50 bill in the back of a drawer. It reminded her of languid summers in central Illinois and her grandfather, Grumpa. [Read more.]( If you’d like to write for Cognoscenti, send your submission, pasted into your email and not as an attachment, to opinion@wbur.org. Please tell us in one line what the piece is about, and please tell us in one line who you are. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news     Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. Unsubscribe from all WBUR editorial newsletters [here.](  Interested in learning more about corporate sponsorship? [Click here.]( Copyright © 2021 WBUR-FM, All rights reserved.