Obama’s “star that guides us”–the ideals in “The Declaration of Independence”–are, in “Beowulf,” the sword used to kill Grendel’s Mother.
Monthly Archives: January 2013
Toasting with the Wine of Cana
Richard Wilbur cites the wedding of Cana in his own wedding toast.
Belichick and Saban: Infernal Machines
Belichick and Saban resemble Jean Cocteau’s “Infernal Machine” and Flannery O’Connor’s Misfit.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Bill Belichick, Flannery O'Connor, Football, Good Man Is Hard to Find, Infernal Machine, Jean Cocteau, Nick Saban, Sports Comments closed
Poetry Is Stupid (But Will Save Your Life)
Reading poetry is a life insurance policy for when things go bad, Housman tells us.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "Terence This Is Stupid Stuff", A. E. Housman, beer, poetry, teaching Comments closed
Only Comic Satire Can Do NRA Justice
It takes a Joseph Heller or a Jonathan Swift to capture the craziness of the NRA.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Catch 22, Gulliver's Travels, gun control, Jonathan Swift, Joseph Heller, NRA, politics Comments closed
Narrative Drama, Key to Good Teaching
To teach your discipline, turn to compelling narratives.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Bring Up the Bodies, Common Core State Standards, Double Helix, Hilary Mantel, James Watson, teaching Comments closed
My Heart Leapt Up
A rainbow sighting led to a discussion about how humans often turn to nature for guiding metaphors.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "My Heart Leaps Up", "Tables Turned", Bible, Genesis, Nature, rainbows, William Blake, William Wordsworth Comments closed
Jane Austen Has Something for Everyone
No two students respond to Jane Austen the same.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Emma, Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Relationships, Sense and Sensibility, teaching Comments closed
