In his Christmas Oratorio “For the Time Being,” Auden captures the power of the season of Epiphany.
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Monthly Archives: January 2026
Illness Can Feel Like a Heart of Darkness
My recent bout with the flu has me revisiting Heart of Darkness. It may not be malaria but it’s plenty unpleasant.
Wheezles and Sneezles
For anyone with a bad head cold, A. A. Milne’s “Sneezles” is the poem for you.
For Jan. 6 and Venezuela, Read 1984
To understand the rewriting of Jan. 6 and the invasion of Venezuela, reread 1984.
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Why Aren’t More Kids Reading?
An Atlanta article attacks utilitarian arguments for reading. I push back.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Adam Kirsch, Ars Poetica, Cervantes, Don Quixote, Goethe, Gustave Flaubert, Horace, Huckleberry Finn, John Stuart Mill, Judy Blume, Madame Bovary, Mark Twain, Martha Nussbaum, Paul and Virginia, Perks of Being a Wall Flower, Samuel Johnson, Sorrows of Young Werther, Tom Jones Comments closed
Blake on Venezuelan Kidnapping
Blake’s “The Grey Monk” captures everything that’s wrong about Trump’s Venezuela invasion.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "Grey Monk", Donald Trump, Nicolás Maduro, tyranny, Venezuela invasion, violence, William Blake Comments closed
A Stable: Good Place for Revelations
Godfrey Rust’s Feast of the Epiphany poem reveals love to be at the center of creation.
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Using Lit to Grapple with Racism
In which I look back at how I’ve grappled with racism over the years, along with the books that have helped me do so.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "note to self", Invisible Man, Lucille Clifton, Morehouse College, racism, Ralph Ellison, St. Mary's College of Maryland Comments closed