Phillip Davies, Father Abraham, and Jim Gaffigan

A festschrift is a collection of essays that is given to a notable person (usually an author) for a special occasion. Phillip Davies is a biblical/archaeological scholar who has become notorious for his critical perspective on the Old Testament. He mostly asserts that the early parts are fiction–no need to believe in guys like Abraham, [...]

Overheard at the Public Library

“Okay sir, everything is due back in three weeks. That will be $2.00 for the video.”
“Oh. The video costs?”
“Yes. All videos cost $2 per rental. Libraries have expenses too.”
“But this is a public library. The resources are paid for by tax dollars and the posthumous generosity of Andrew Carnegie. The advantage of the facility is [...]

King on TV

In his book, On Writing, Stephen King advises that the love of television will spell doom for the aspiring writer.
Once weaned from the ephemeral craving for TV, most people will find they enjoy the time they spend reading. I’d like to suggest that turning off that endlessly quacking box is apt to improve the quality [...]

Rick Reilly as Commish

Here is his latest.

The Omnivore’s Dilemma

I am nearly finished with Michael Pollan’s bestseller, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals. If I had to choose one adjective, I might use important. Here is a review. Overall, the book reminds us of the true functions of food: nutrition and community. Aims that cheapen the experience by compromising either of [...]

Lamb to the Slaughter

Great writers are great writers. The age of their audience makes little difference. This work of Roald Dahl, who wrote important pieces for all ages, is a prime example.

Top 10 Novels

Recently, I was reminded of this list of the greatest novels.

ULYSSES by James Joyce
THE GREAT GATSBY by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN by James Joyce
LOLITA by Vladimir Nabokov
BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley
THE SOUND AND THE FURY by William Faulkner
CATCH-22
DARKNESS AT NOON by Arthur Koestler
SONS AND LOVERS by D.H. [...]

Invisible Man

I am in the middle of Invisible Man, by Ralph Ellison. In the book, Ellison considers himself to be invisible. Sure, he is composed of flesh and blood. Yet, he is socially invisible because he is black and he lives in 20th century America. Therefore, people choose to see right past him, through him, and [...]

Scripture and the Great American Novel

In an earlier post I mentioned the idea that Scripture often portrays a more scandalous side of life because it is literature, meant to be read and wrestled. Scripture simply doesn’t have the unimpeded, upward moral ascent that one might expect in, say, a book that hopes to be called the Great American Novel. [...]

Michael Pollan’s 12 Rules for Food

Any discussion concerning the importance of eating a diet that is fresh and local will probably draw from the considerable contribution of Michael Pollan. He is widely known from his bestselling work, The Omnivore’s Dilemma. Recently, he has penned Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto. In that volume he suggests these twelve rules for [...]