Monthly Archives: November 2012

The Liberating Power of Yo-Yos

By Robin Bates | Published: November 21, 2012

In this Scott Bates fantasy, a renegade scholar breaks library protocol with a bright red yo-yo.

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To Win Ohio, Read the Rabbit Books

By Robin Bates | Published: November 20, 2012

Updike’s “Rabbit” novels hold a key to understanding the independent voter.

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Defeating the White Whale of Race Hatred

By Robin Bates | Published: November 19, 2012

With a little imagination, “Moby Dick” can be dramatized as a story about race relations.

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Haunted by the Absent Music

By Robin Bates | Published: November 18, 2012

“The Piper at the Gates of Dawn” episode in “Wind in the Willows” is a powerful expression of pantheism.

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A Runner’s Dark Thoughts

By Robin Bates | Published: November 17, 2012

In Alan Sillitoe’s vision, running can put us in touch with our inner pain.

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The Power of Political Narrative

By Robin Bates | Published: November 16, 2012

Narrative has become more important than ever in political campaigns.

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Petraeus: Karenina, Oedipus, or Antony?

By Robin Bates | Published: November 15, 2012

The David Petraeus affair–is it 19th century melodrama or high tragedy?

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Autumn Striptease

By Robin Bates | Published: November 14, 2012

As Scott Bates sees it, trees in autumn are involved in a joyous striptease.

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Everyone Has a Place at the Table

By Robin Bates | Published: November 13, 2012

Tobias Smollett’s depiction in “Humphry Clinker” of different perspectives on social change is relevant today.

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