Monthly Archives: December 2021

Our Christmases Always Involved Books

By Robin Bates | Published: December 21, 2021

Growing up, our Christmases were always filled with books. This Scott Bates poem captures the spirit.

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Light a Candle to Drive the Dark Away

By Robin Bates | Published: December 20, 2021

A Susan Cooper poem celebrating the Winter Solstice.

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Manchin Delivers a Lump of Coal

By Robin Bates | Published: December 19, 2021

Two Scott Bates environmental Christmas poems are helping me cope with depression over the failure of the Build Back Better bill.

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Recovering a Child’s Sense of Wonder

By Robin Bates | Published: December 18, 2021

In this Christmas tree poem, T.S. Eliot seeks to reconnect with his childhood sense of wonder.

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How Anti-Vaxxers Deny 800,000 Dead

By Robin Bates | Published: December 16, 2021

As the U.S. hits 800,000 Covid deaths, I rerun a past post on a Bishop poem dealing with resignation.

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Great Lit Is Also Practical Lit

By Robin Bates | Published: December 15, 2021

Two new books arguing for more literature instruction fail to make a very good case.

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Beloved’s War against White Supremacy

By Robin Bates | Published: December 14, 2021

One reason the far right may hate Morrison’s “Beloved” is because a Black woman resists attempts to control her fertility.

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A Lion Judges Nature-Destroying Humans

By Robin Bates | Published: December 13, 2021

Three mountain lion poems see the animal judging us for what we are doing to the environment.

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The Tornadoes and America’s Fairy Tale

By Robin Bates | Published: December 12, 2021

The Kentucky tornadoes bring to mind the cyclone in “Wizard of Oz.”

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