Thoreau's Walden (1854) is without question one of the fundamental works of the American literary canon. Its influence was expansive, inspiring the likes of Edward Abbey, Willa Cather, Marcel Proust, William Butler Yeats, Sinclair Lewis, Ernest Hemingway, Upton Sinclair, E. B. White, Lewis Mumford, Frank Lloyd Wright, and many, many more. His Civil Disobedience (1849) was a pivotal work in the formation of the views of Martin Luther King … Continue reading Thoreau, On Walking →

I CAN’T DO LESS. Let’s fall in bed, lovelessly. Let limbs and lives grow into treelike twist -- and chop it down before forbidden fruit can bear. Let’s push the boat to sea, into deep delight drift, showering sloppy curses at the stale societal shore -- and turn back before we arrive anywhere. Let’s rise … Continue reading I Can’t Do Less →

The success of Trump's campaign for the presidency came as a shock -- even to those who were optimistic about his chances. His campaign has been frequently pegged as nontraditional; and retrospectively, some have even pointed to that quality as an explanation for why it succeeded. In truth, the fundamental principles and methods of the … Continue reading Animal Farm, Pig Politics, and the Success of the Trump Campaign →

A murderous guilt shows not itself more soon Than love that would seem hid: love's night is noon. - Shakespeare, Twelfth Night (Act III. Scene II)  Love is a growing, or full constant light,  And his first minute, after noon, is night. - John Donne, A Lecture Upon the Shadow  William Shakespeare's comedy Twelfth Night (1601-1602) begins … Continue reading Love in Disguise: Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night →

I'll wait until the next dark night upon that porch for you, Where shadows cause us not to flee But instead to make one from two; and maybe we will find the heart In the daylight To love too. MB

Rise not again you shameless sun, casting shadows on all, yet yourself with none. MB

Marcus Aurelius was the ruler of the Roman Empire from 161 to 180 AD. His diary, Meditations, is an unprecedented glimpse into the private thoughts of the most public, powerful figure of the time. Influenced by Epictetus, Plato, and Socrates, Marcus Aurelius tries to expound his own philosophy of life: Man is a social and rational animal, … Continue reading Lessons from an Emperor →