I continue to turn to The Brothers Karamazov almost as a meditational practice to guide me through the turmoil I am experiencing over the Arizona shootings. Yesterday I quoted Zosima, the elder in the book, about how we must look to ourselves if we want others to change. I spoke approvingly of those who, rather than […]
Tag Archives: politics
What Would Alyosha Karamazov Do?
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Arizona shootings, Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky, violence Comments closed
Dostoevsky and the Arizona Shootings
When I posted, on Saturday morning, my blog entry for Sunday, I little realized that I would be turning for help later in the day to the work I was discussing. Doestoevsky’s Brothers Karamazov is guiding my response to the horrific shooting of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, Judge John Ball, and 16 others, including a child. […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Arizona shootings, Brothers Karamazov, Ceremony, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leslie Marmon Silko, violence Comments closed
Dostoevsky’s Support for Troubled Homes
In debates about whether or not to help out troubled homeowners, Fyodor Dostoevsky would probably be in favor. I am currently reading The Brothers Karamazov and am struck by how applicable it seems to the debate over foreclosures. The mortgage crisis, of course, pushed the world economy into recession, and foreclosures on homes are still […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Brothers Karamazov, Economics, foreclosures, Fyodor Dostoevsky, love Comments closed
Dr. Seuss: “We Can Do Better Than This”
Ten years ago the fabled children’s author Dr. Seuss, on his death bed, said, “We can do better than this.” As we launch into 2011, let this be our challenge. And may we do so with Dr. Seuss’s special mixture of comedy and earnestness, which is captured in this poem by my father. If you […]
Tolstoy, the Novelist vs. the Activist
One thing I appreciate about the New York Times is that many of its columnists routinely mention literature. Maureen Dowd probably does so the most (note this passing reference to T. S. Eliot’s Wasteland), and I once wrote a column on Roger Cohen’s use of The Great Gatsby in a piece on President Obama. (Cohen wrote […]
A Hysterical Response to a Masterpiece
Film Friday The film I write on today is one that has the resonance of great literature. It is also a film that affirms our humanity in the face of fear. Since too often we let fear set us against one another, it is good to look at a work of art that reminds us […]
For a Political Reality Check, Look to Dogs
What keeps cynical leaders from restructuring reality to suit their ends? Modern democracies have a number of institutions to keep us grounded in truth and principle. In times of stress, these can become the targets of extremist political movements. In America we have rightwing commentators and rightwing media (most notably Rush Limbaugh and Fox “News”) […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Dogs, Milan Kundera, Unbearable Lightness of Being Comments closed
