Monthly Archives: March 2017

Trust in God, Argue For Justice

By Robin Bates | Published: March 11, 2017

This Raymond Foss Purim poem reminds us that Queen Esther can be seen as standing up for oppressed people everywhere. The poem is particularly relevant in these dark times.

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Trump Is Gatsby (But a Lot Meaner)

By Robin Bates | Published: March 9, 2017

Donald Trump is Jay Gatsby, albeit a Gatsby with a mean streak. Nevertheless, the rise of the character helps us understand the success of our current president.

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Immigrants Face a Sophie’s Choice

By Robin Bates | Published: March 8, 2017

Republicans have recently been outdoing themselves in cruelty, both regarding immigration and health care. William Styron and William Blake weigh in.

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“Julius Caesar” Is Only Too Relevant

By Robin Bates | Published: March 7, 2017

“Julius Caesar” has been showing up in the news recently, and for good reason. New York leads off with the play this summer in “Shakespeare in the Park” (the political parallels are overwhelming) and there is an “Ides of Trump” postcard writing campaign scheduled for March 15.

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Climate Change, Fairies Fighting

By Robin Bates | Published: March 6, 2017

Some of the extreme climate events we are currently experiencing are described in “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” where they are the result of fairy infighting

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Lit, a Heroic Bulwark against Trumpism

By Robin Bates | Published: March 5, 2017

Author George Saunders sees literature playing a vital role in opposing Trumpism. He has also written a very comic poem about the president.

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Finding a Paradise Within Happier Far

By Robin Bates | Published: March 4, 2017

Milton’s “Paradise Lost” provides a powerful account of how we lose sight of God and how then have we can reconnect with the divine.

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Brown & Gold & Blood vs. Trumpian White

By Robin Bates | Published: March 2, 2017

In the face of white nationalists, we need poems like Fatima Asghar’s celebration of South Asian diversity in America to remind us who we really are.

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Atwood Predicts the Fire Next Time

By Robin Bates | Published: March 1, 2017

Atwood’s disturbing dystopian short story “Torch the Dusties” points to the uneven way that our society is apportioning its resources, along with the resulting anger.

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