Shaw’s play “Don Juan in Hell” came to mind when I visited the du Pont museum, featuring their gunpowder business.
Tag Archives: Inferno
Shaw’s Don Juan in MAGA America
Classics to the Rescue in Dark Times
In Trump’s first 100 days, Jill Lepore turned to 100 classics to survive.
On Dante and Betrayal in Election 2024
While many Americans feel betrayed by their fellow voters following Election 2024, Dante’s vision of betrayal in “Inferno” may not apply.
On Portia, Milosz, and Pardoning Trump
Should Biden pardon Trump. This article, citing “Merchant of Venice” and a Milosz poem, argues no.
Trumpian Darkness or True Light? Choose
Trump and many of his fans twist themselves in the perpetual torment of their resentment and anger. Henry Vaughan describes their state in “The World.”
In a Dante-esque Prison of His Own Making
Trump’s suffering the the Manhattan courtroom is his own version of Dante’s Inferno.
A Shadow Falls, the Book Glows
As we enter a season of darkness, this Rilke poem reminds us to listen for the numinous.
Dante’s Version of Heaven on Earth
In talking to Solomon in Paradiso, Dante gets a new vision of heaven on earth.
Philip Pullman’s Unorthodox Afterlife
In “Amber Spyglass,” Pullman rebels against orthodox versions of the afterlife and creates his own.

