In which one of the 1980 Iranian hostages explains why “War and Peace” meant so much to him at the time.
Tag Archives: Homer
My Restorative Father-Sons Reunion
The presence of my sons at my brother’s memorial service proved deeply comforting, just as Telemakhos and Odysseus are comforted when they reencounter each other.
To Resist Trump, Be Like Odysseus
The Trump resistance started off like Telemachus overwhelmed by the suitors but, like Odysseus upon his return, it is starting to get strategic.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Odyssey, Trump resistance Comments closed
On Odysseus & Trump’s Desecration
Odysseus lambasts the suitors for desecrating all that is holy. One can imagine him doing the same to Trump.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged climate change, Covid, Donald Trump, Odyssey, World Health Organization Comments closed
Lit Packs a Powerful Punch
My book “Better Living through Lit” this past year was only one of several making the case that literature can be social dynamite.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Beloved, Ben Jonson, Better Living through Literature, book bans, Christopher Marlowe, Dangerous Fictions, Harold Bloom, Hesiod, Iliad, Lyta Gold, Odyssey, Oscar Wilde, Picture of Dorian Gray, Plato, Toni Morrison, William Shakespeare Comments closed
Trumpism and Penelope’s Suitors
Penelope’s suitors are like Trump and his supporters, looting the household and then calling other people lazy grifters asking for handouts.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged entitlement programs, Iliad, kleptocracy, Odyssey, Trumpism, welfare programs Comments closed
Why Books Banned? They Change Lives
Good lit can function like social dynamite, but it’s dynamite that’s needed for growth. Parents against growth therefore attempt to ban them.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged banned books week, Beloved, book bans, censorship, Odyssey, Plato, Toni Morrison, Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare Comments closed
Homer and the Early Olympics
Watching the Olympics, I thought of the games in “The Odyssey.”
Why Fiction Terrifies People
I announce my forthcoming book and contrast it with a similar book–“Dangerous Fictions”–coming out soon.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Beloved, Ben Jonson, Better Living through Literature, book bans, Christopher Marlowe, Dangerous Fictions, Harold Bloom, Hesiod, Iliad, Lyta Gold, Odyssey, Oscar Wilde, Picture of Dorian Gray, Plato, Toni Morrison, William Shakespeare Comments closed
