Through Hell and High Water: A Wanderer’s Musings on Dante’s Inferno

I have long been of the opinion that if one is to take a trip, one ought to choose the destination with care. A sojourn in Tuscany, perhaps; a jaunt through the Alps; or, at the very least, an unhurried ramble through the English countryside, where the only fiery pits one encounters are the embers … Continue reading Through Hell and High Water: A Wanderer’s Musings on Dante’s Inferno

The Joy of Dusty Books: Why Reading Classic Literature is the Ultimate Mind-Body Workout

Apparently, I’m boring. Old-fashioned. Out of touch with the times - all because I choose to read classic literature. Imagine that! How terribly narrow-minded, how deliciously myopic, to dismiss an entire world of profound thought, timeless insight, and exquisite artistry simply because it doesn’t come with a glossy cover and a trending hashtag. It’s an … Continue reading The Joy of Dusty Books: Why Reading Classic Literature is the Ultimate Mind-Body Workout

Elizabeth Gaskell’s Ruth: A Perilous Slog Through Moral Terrain

Drop, drop, slow tears!And bathe those beauteous feet,Which brought from heavenThe news and Prince of peace.Cease not, wet eyes,For mercy to entreat:To cry for vengeanceSin doth never cease.In your deep floodsDrown all my faults and fears;Nor let His eyeSee sin, but through my tears. Phineas Fletcher At the heart of Ruth, published in 1853, is the tale … Continue reading Elizabeth Gaskell’s Ruth: A Perilous Slog Through Moral Terrain