Steveawiggins

LATEST ARTICLES ( 4659 )

• The Labyrinth of Copyright

  

  Here’s another post originating from my daily work as an editor. (As an editor you tend to assume nobody’s really interested in what you do all day, but I’ve... Read more

  Posted on 27 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Occam’s Beard

  

  Skeptics can be so much fun. We really do need them, otherwise we’d likely still be living with notions of medical science being attributed to four humors,... Read more

  Posted on 26 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Frankly Frankenstein

  

  As a novel, like its monster, Frankenstein trespasses all kinds of boundaries. Is it science fiction or horror? Is it Gothic or presciently modern? Is it... Read more

  Posted on 25 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Science Marches On

  

  A few thoughts about the March for Science in Manhattan over the weekend seem to be in order. To get to the rally in time, from our little corner of New... Read more

  Posted on 24 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Happy World Book Day

  

  In times of distress, as well as of joy, I turn to books. Since about November there have been more of the former than the latter, so I’m cheered that today is... Read more

  Posted on 23 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Earth Vs. the GOP

  

  They used to call her “Mother Earth.” Now she’s simply a commodity to be liquidated into cash at the country club where rich white men play. That’s why I’m... Read more

  Posted on 22 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Beautiful Beast

  

  Like most kids in America I grew up with some form of Disney. We couldn’t afford to see many movies, but those we could often originated from the acknowledged... Read more

  Posted on 21 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Stamp Collecting

  

  Like most awkwardly shy children, I used to collect stamps. Even today a bright one will catch my attention although it’s been years since I actively sought the... Read more

  Posted on 20 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Witching Well

  

  Salem, Massachusetts, brings to mind images of intolerance and a culture ossified in superstition. That’s not really fair, of course. Read more

  Posted on 19 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Russian Watchtower

  

  From time to time I’ve good-naturedly poked fun at the Watch Tower Society members who used to visit with some frequency. I don’t belittle anyone’s belief... Read more

  Posted on 18 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Who Knows What?

  

  Nobody likes to have their shortcomings pointed out. I suspect that’s why many people might find Tom Nichols’ The Death of Expertise: The Campaign against... Read more

  Posted on 17 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Come Together

  

  Although today is Easter for some, for many it generally isn’t. And I don’t mean just those who follow faiths outside Christianity. Read more

  Posted on 16 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Ode to Hubris

  

  One-hundred-five years ago today, one of modernity’s great achievements sank alone in the icy waters of the chilled North Atlantic. Read more

  Posted on 15 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Death Challenged

  

  Long before the Walking Dead, and even before Twilight or Buffy the Vampire Slayer, people took the undead seriously. Now, I know ratings are important (they... Read more

  Posted on 14 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• To Whom?

  

  The other day I heard someone use the phrase, “preaching to the converted.” I’ve read enough anthropology to know that regional variations on folk sayings exist... Read more

  Posted on 13 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Publisher’s Breakfast

  

  I recently had the opportunity to discuss publishing to a room full of academics. (Ooo, I can feel the envy rising already!) Although I discuss books quite... Read more

  Posted on 12 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Dark Lite

  

  Maybe you’ve noticed it too. While certainly not universal, many forms of Gothic cultural expression (novels, movies, television, etc.) have a playfulness to... Read more

  Posted on 11 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Thick Skin

  

  Religion and folklore encapsulate what folk believe. Human beings, despite rationality, are ritualistic creatures. Psychologists have their work cut out trying... Read more

  Posted on 10 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Palms and Thorns

  

  “Holy Week” affects only some. That thought may be disturbing to those who still think of religions as a one-size-fits-all phenomenon. So, although today is Pal... Read more

  Posted on 09 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Whither the Weather?

  

  The weather which we’re having, showing the impact of imaginary global warming, has been quite dramatic of late. I recently had occasion to be out driving durin... Read more

  Posted on 08 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY