Monthly Archives: October 2014

How the Dead Talk to Us

Naomi Shihab Nye finds that the dead talk to us through the new closeness that we experience with those who remain.

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Dark Doubles in Jane Austen

Of all Jane Austen’s novels, “Emma” may gives us the most interesting character study.

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Don’t Underestimate Your Students

Rule #1 for literature teachers should be to listen carefully to your students’ responses. There may be hidden wisdom in even the most unpromising ones.

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Beaten Down by Life

This Scott Bates fable takes a sober look at the aging process.

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Trying (and Failing) to Shield Our Love

Stephen Crane captures the agony of loss.

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We Blame Spiritual Directors for Our Sins

Sir John Betjeman blasts congregations for blaming their ministers for their own unresolved issues.

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Peyton Manning as Poe’s Dupin

Peyton Manning is like Edgar Allan Poe’s detective Dupin, who uses his keen mind to triumph over devious opponents.

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The Limitations of Cerebral Teaching

Teaching literature must be more than just a cerebral affair.

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Koch Inc: Oligarchs of Order and Ordure

A Scott Bates poem framing our oil barons as “the officious oligarchs of order and ordure” and “the lizards of ooze.”

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