Frederick Douglass: “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” (Part 3)
In 1852, Frederick Douglass boldly spoke out against a clear, irrefutable evil: American slavery and the Fugitive Slave Act. The aim of his attack wasn’t ...
Category: Literature and Poetry
Frederick Douglass: “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” (Part 2)
It’s the Fourth of July, so I had better crank this post out. In my last post, I provided some background to Frederick Douglass’ speech, “What to the Slave is t...
“What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” –Frederick Douglass (Part 1)
For several reasons, I have hardly written anything on my blog since around October. Aside from one four-part series on The Crucible, anything I have posted has...
The Crucible: Why I Hate This Awful Play (Part 4: No, the Salem Witch Trials were not like the Red Scare)
We have now come to my final post on Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible. There are no real hysterical fireworks that happen in Act 4. The conclusion is straight...
The Crucible: Why I Hate This Awful Play (Part 3: Act 3–The Insane Courtroom Scene)
Here in my third post on Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, we will look at the courtroom scene and the insanity that unfolds in Act Three. In this post, thoug...
The Crucible: Why I Hate This Awful Play (Part 2: Act 2–Potholes and Plotholes)
Here in my second post on Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, we’re going to look at Act Two. First, I’ll give an overview of Act Two, then I’ll make a few comments. ...
The Crucible: Why I Hate This Awful Play (Part 1: Act 1)
This year is the first year I have ever had to teach Arthur Miller’s The Crucible. Up until this year, I had never read it. It is set during the Salem witch tri...
The Delirium of the Lotophagi
For years, they’ve languished and lounged in fields of lotus,Savoring the sweet and soothing leaves of narcotic nectar,As a reptilian beast hissed his lotus lul...
A Trip to Winesburg: A Literary Series (Part 10: Sophistication/Departure)
Here in my final installment of my trip through Winesburg, Ohio, I’m going to cover the last two stories in the book: “Sophistication” and “Departure.” In both ...
A Trip to Winesburg, Ohio: A Literary Series (Part 9: Death)
There are only a couple more stories from Winesburg, Ohio that I want to share in this literary series. There are other stories in the book, and hopefully this ...