Monthly Archives: January 2013

Obama’s Star, Beowulf’s Sword

Obama’s “star that guides us”–the ideals in “The Declaration of Independence”–are, in “Beowulf,” the sword used to kill Grendel’s Mother.

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Inauguration Poet, Classic Immigrant Story

Richard Blanco’s poem “América” shows that he is well chosen as this year’s inauguration poet.

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Toasting with the Wine of Cana

Richard Wilbur cites the wedding of Cana in his own wedding toast.

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Belichick and Saban: Infernal Machines

Belichick and Saban resemble Jean Cocteau’s “Infernal Machine” and Flannery O’Connor’s Misfit.

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Poetry Is Stupid (But Will Save Your Life)

Reading poetry is a life insurance policy for when things go bad, Housman tells us.

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Only Comic Satire Can Do NRA Justice

It takes a Joseph Heller or a Jonathan Swift to capture the craziness of the NRA.

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Narrative Drama, Key to Good Teaching

To teach your discipline, turn to compelling narratives.

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My Heart Leapt Up

A rainbow sighting led to a discussion about how humans often turn to nature for guiding metaphors.

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Jane Austen Has Something for Everyone

No two students respond to Jane Austen the same.

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