Monthly Archives: May 2020

In Aeneid, It’s the Wives Who Riot

By Robin Bates | Published: May 31, 2020

The riots in the wake of George Floyd’s death recall for me the wives rioting in the Aeneid–another neglected and long-suffering group who are fed up.

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Every Flame Becomes a Tongue of Praise

By Robin Bates | Published: May 30, 2020

Malcolm Guite has a powerful sonnet capturing the pentecostal moment.

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Secret Garden, Perfect Pandemic Reading

By Robin Bates | Published: May 27, 2020

A “Paris Review” writer makes a great case that we should reread “Secret Garden” during the pandemic.

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The Lit That Inspired Van Gogh

By Robin Bates | Published: May 26, 2020

Writers like Stowe, Dickens, Hugo and Maupassant played a pivotal role in the evolution of Van Gogh as an artist.

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Atwood Gets the Authoritarian Mindset

By Robin Bates | Published: May 25, 2020

In her sequel to “Handmaid’s Tale,” Atwood demonstrates a deep understanding of authoritarianism.

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There Watched I for the Dead

By Robin Bates | Published: May 24, 2020

In Owen’s “Unreturning,” our poem for Memorial Day, the poet excoriates those who use religion to justify warfare.

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A Star Leaving the Sphere

By Robin Bates | Published: May 23, 2020

A Henry Vaughan poem celebrating the Ascension

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Rereading Is Different for Lit Profs

By Robin Bates | Published: May 21, 2020

Rereading a beloved work is a joy for many. For lit professors, however, it’s more complicated.

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