Castles on Clouds
I’m a couple of chapters away from finishing Les Miserables,* thanks to the enthusiasm of a friend** and to Nick Senger’s excellent chapter-a-day read-along schedule.***… Read More »Castles on Clouds
I’m a couple of chapters away from finishing Les Miserables,* thanks to the enthusiasm of a friend** and to Nick Senger’s excellent chapter-a-day read-along schedule.***… Read More »Castles on Clouds
They wanted an end to oppression, an end to tyranny, an end to strife, work for men, education for children, social goodwill towards women, liberty,… Read More »Victor Hugo: two faces of political violence
The faster things change, the more important our reference points if we want to avoid motion sickness. The great books are always contemporary. In contrast,… Read More »More on old books: Mortimer Adler on permanent literature
Here’s more from C.S. Lewis on reading old books – this time highlighting their virtues as lenses for helping us to spot and evaluate the… Read More »C.S. Lewis on reading old books
I love this thought from Lewis, and I’ve found it to be both true and hugely rewarding whenever I’ve acted upon it. There is a… Read More »C.S. Lewis on reading the originals
The pattern of hybridity, imitation and innovation we talk about under the label “combinatorial innovation” isn’t limited to cars and computers – it’s central to… Read More »Zen Hae on cross-pollination, imitation and innovation in Indonesian Peranakan literature
I’ve just spent a thoroughly enjoyable day at the first Jakarta International Literary Festival. I sat in on two Symposiums*: The Southern Common Themes Dilemma,… Read More »Canon: fences and trampolines