Would the USSR and the USA have saved themselves a lot of blood and money in Afghanistan by reading Kipling’s “The Man Who Would Be King” before going in.
Monthly Archives: October 2024
The U.S. Ignored Kipling’s Cautionary Tale
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "White Man's Murden", Afghanistan, Edward Said, Huckleberry Finn, Man Who Would Be King, Mark Twain, Orientalism, Rudyard Kipling Comments closed
Orientalizing the Other
In my postcolonial lit course, I applied Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism to Haggard’s “She” and Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.” It’s not pretty.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "Snake Charmer", "To His Mistress Going to Bed", Andrew Marvell, Colonialism, Edward Said, empire building, H. Rider Haggard, Heart of Darkness, John Donne, Joseph Conrad, Orientalism, She, To His Coy Mistress Comments closed
My Course in Postcolonial Literature
In which I share the syllabus for my post-colonial literature course. I begin with British colonial works and end with Zadie Smith.
Sane-Washing Vance and Mac the Knife
As I watched Vance sane-wash both Trump and himself in the debate, I thought of the sane-washing that occurs in Gay’s “Beggar’s Opera.”
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged anti-democratic theocracy, Beggar's Opera, Bill Kristol, Donald Trump, Election 2024, J.D. Vance, John Gay, Kevin Roberts, Lance Wallnau, Leonard Leo, Matthew Taylor, New Apostolic Reformation, Opus Dei, Project 2025, Seven Mountains Mandate Comments closed
And Took from Thence a Rib
In “Paradise Lost,” Milton does interesting things with Adam’s rib and the creation of Eve.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Fall, Genesis creation story, John Milton, John Wilmot, Paradise Lost, patriarchy, Plato, Symposium Comments closed
Jack London Predicted January 6
Jack London’s 1908 dystopian novel “The Iron Heel” anticipates a U.S. president refusing to give up power.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Iron Heel, Jack London, January 6 indictment, January 6 insurrection, SCOTUS Comments closed
Judge Invokes Handmaid’s Tale in Ruling
A Georgia judge has invoked “Handmaid’s Tale” is ruling against a six-week abortion ban, testifying to the power of literature.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Abortion, Book banning, Dobbs decision, Handmaid's Tale, J.D. Vance, Margaret Atwood, Robert McBurney Comments closed
Rosh Hashanah: Running into a New Year
Clifton’s “i am running into a new year” works as a Rosh Hashanah poem.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "i am running into a new year", High Holy Days, Lucille Clifton, Rosh Hashanah Comments closed
