In Witches Abroad Terry Pratchett explores the dangerous power of predetermined story and how to push back against it.
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Tag Archives: Salman Rushdie
Pratchett on the Danger of Happily Ever After
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Fredric Jameson, narrative causality, Peter Brooks, Terry Pratchett, Witches Abroad Comments closed
Unexpected Responses to a Murder
An African American’s response to the killing of Healthcare Insurance CEO Brian Thompson echoes one found in “Midnight’s Children” following the killing of Gandhi.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Brian Thompson, Gandhi, Insurance companies, Midnight's Children, Race in America Comments closed
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.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Donald Trump, Election 2024, Midnight's Children Comments closed
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.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged Covid, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, Midnight's Children Comments closed
On Portia, Milosz, and Pardoning Trump
Should Biden pardon Trump. This article, citing “Merchant of Venice” and a Milosz poem, argues no.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Incantation", Czeslaw Milosz, Dante, Donald Trump, Inferno, Isaiah, Merchant of Venice, mercy, Presidential pardoning power, William Shakespeare Comments closed
Rushdie, a Voice for Reason
In a recent fantasy novel, Rushdie describes the forces that, last Friday, led to an attempted stabbing of the author.
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged al-Ghazali, Fundamentalism, Ibn Rushd, Rusdie's stabbing, Terrorism Comments closed
Liberal Arts vs. Authoritarians: Who Wins?
Can the liberal arts counter authoritarianism? I consider an optimistic argument that they can.