My latest for The Boston Globe Boston Globe Ideas follows a Baptist pastor from the deindustrializing rural Midwest who has become an unlikely star among secularists like me, and calls on President Donald J. Trump and The White House to reach out directly to the nonreligious. trib.al/9phhMzi

For 20 years I've been a professional humanist— representing the positive values of the nonreligious. We're now among the largest groups in the US, & I truly believe we can help Joe Biden live out his intention to build the most inclusive The White House, ever trib.al/9phhMzi

“Think about the rise of the nones,” Ryan Burge 📊 says in my latest Boston Globe Ideas, “[like] globalization. In both cases, the same cold, hard fact is true: We cannot stop it.” + a big personal experience I've never put in writing before and still won't tweet trib.al/9phhMzi

What a surprising honor to be, along w/ Stacey Abrams Valerie Jarrett Priya Parker, one of 6 guests on new TED ZigZag podcast season/project. Recorded my thoughts on uncertainty & life transitions in this episode months ago, not knowing what for - so glad it resonated. 1/

Retire.

Had a bad day and did not need Richard Dawkins on some transphobic hate tonight. Hey Richard, maybe spend some time in quiet reflection and stop using your platform to stoke even more prejudice against vulnerable people. It's really awful. You should apologize profusely.

Richard Dawkins I've had low expectations for you, for quite some time. As I believe I've made clear. Even so this is disappointing. You've worked hard to be the spokesperson for causes I hold dear; if you can't perceive an accompanying obligation to be more decent than this—step back. Way back.

Better to be what Sam Harris calls 'struggling' than his definition of success. @Americnhumanist's brave decision marks the end of an era. Humanists/atheists deserve more inclusive, antiracist, less flat-out intolerant leadership than the loudest voices of the last generation.

Hi Epicurious fans! 👋If you read me you would not think Epicurus cared what trendy recipe you were cooking tonight. "The art of living well and the art of dying well are one."

"Perhaps the biggest indicator of chaplaincy’s centrality to the spiritual needs of America is the arrival of humanist chaplains, who don’t believe in a higher power or deity, but instead aspire to contribute to “humanity’s greater good.” Well...thank you! vice.com/en/article/epn…

Thank you, Diana Kruzman and VICE!

After tying up as many loose ends as I could from this bizarre academic year, I am now on a 3 month sabbatical to work on my book project about technology, religion, and humanism!

Just turned in version 2.0 of the second-longest piece of writing I've ever produced, after my book Good Without God. It's not a full follow-up book yet, but it sure is on its way...now I need to do about 50-100 more interviews, and crank out version 3.0!

I struggled mightily to write Good Without God in my 20's, barely succeeding in completing it. In my 30's I couldn't get out of my own way, failing to finish much writing at all. In my 40's am determined to be a "real writer." Which is—as a teacher once said—"someone who writes."

I've been working on my next book for three years now. Excited that it officially has a name—Tech Agnostic—and a great home The MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social. Publication is still awhile away; plenty of time for more interviews. DM/Signal if you want to talk or send ideas. mitpress.mit.edu/blog/book-deal…

Favorite new thing from yesterday: Zeeshan Aleem MSNBC on the exact work I've done f/2 decades: building community-oriented atheism/humanism. Lovely story of how his Muslim grandfather caused Aleem to discover atheism, & how it inspired him. Also...1/2 msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-…

Here's Hemant Mehta, OnlySky, on why the "communitarian atheism" Zeeshan Aleem seeks=right here to be found. Not only in my work but more importantly in work countless humanist/atheist/secular activists and community leaders are doing, worldwide. 2/2 onlysky.media/hemant-mehta/a…

I get shy sharing footage of myself on TV, but really appreciated this ABC News ABC News Live invite to discuss my book Good Without God HarperCollins. Blows me away that people are still reading it years after publication, but #humanism=relevant as ever. 1/2

Turned in 100,000+ word TECH AGNOSTIC draft yesterday. 5 yrs work. The MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social already sending out for peer review (& advice on what to cut...it's LONG, incl. 5K words of notes/references!). Need to send pre-publicity info f/Penguin Random House 🐧🏠📚 next week. Can't believe it's really real.