The Musketeers’ motto—“All for one and one for all”—applies to both France and Spain in tomorrow’s semi-final World Cup match.
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Author Archives: Robin Bates
The Lost Honor of Lindsey Graham
Trump sycophant Lindsey Graham died unexpectedly yesterday. I turn to Beckett, Orwell, Conrad and Eliot to sum up the man.
The Bible in English Classes? Good Idea
The Texas Board of Education is requiring Biblical passages now. This may be a good thing.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Bible, Genesis, Greg Olear, separation of church and state, Texas Board of Education Leave a comment
A Boy Juggling a Soccer Ball
A lovely Christopher Merrill poem about a boy juggling a soccer ball.
Posted in Uncategorized Leave a comment
Was Oedipus Deserving of a Red Card?
The World Cup is leading to some great literary tweets from my English professor son.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Bluesky, Oedipus, Sophocles, Tobias Wilson-Bates, World Cup Leave a comment
Children as Devouring Mice?!
Images of devourment show up in children’s lit (“Children’s Hour,” “The Night Kitchen,” “Little Black Sambo,” “Runaway Bunny”), speaking to an inner tension in kids.
U.S. Soccer and the Ancient Mariner’s Curse
After Trump intervened with FIFA to overturn a red card, the USMT still lost. It was as though the Greek goddess Nemesis had intervened.
Beowulf and “the Viking Row”
The “Viking Row” buoyed the Norwegian soccer team, bringing to mind a literary seafaring Scandinavian (i.e., Beowulf).
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Beowulf, Erling Haaland, Norwegian soccer team, World Cup Leave a comment
Finding Deep Rest in a Still Room
A John Greeleaf Whittier poem making a strong case for communal worship.
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged “Meeting", communal worship, John Greenleaf Whittier, Quakers Leave a comment