The Stupidity of Professors
Let's do away with the dumb "not-all" caveats. There are plenty of professors who are excellent, both in their craft and as teachers. But we also need to acknowledge that…
On Homer (Part 3): Connecting the Iliad and the Odyssey
In his book Why Homer Matters, Adam Nicolson pointed out how people seem to generally fall into two camps: those who like the Iliad, and those who like the Odyssey.…
On Homer (Part 2): What is the Iliad About?
In most stories, "what is it about?" refers to a question of the plot: what happened? In higher literature, there is -- in addition to the plot -- themes and…
On Homer (Part 1): What Makes Homer Special?
After reading Homer extensively over the past six years, in multiple translations and with the addition of a number of commentaries and analyses, I think it is time to begin…
What is a “Hero?”
"The man's a war-hero." Is he though? We hear men -- and sometimes women -- called "heroes" today. From soldiers to single moms, even the nobody working the nine-to-five grind…
Stories Within Stories
I recently re-watched The Phantom of the Opera (2004). The film was excellent in many dimensions, and may warrant a more in-depth analysis for itself down the road. But what…
The Classical Paradox
As of late, I have spent considerable time with Gregory Nagy's The Ancient Greek Hero in 24 Hours. It is a phenomenal work of scholarship, a must-read on par with…
Tolkien and Lewis’ Curious “Paganism”
Any manner of theology can now be smuggled into people's minds under cover of romance without their knowing it. - C.S. Lewis, Collected Letters, 1939 Reader and commenter "My New…
Errant Thoughts on the Lord of the Rings
I would like to make the case that J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series is one of the most masterful works of religious rhetoric composed in the last century. As…
Politics and the English Language
By George Orwell Most people who bother with the matter at all would admit that the English language is in a bad way, but it is generally assumed that we…