Tag Archives: Fall of the House of Usher

Imploding Edifices, in D.C. and in Lit

By Robin Bates | Published: October 27, 2025

Trump demolishing the East Wing of the White House brings to mind various imploding edifices in lit: “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” “Fall of the House of Usher,” and “Princess and Curdie.”

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments closed

Poe: Trapped in the Prison of the Self

By Robin Bates | Published: December 1, 2016

Two Chinese students have brought home to me, from their collectivist perspective, how Edgar Allan Poe went against the grain of American individualism. He exposed its dark side, even as Emerson, Thoreau and Whitman were unabashedly celebrated it.

Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged , , , , , , | Comments closed