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Secret of the Marriage Bed
Penelope (to Telemachus): “If really he is Odysseus, truly home, beyond all doubt we two shall know each other better than you or anyone. There are secret signs we know,…
The Anti-multitasker, RIP
The Stanford professor who debunked the myth of effective multitasking, Clifford Nass, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on November 2. But he leaves behind his interesting work on the…
Return of the Master, Readiness to Fight
‘You, herdsman, and you, too, swineherd… Would you be men enough to stand by Odysseus if he came back?
Poems about God
I'm in the middle of writing a short essay on John Crowe Ransom's first book, Poems about God (1919). In his early poems even more obviously than in the later…
Uncle John is Dead, But I Look Fabulous!
When I think we can't hit new lows, I run across something like this: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/selfies-at-funerals/280972/ I am hardly familiar with this "selfie" phenomenon, but I can't see it as a…
A spook speaks–just in time for Halloween
For those readers at all interested in Angela Merkel's dismay, or the reach of our homeland spy agencies, here are a few pertinent quotes from Paul Pillar, speaking on NPR's…
To Quantify the Complexity of a Book
There's a computer program called Lexile that purports to measure the complexity of books and thereby determine the grade level for which they are best suited. Here's the description: Lexiles…
Gardnering at Night, Again
Anyone blessed enough to be within shouting distance of Batavia, New York, this Saturday, October 26, at 8 pm is invited to drop by the Pok-a-Dot, venerable and funky diner,…
The Joy of Being Edwin Arlington Robinson
Every semester, on the first day of the poetry courses I teach, I hold up Lilla Cabot Perry’s portrait of Edwin Arlington Robinson and tell the students an only slightly…
Too Big To Fix
Hillsdale, Mich. Misery loves company, they say, but maybe not if the company is Comcast. Yes, I have returned to a subject of previous kvetching, though this time I am…
You Did Build That and You’re Receiving a Builder’s Discount
Hillsdale, Michigan. Thanks to Comcast (who says I never thank them), I noticed a headline from the Daily Beast today about the 20 most affordable colleges. The hook was trying…
New “Safety” Laws Threaten Farmers
Scale matters and a one-size-fits-all solution is a function of a state that exceeds a proper scale (and ignores a common sense approach to problems). According to one article: The…
Piercing Hawkeye
"I love Old October so/I can't bear to see her go," sang the Hoosier Poet of this most resplendent and melancholy month. Among the gifts this October brings is the…
Beauty is the Answer
In ISI's on-going series titled "Conservatism: What's Wrong with it and How Can we Make it Right?" Gerald Russello argues that conservatives have pursued power but neglected beauty. He writes:…
Paranoia Will Destroy Ya
From The American Conservative, my review of Jesse Walker's terrific new book The United States of Paranoia.
Moyers Interviews Berry
At the Berry Center's celebration of the 35th anniversary of The Unsettling of America, held last April, Bill Moyers interviewed Wendell Berry before the assembled conference participants. That interview will be…
Craft First
As part of my recent visit to Hillsdale College, where I read from my forthcoming book, The Violent and the Fallen, I gave a short interview to the campus paper,…
Chipotle ads Promote Humane Animal Husbandry
A couple years ago Chipotle came out with an ad promoting their commitment to using only humanely raised meat products. The Willie Nelson cover of the Cold Play tune The…
FPR Conference. Plus Bookstore
It's still not too late to register for the upcoming FPR conference this Friday and Saturday in Claremont, CA. To whet your appetite, here is a link to books written…
Michiganders Take Note: A Reading at Hillsdale College
As The Hillsdale Collegian announces, I shall be giving a reading from my two chapbooks of poetry at Hillsdale College this coming week. All persons of good will are welcome:…
It’s Up to You Not to Heed the Call Up
During the First World War, the Kansas Socialist Kate Richards O'Hare was thrown into prison for violating Woodrow Wilson's Espionage Act. Her crime? Telling a North Dakota audience that their…
Rod Dreher Praises The Violent and the Fallen
Last month, Rod Dreher discussed two of the poems from my forthcoming book, The Violent and the Fallen, on his blog at The American Conservative. Dreher writes, when I read these…
What Do Americans Want?
Quite a bit, actually. From the venerable news source The Onion: In a new report released Wednesday by the Pew Research center, Americans indicated that when it comes to what…
Crunchy Judge: Stegall Confirmed
Congratulations to Caleb Stegall who was confirmed last week to a seat on the Kansas Court of Appeals. Excerpt from an article from a Kansas Newspaper: Legislators discussed his views…