On silence. Why poets, and others, look for quietude – with lovers, friends, or by themselves – in lieu of words Doodle: Good morning, Noodle. You appear deep in thought. Noodle: Thanks for the interruption. I’m puzzled by a poem. As a professor of the humanities, I’ve read a lot of poetry, and should be [...]
Time and remembrance: recalling our place in the change of the year opens up new possibilities for us to commemorate the lives of others, to "preserve frail transitory fame," and also to acknowledge the source of what is lasting and eternal. To the Countess of Bedford, On New Year's Day THIS twilight of two years, not past, nor [...]
Solitude, inwardness, and demands of life: how listening to the inner self, the poetic voice, offers freedom from conventions of work and society. I don’t want you to be without a greeting from me when Christmas comes and when you, in the midst of the holiday, are bearing your solitude more heavily than usual. But [...]
Technology's cost, humanity's price: whether we understand the ways technology asserts its influence even over our most basic self-understanding Modern science and the total state, as necessary consequences of the nature of technology, are also its attendants. The same holds true of the means and forms that are set up for the organization of public [...]
Platinum, poetry, and the past: using science to imagine the poet's response to history Honest criticism and sensitive appreciation is directed not upon the poet but upon the poetry.... In the last article I tried to point out the importance of the relation of the poem to other poems by other authors, and suggested the conception [...]
Coco Chanel and the Art of Reading: Exhibit in the Ca'Pesaro, Venice, through 8 January 2017. From the description: From Greek authors to modern poets, Gabrielle Chanel’s abundant library reveals the works that left an impression on her life and shaped her personality.... This dialogue through the ages, from antiquity to her contemporaries, is underlined in particular by [...]
On Politics and Poetry: a dialogue between a poet and a politician Politician: What’s going on, poet? Are you able to scrabble together a living? Poet: Rich enough, I suppose, though it’s hard to earn my bread. What about you: still hungry for attention? Politician: That’s rich, coming from you! I have the best interests of [...]
Forests of philosophy: how our trail-blazing only leads to passing points of rest. No one like the path-finder himself feels the immensity of the forest, or knows the accidentality of his own trails. Columbus, dreaming of the ancient East, is stopped by poor pristine simple America, and gets no farther on that day; and the poets [...]
Poetic justice: how a poet may know the justice system, inside and out. From the article: Reginald Dwayne Betts has wanted to be a lawyer for almost as long as he has wanted to be a poet. “Poetry and law have always been intertwined in my mind,” he said recently, “in part because poetry gives me the [...]
STEM without poetry is like life without metaphor: how scientists may improve their writing and understanding by reading literature. From the editorial: It is within the lines of poetry that students can discover, celebrate and appreciate other cultures, dialects, ethnicities, world views and experiences. As science educators, we have integrated literature and poetry into scientific training. [...]
