Monthly Archives: January 2026

Pullman’s Warning about Closed Societies

By Robin Bates | Published: January 13, 2026

In Pullman’s “Rose Field,” there is an eloquent critique of ideological purists.

By Robin Bates | Published: January 12, 2026

In his latest novel, Pullman shows the dangers of a world that turns its back on the imagination.

By Robin Bates | Published: January 11, 2026

Nicole Renee Good’s murder by an ICE agent may be (to use images from a Byron lyric) be the thorn in the couch that awakens mass resistance.

By Robin Bates | Published: January 10, 2026

In his Christmas Oratorio “For the Time Being,” Auden captures the power of the season of Epiphany.

By Robin Bates | Published: January 9, 2026

My recent bout with the flu has me revisiting Heart of Darkness. It may not be malaria but it’s plenty unpleasant.

By Robin Bates | Published: January 7, 2026

For anyone with a bad head cold, A. A. Milne’s “Sneezles” is the poem for you.

By Robin Bates | Published: January 6, 2026

To understand the rewriting of Jan. 6 and the invasion of Venezuela, reread 1984.

By Robin Bates | Published: January 5, 2026

An Atlanta article attacks utilitarian arguments for reading. I push back.

By Robin Bates | Published: January 4, 2026

Blake’s “The Grey Monk” captures everything that’s wrong about Trump’s Venezuela invasion.