I have never met Preston Browning, although I imagine many of this paper’s readers have. A resident of Ashfield, he is a retired professor of English with a wide variety of interests and a resonant social conscience. He has written poetry, a memoir, a study of Flannery O’Connor, and much more.

In “Collected Essays” he gathers a group of meditations on issues that range from Christianity to politics to global warming. Some have been published before. A number have not. All of them demonstrate their author’s wisdom and his commitment to making our world more just.

Preston Browning has just turned 95. He admits that some the essays in the book are far from new. They are generally still relevant, however. And the passion of the author’s voice remains unabated.

He engages in dialogue with writers and thinkers from the poet Walt Whitman to the actor/activist Martin Sheen. The author is upfront about his religion and politics, calling himself a Christian socialist.

He writes critically of the U.S. government’s engagement in many parts of the world, particularly in Latin America. He is skeptical of the stated motives for much of our country’s international intervention. He argues that many activities that supposedly support democracy really do more to serve monied and imperial interests.

The essays reveal that earlier than many of us, Browning was aware of the climate crisis that humanity faces. He also worries about young people, faced with that issue and many others.

While reading the book, I sometimes wanted to argue with the author. Although I agree with him that we need a more equitable economic system, I would challenge some of his assumptions.

He writes, “To my mind, the first responsibility of a Christian in contemporary America is to be constantly in opposition to America; that is, to be committed to the struggle to subvert the diseased structures of our politics and culture.

“We live in a society suffused with lies, with false promises of fulfillment and happiness provided by things, with constant distractions and mindless entertainment served up by advertisers bent upon filling the spiritual void that many researchers claim haunts our citizens.”

To me, American culture, even at its most oppressive, contains myriad holes that enable people to resist the darkness Browning seems to see around us.

Nevertheless, I appreciate the strength of his assertions and the convictions behind them. In any case, I have a feeling this author would relish a spirited argument.

One of the pleasures of reading this book comes from the bits of personality that shine through the author’s polemics. In one memorable passage, he recalls disarming a threatening person in Nicaragua by singing to him, startling and perhaps even charming the stranger.

That action is a metaphor for Preston Browning’s life and work. He writes and sings to us all and manages to break down barriers.

“Collected Essays” is available for purchase locally at Ashfield Hardware & Supply. The store will ship the book for a small fee. For more information, call Ashfield Hardware at 413-628-3299.

Tinky Weisblat is an award-winning cookbook author and singer known as the Diva of Deliciousness. Visit her website, TinkyCooks.com.