The poet Esther Cameron adapts a classic poetry form for modern subject matter, with wit and insight.
The poet Esther Cameron adapts a classic poetry form for modern subject matter, with wit and insight.
. . . but on the other hand . . . Have you ever been stuck in one of those interminable meetings that seem to have no good purpose? “An Occasional Poem in Honor of D— W—” When will he stop? we all wondered. When will he at last withdraw? After our nerves have been sundered And after our patience is gone? The future is but shadowy stuff, But we agree it can’t get here soon enough! Did you ever notice how some signs are…
Memorial Day has come and gone, but we remember those who gave the last full measure of devotion on behalf of America. Inspired by those memories, this week’s Update includes two poems that would not be were it not for those who died fighting WWI. In 1915 the London Spectator published “In Flanders Fields,” written by Major John McCrae, a surgeon attached to Canada’s 1st Field Artillery Brigade. Its closing isn’t what one might expect from a combat surgeon, especially when viewed through lenses created…
I’m back and I’ve decided to drop the “Weekly” from the post’s title. At least until I hit a good, say, three months of regular weekly updates. Without further ado, here’s a few links for the fiction and poetry fans visiting the American Culture. To start things off, a few literary quotes concerning education: “Reeling and Writhing, of course, to begin with,” the Mock Turtle replied; “and then the different branches of Arithmetic–Ambition, Distraction, Uglification, and Derision.” - Lewis Carroll, Alice’s Adventure’s in Wonderland “At…
“In other countries, art and literature are left to a lot of shabby bums living in attics and feeding on booze and spaghetti, but in America the successful writer or picture-painter is indistinguishable from any other decent business man; and I, for one, am only too glad that the man who has the rare skill to season his message with interesting reading matter and who shows both purpose and pep in handling his literary wares has a chance to drag down his fifty thousand bucks…
This week’s message adheres to poetry, rather than prose. “Why’s that?” you may ask. Simple: Valentine’s Day, the holiday for our affairs of heart. For some it is a day when two people risk their hearts for love. In that risk, some may win and some may lose, and as a dear friend of mine described it, poetry, love and romance are the things that we live for. The things, I believe, that bring us closer to God and our divine nature. Happy Valentine’s Day…
Let’s call it the after-Christmas Merry Christmas issue (or maybe the Boxing Day issue). After all, Dickens noted at the end of A Christmas Carol, the day Christ is born is a day we should keep in our hearts all through the year. Therefore … This week’s issue focuses, naturally, on Christmas stories, particularly those of the mysterious variety. As Mike Gray notes, in his review linked below, “Some of the finest mystery authors regard the Yuletide season as the perfect opportunity for crime.” It…
Thanksgiving is around the corner. I’d love to get your thoughts or suggestions for stories or poems concerning the upcoming “day of Thanksgiving and Praise,” as Abraham Lincoln referred to it. Before the holiday arrives, enjoy the offerings below. This week’s short story selections includes “Local Talent,” a bit of original fiction from W.S. Moore, III. Moore’s short story is an intriguing noirish exploration of a hustler practicing his “craft.” Also linked below is “The Gentleman Thief,” a short story from “the winner of the…
Rather than a scold, Eliot, as noted previously, was mainly concerned about the moral imagination, Irish philosopher Edmund Burke’s concept that poetry and art conveying ethical views are uniquely capable of transcending both the private experiences of the artist and the specific events of his time.
Upon picking up Miss Lonelyhearts and The Day of the Locust by Nathanael West, this week’s update was to focus on short fiction set in Hollywood. Unfortunately, the search for stories available online bared little fruit. The best I can offer is a brief article from The Forward, reviewing the West’s novels. There’s also a Vanity Fair article about John Hughes’ “very, very short fiction”, a few words of wisdom from L. Jagi Lamplighter in “Wright’s Writing Corner”, and various links to stories, reviews, and articles from…
In June of 2009, Pres. Obama terminated the President’s Council on Bioethics, a commission created by Pres. Bush to advise the administration on cloning, embryonic stem cell research, and other controversial subjects on which passions run high. Dr. Leon Kass was tagged by Pres. Bush to helm his newly minted Council on Bioethics. Dr. Kass created some controversy with the readings provided to those attending the Council’s first meeting. He drew on literary, philosophical, and theological sources to inform the Council’s discussion. Some, who only wanted discuss…
If this is going to be a weekly post, it really needs a catchy title. Unfortunately, I’m not a headline writer for the New York Post, so this is what you get. Reader suggestions are welcome. This week’s update presents a story by and several articles about Evelyn Waugh. Christopher Hitchens notes that “Waugh wrote as brilliantly as he did precisely because he loathed the modern world.” Is that the essence if Waugh’s brilliance? Check out pieces below and decide f or yourself. I also…
Another week, another passel of links into the wide, wide world of wondrous word-smithery. This week closes out with a bit of verse from Gerard Manley Hopkins, who was born on July 28, 1844. Short Fiction: “The Doors” by E.B. White When Jane Met Rochester – A scene from Libby Sternberg’s soon to be released novel Sloane Hall The Sisters of the Sacred Heart Criticism and Commentary: The Real Carver: Expansive or Minimal? “The Designs of E.B. White” by Gerald Weales What is Art? A Fish Studying Water –…
Patience is something that’s practically unheard of these days. I worry that, like a vestigial limb, it has almost completely atrophied in modern society. But I confess: my stubborn heart, like Ray’s before mine, has been captured. I’m not a natural. No one would confuse me for being graceful. And I can’t say I’m particularly disciplined. But I’m patient. And, through providence, I have the best teacher a person could ask for.
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