Trump’s Tehran bombing is like a mash-up of George Orwell and the Marx Brothers.
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Author Archives: Robin Bates
Trump’s Duck Soup of a War
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged 1984, Donald Trump, Duck Soup, George Orwell, Marx Brothers, Tehran bombing Leave a comment
Hockey, Trump, and Ellison’s Invisible Man
The unfortunate aftermath of the American hockey victory has me thinking of Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man. Some explaining is required.
Brother Fire Unleased upon Tehran
The bombing of Tehran brings to mind Louis MacNeice’s “Brother Fire,” about the London blitzkrieg. 15 years ago I wrote about the poem as the U.S. was about to bomb Libya.
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Scientific Wonder and the Longing for God
In “Astronomical Psalms for a Vast Universe,” astrophysicist Arnold Benz combines a scientific exploration of the universe with spiritual insight.
Forging a Separate Identity from My Father
I which I explore the difficulties of a son forging an identity separate from his father.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Alfred Lord Tennyson, fathers and sons, Homer, Odyssey, Scott Bates, Ulysses Leave a comment
Milton, Voltaire, and Trump’s Address
In which I compare Trump’s State of the Union speech to Paradise Lost—well, a little bit—and also to Candide.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Bill Kristol, Candide, Donald Trump, John Milton, Paradise Lost, Samuel Johnson, State of the Union speech, Voltaire Leave a comment
Misuse of Language Induces Evil in the Soul
Le Quin’s advice to a young writer: respect, do not abuse, language.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged "Ode on a Grecian Urn", "Task", John Keats, Ursula K Le Guin, William Cowper Leave a comment