Tag: inspiration

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Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the Party Zone: Recent Viewing

When Kanopy sent an email celebrating their Joel Potrykus collection it didn’t mean anything to me until I scrolled down far enough to see that he had made a favorite of mine, The Alchemist Cookbook (2016). Ultimately, I fell for the promotion and decided to check out another one. Then I watched them all. “Coyote” … Continue reading Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the Party Zone: Recent Viewing

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Cannot be ill, cannot be good: Bad Omens in Plutarch and Shakespeare

In one of the Shakespeare courses I took, we discussed The Great Chain of Being, a hierarchical organization of all life and matter that started with God at the top and went down through social classes to minerals. In many of the plays, particularly the tragedies, a disturbance to the order of things–which must be … Continue reading Cannot be ill, cannot be good: Bad Omens in Plutarch and Shakespeare

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Good night. The day seems to be breaking. The sky is green.–Friday Love Letters

With my current job I travel more than I ever have. One way I stave off homesickness is by reading books my wife has given me (and rereading poems we’ve written for each other). The one I keep picking up for now is Letters to Véra, Vladimir Nabokov’s letters to Véra Slonim from their first … Continue reading Good night. The day seems to be breaking. The sky is green.–Friday Love Letters

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Verbing Nicias and Other Sundry from Plutarch’s Lives

In the ancient world, being a fierce warrior wasn’t enough. Nicias was known as a strong soldier, but a careful general, which was not smiled upon at the time. In fact, it earned him scorn. Aristophanes, who also famously lampooned Socrates, made him a verb. It’s awkwardly translated sometimes as “shilly-shally-niciasize” and more simply as … Continue reading Verbing Nicias and Other Sundry from Plutarch’s Lives

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From the Eunoia Archives: The Terror Test: Test Prep #6

Originally written for The Terror Test episode grading The Fireman, Baskin, and Southbound. Satan, oscillate my metallic sonatas! or Repetition In Heaven and Hell “I think this story is about Hell. A version where you are condemned to do the same thing over and over again. Existentialism, baby, what a concept: paging Albert Camus. There’s an idea … Continue reading From the Eunoia Archives: The Terror Test: Test Prep #6