Giotto, The Last Supper
I can think of no better poet to move us into Holy Week than George Herbert, a 17th century Anglican rector who wrestled mightily with a sense of his unworthiness.
In his poetry, Herbert is determined to be as honest about his doubts as possible. He is not a facile [...]
Leslie Marmon Silko
This week we celebrate both Passover and Easter, and the world, as it was during the original Passover meal and then again when Jesus celebrated it under Roman rule, is still filled with rage. The weekend newspapers were filled with stories of Tea Party anger, which is being directed at the recent health [...]
Sports Saturday
Once again March Madness is gripping America. Once again we see Cinderella teams upsetting the giants (Northern Iowa upsetting top-seeded Kansas, Butler upsetting mighty Syracuse) and games won or lost on remarkable shots made in the waning seconds (Murray State, Michigan State). Maryland, the team I was rooting for, made a miraculous last minute [...]
Janet Leigh in Psycho
Film Friday
Last week when I was giving a series of lectures on “women and film” at the University of Ljubljana, I devoted one of my talks to (of all things) the slasher film. Below is a shortened version of that talk:
A key work in feminist approaches to film is Laura Mulvey’s Visual [...]
One of the memorable moments in the history of the U.S. Congress occurred in 1954 when Joseph Welch, head counsel for the United States Army, found one of his young lawyers being attacked by Joseph McCarthy. The turning point in the hearings occurred when Welch said forthrightly, “Until this moment, Senator, I think I have [...]
George Clooney, Up in the Air
The wonderful opportunity I had last week to deliver a series of lectures in Ljubljana (Slovenia) has me thinking about why it seems to be more satisfying to teach elsewhere than at home. In Slovenia, everything was fresh and exciting. In America, I feel inundated by worries and obligations. What am [...]
Ljubljana
I spent last week delivering a series of lectures in my adopted second home, Ljubljana, Slovenia. Ljubljana is the city where I spent two year-long Fulbright professorships. I have friends in the English and philosophy departments at the University of Ljubljana, as well as at the two international schools located within the Slovene school system. (My [...]
Sports Saturday
March Madness—the American college basketball play-offs—is officially underway. As is the tradition, the first round has witnessed a host of upsets, including Georgetown, a favorite in my area. (Another favorite, Maryland, won late last night.) As I scan the scores, I find myself wondering why there isn’t more good literature about basketball. In fact, in [...]
