While many Americans feel betrayed by their fellow voters following Election 2024, Dante’s vision of betrayal in “Inferno” may not apply.
Tag Archives: Donald Trump
Trump’s Orwellian Cabinet Picks
1984 understands Trumpism like few other books.
Returning to a Desecrated Shire
Returning home after 7 weeks abroad feels like Frodo returning home to a devastated Shire.
Rushdie on Dreams That Refuse to Die
While “Midnight’s Children” may apply only too closely to Trump-led America, there’s some room for hope in it as well.
The Political Results of Collective Amnesia
Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children” describes the kind of amnesia following a traumatic incident that may help explain one of the reasons why Trump beat Biden.
Stop the Clocks: This Is the Hour of Lead
Auden’s mourning poem “Stop All the Clocks” captures the mood of those who saw a fascist triumph in the American presidential election.
Caliban Defeats Prospero
It’s Prospero vs. Caliban in America, with Caliban having a very good chance of triumphing.
Our Lear Is Running to Be King Again
In an essay reposted from 2017 that is still relevant, I compare Trump’s narcissism with King Lear’s.
Trump, His Billionaires, and Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand’s novels help explain why certain billionaires are gravitating to Donald Trump. Trump’s own enthusiasm about “The Fountainhead” is also revealing.