Monthly Archives: November 2022

Watch What You Eat

By Robin Bates | Published: November 20, 2022

We’ve been eating sometimes too much during our Slovenian tour, bringing up recollections from a scene in “Penrod.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Booth Tarkington, Food, overeating, Penrod | Comments closed

Two Thieves, Two Choices

By Robin Bates | Published: November 19, 2022

Monroe and O’Donnell’s poems set up an insightful conversation about the meaning of the two thieves crucified alongside Jesus.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged "The Bad Thief", "Thief on the Cross", crucifixion, Harriet Monroe, John O'Donnell | Comments closed

Poetry, Gift of a Bounteous Spirit

By Robin Bates | Published: November 18, 2022

Poetry is the gift that keeps on giving.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged "How Lucky We Are", Gregory Orr | Comments closed

Child Spy Rats Out English Teacher

By Robin Bates | Published: November 16, 2022

The child spy tip line in Virginia received a complaint about how a teacher was teaching “Beowulf.” Meanwhile, a Texas school has banned Neil Gaiman’s works.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beowulf, Book banning, censorship, culture wars, Glenn Youngkin, J.R.R. Tolkien, Neil Gaiman, Sexism, teaching | Comments closed

Figaro vs. Kafka’s K: The Power of Rumor

By Robin Bates | Published: November 15, 2022

In our continuing discussion of rumor vs. truth, Figaro finds a way to defeat malicious gossip, Kafka not.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Barber of Seville, Enlightenment, Franz Kafka, Gioachino Rossini, Pierre Beaumarchais, Rumor, Socrates, Trial | Comments closed

Why Conspiracy Theories Beat Logic

By Robin Bates | Published: November 14, 2022

Philosopher Mladen Dolar cites Socrates and Hamlet to explain why conspiracy theories are so resistant to logic.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged 2022 elections, Apology, conspiracy theories, Hamlet, Kari Lake, QAnon, Socrates, William Shakespeare | Comments closed

Conclusion: Activating Literature’s Power

By Robin Bates | Published: November 13, 2022

I share the conclusion to my book, which I’ll be sending off to publishers this coming week.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments closed

Searching for God in the Trenches

By Robin Bates | Published: November 12, 2022

For Sassoon’s soldier in the trenches, easy belief in God has given way to mystic search.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged "Mystic as Soldier", Siegfried Sassoon, Veterans' Day, war | Comments closed

Election 2022: Win or Lose, Beowulf

By Robin Bates | Published: November 10, 2022

Two passages from “Beowulf” to capture feelings of despondency and elation, depending on how the election went for you.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Beowulf, Democratic Party, Election 2022, Election denial, GOP | Comments closed