WOODY BASSETT: Rays of sunshine
It's a long-standing practice for a departing president to pen a letter to his successor, leaving it in the top drawer of the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office. Here's part of what President Obama wrot...
January 21, 2021
Time to persevere
We fell on hard times in 2020. It’s a year we’d like to forget but never will. It has tested us immeasurably, pushing us to the limit in a variety of ways.
We all have our own story to tell about why...
December 17, 2020
WOODY BASSETT: Pursue common sense, decency
This year has been devastating and heartbreaking for some, challenging and frustrating for all. The country is deeply burdened by sharp division and economic uncertainty while trapped in the worst pan...
November 19, 2020
WOODY BASSETT: On the books
There's a lot ailing America right now. Our country is deeply and dangerously divided. We remain mired in a pandemic that threatens public health and has severely damaged our economy. Social, cultural...
September 17, 2020
WOODY BASSETT: Better days will come
Uncertainty. Anxiety. Stress. Frustration. Sadness. Loneliness. Isolation. Loss. Boredom. Depression. Fear. Anger. Many have experienced these sorts of feelings and emotions this year.
A lot has been...
August 20, 2020
Woody Bassett: Do right by others
We can't just wish covid-19 away or pretend it's not there. Turning a blind eye to facts and reliable evidence or simply hoping coronavirus will soon disappear is not a viable plan for ridding ourselv...
July 16, 2020
WOODY BASSETT: The fight goes on
After a lengthy yet necessary holding pattern, many of us are ready to attack the day instead of feeling like it will attack us.
Coronavirus will continue to toy with our hearts and minds. The shadow ...
May 21, 2020
WOODY BASSETT: A slow walk back
It's surreal. Yet it's all too real. The daily rhythms of life have been dramatically altered in ways we never imagined.
We've retreated to our homes, embraced the practice of social distancing and wi...
April 16, 2020
WOODY BASSETT: Nesson gave of himself to the benefit of others
We can learn a lot from the well-lived life of Fayetteville's Ralph Nesson. He set an admirable example for us.
Northwest Arkansas lost a kind and gentle soul when Nesson passed away recently. A commu...
January 16, 2020
WOODY BASSETT: On the road again
Take a long road trip. You won't forget what you saw, where you saw it and how it made you feel. Destinations matter, of course, but what counts the most is the journey itself. The American road trip ...
August 15, 2019
WOODY BASSETT: Fox, other cable news damaging to nation
Our politics are broken and public discourse has become horrendous. Cable news bears some of the blame for it.
Around-the-clock cable news is unhealthy to the human condition and even worse for the co...
July 18, 2019
WOODY BASSETT: A recommended list of books worth reading
If you enjoy reading history and biographies, here is an abbreviated list of books, some read long ago and some completed recently, which I heartily recommend to book readers:
Killers of the Flower Mo...
June 20, 2019
WOODY BASSETT: Built on a foundation
What makes a town great? It's the people who live there, young and old alike.
Today's column is meant to be a tribute and expression of gratitude to those who came before me in Fayetteville and made a...
May 23, 2019
WOODY BASSETT: Time to compete
The beauty of sports is they are unscripted. Anything can happen in any sport on any given day. That's why we watch and why we tend to get wrapped up in the stories and fortunes of our favorite team o...
April 18, 2019
WOODY BASSETT: Embracing a new season as spring fills the Ozarks
As we move through the calendar year, the four seasons each present a different feel and unique vibe. Spring is next up and it has sprung in Northwest Arkansas. The most favorite season for many, spri...
March 28, 2019