Monthly Archives: October 2018

Pinocchio, a Horror Story

By Robin Bates | Published: October 31, 2018

Disney’s “Pinocchio” sugarcoats the original, which is the stuff of nightmares. Happy Halloween.

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GOP Is Jake from “Lonesome Dove”

By Robin Bates | Published: October 30, 2018

In failing to hold Trump accountable, the GOP is behaving like Jake Spoon in “Lonesome Dove,” who lacks a moral compass.

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Life Is a Reality TV Show, My Friend

By Robin Bates | Published: October 29, 2018

Watching “Cabaret” in the wake of the Squirrel Hill massacre accentuated the rise of anti-Semitism in American politics.

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Life Was Simple before the Angel

By Robin Bates | Published: October 28, 2018

Kilian McDonnell’s poem about Mary captures the difficulty of life as an unwed mother–and as one touched by God.

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Calculated Hysteria over Refugees

By Robin Bates | Published: October 26, 2018

Brian Bilston’s clever poem about refugees captures America’s split over the issue while Silko’s apocalyptic vision matches white nationalist nightmares.

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Wiglaf on Helping Those Who Resist Help

By Robin Bates | Published: October 25, 2018

Adolescents often are reluctant to help friends who wish to keep their troubles secret. Teaching “Beowulf” in high school can get at this problem.

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Sen. Flake Is No Hamlet

By Robin Bates | Published: October 24, 2018

Comparisons of Sen. Flake to Hamlet over the Brett Kavanaugh is an insult to Hamlet.

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The Trauma of Lost Privilege

By Robin Bates | Published: October 23, 2018

Few things are more traumatic that losing one’s privileges, as Amy Tan shows in “Valley of Amazement.”

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Imagining Little Ocean’s Future

By Robin Bates | Published: October 22, 2018

Looking for the literary significance of my latest grandchild, I turn to Walcott, Whitman, Masefield, Coleridge, and Byron. What emerges is a mystical seeker.

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