Are elves real? (Yes, I hear your groan. Bear with me a second.) Are you sure about your answer? Why are you so sure? G. K. Chesterton raises this question in Orthodoxy. (There is even a chapter entitled “The Ethics of Elfland”!) This tells you everything you need to know about what a curious book Orthodoxy is. At one level, the book looks like it is an attempt to prove the truth of Christianity. Chesterton certainly spends a lot of time explaining why he thinks Christianity is true. … [Read more...] about Chesterton and the Elves
Great Books
Wonderless Woman
Who is the most famous female superhero? Is there even a doubt? As much as it pains aficionados of Marvel Comics to admit it, nobody beats Wonder Woman. Not only has she been around vastly longer than all the new female superheroes, she had a hit TV show in the 70’s, was a hero in the Saturday Morning cartoon about the Justice League of America that I used to watch as a kid, and starred in what is inarguably the best DC superhero movie since Christopher Nolan hung up his spurs. (Joker doesn’t … [Read more...] about Wonderless Woman
The Rise and Decline of John Stuart Mill
Free speech is under assault these days. You know that. You don’t need more examples of what is happening on college campuses. Even the idea of discussing free speech is under assault. It would seem to be a good time to read (or reread) John Stuart Mill’s On Liberty. First though, we have to overcome the idea that even talking about whether free speech is a good idea is permissible. You see, if you are going to seriously talk about free speech, then you can’t just talk about … [Read more...] about The Rise and Decline of John Stuart Mill
Will You Be Honest With Me?
Should you always tell the truth? That seems like one of those questions which is really easy to answer. Set aside the question of whether it is permissible to lie in order to save someone’s life. Suppose you are asked a simple question and nobody will die if you are honest. Should you be honest? Let’s take a particular example. Suppose someone you know tells you they wrote some poetry and they would like your honest feedback on it. Suppose the poetry is … [Read more...] about Will You Be Honest With Me?
A New Poetic Masterpiece
One fine summer day, I wandered over to the Stimson Room in the Mount Holyoke library. It’s a gorgeously wonderful place to read—quaint, comfortable chairs, and quiet. It’s also the room where they house a large selection of books of poetry. Looking up from the serious tome I was reading, I noticed on the shelf a small volume of poetry with the title coffee coffee. Not surprisingly, I was deeply intrigued, and so I picked it up to look at it. I then proceeded to read the whole volume. … [Read more...] about A New Poetic Masterpiece
A Pirate’s Life for Me
So you want to be a pirate? Not one of those newfangled pirates running around shipping lanes off the coast of Africa or Indonesia, but a good old-fashioned 18th century pirate on a wooden sailing shop flying the Jolly Roger. You saw Pirates of the Caribbean and thought, “I want to be Captain Jack Sparrow.” You read Treasure Island as a kid and thought you could outsmart Long John Silver. Mostly, you just want to find buried treasure marked on a map by a big X. Or maybe what you really … [Read more...] about A Pirate’s Life for Me