Tommy P. Baer to Moderate January Forum

We are pleased to announce that Tommy P. Baer will be the moderator for our January 17, 2009 Faith & Politics program featuring Islam expert, Reza Aslan, and Editor of Newsweek, Jon Meacham.

A longtime Forum supporter, Mr. Baer has been chair of the First Freedom Center, Council for America's First Freedom, since 2001. The Richmond-based Council's mission is to increase understanding and respect for religious freedom in diverse communities worldwide through education about this core human value: the freedom of thought, conscience and belief.

As the international president of B’nai B’rith from 1994-1998 Baer met with the leaders of 35 countries on the issues of Middle East peace, anti-semitism, terrorism, and other subjects.

We look forward to welcoming Mr. Baer to The Forum stage in January to moderate our question and answer period with Mr. Aslan and Mr. Meacham!

What a Nice Segue...

Tony and Cherie Blair's 2008 Christmas card has shown up on the internet. (No, the Forum office didn't make the list this year.) What's most interesting to me is that if you look closely, very closely, right there behind Mr. Blair's left shoulder...what's that? Why, yes...that's a copy of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam by one of our upcoming January speakers, Reza Aslan.

Old Forum Furniture Finds New Home in Reedville

Ralph and Mary Thurston have been Richmond Forum season subscribers since 1987. So when Ralph saw that The Forum was auctioning the table and two chairs where everybody from Desmund Tutu to Benazir Bhutto to Robert Redford sat to field questions from the Forum audience, he knew he had to have them. Ralph submitted the winning bid after the Tony Blair program and the furniture now sits in a place of honor in the Thurston's home overlooking The Great Wicomico River in Reedville. The Thurstons are anxious to show the new furniture off to their guests, who I suspect may be asked to take a seat, and field a few questions from Ralph.

Congratulations to the Thurstons, and we thank them for their longtime support of The Richmond Forum.

Secretary of Agriculture Michael Pollan?

There is reportedly an online movement afoot, sparked by an article in The New York Times Magazine, to encourage President-Elect Obama to name Michael Pollan as Secretary of Agriculture. To hear Pollan's response to this idea, and to hear him explain why he believes cheap food is actually very expensive, watch Michael Pollan on Bill Moyers Journal last Friday.

Don't miss Michael Pollan when he and author and nutritionist Marion Nestle appear at The Richmond Forum on April 18, 2009.