Steveawiggins

LATEST ARTICLES ( 4661 )

• White Whales

  

  Every once in a while I return to Moby Dick. I’m not sure why exactly Melville’s classic has such a hold on me. Perhaps because I first read it while living in... Read more

  Posted on 15 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Tent Pegs

  

  Among the many things that have happened during the pandemic to fill my time, I was invited to join a virtual book discussion group. Read more

  Posted on 14 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Honey and Wine

  

  Academic writing tends to be limiting. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy reading a well-crafted academic work, but when facing a new one I always experience tha... Read more

  Posted on 13 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Is It Real?

  

  I’ve been reading an ebook and I feel lost. I resorted to the ebook because I was invited to join an informal virtual bookclub. Book discussion group may be a... Read more

  Posted on 12 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• More Than Sand

  

  My sci-fi roots may be showing, but when John W. Morehouse posted a story on TheoFantastique’s Facebook page about Dune, I had to follow up. Read more

  Posted on 11 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Really Celebrate

  

  It’s a dilemma.  How do we celebrate Mother’s Day during a lockdown?  The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of things.  Given that it was snowing around here... Read more

  Posted on 10 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Open a Book

  

  With all the talk of premature “reopening” one development does seem to bring cheery news. Germany and Italy, it is reported, are considering experimenting... Read more

  Posted on 09 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Leg Up

  

  It’s amazing how often J. D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy comes up in conversation. The book struck a nerve. Reading it wasn’t easy because there were so many... Read more

  Posted on 08 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Resurrectionists

  

  “Resurrectionists” was the name given to those who supplied the black market for human bodies when medical science had scant access, back in the eighteenth and... Read more

  Posted on 07 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Religion’s Trickster

  

  I’m not sure I’ve read any fiction by Native American writers before. Owl Goingback has established a reputation among horror writers for his blending of... Read more

  Posted on 06 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Buzzy Headed

  

  If you’re like me, and I sincerely hope you’re not, you spent your childhood worrying about killer bees. You see, I was stung a lot as a child, having stepped o... Read more

  Posted on 05 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Divided by Eight

  

  Analogies are useful, but never precise. When Midsommar came out last year, people were saying “It’s like Wicker Man.” It’s a good analogy, but not precise. Read more

  Posted on 04 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Seeking Reality

  

  I spend a lot of time struggling to figure out the fundamental basis of reality. I’m hampered in this by a brain that was evolved—optimized—to help me survive i... Read more

  Posted on 03 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Koyaanisqatsi

  

  I recently saw Koyaanisqatsi for the first time. This was initially prompted from an excellent blog post over on Verbomania, suggesting words to describe our... Read more

  Posted on 02 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Cross Quarters

  

  Happy Beltane! We could use a holiday right about now. For those of us who are under the spell of intelligent horror, May Day brings The Wicker Man to mind.... Read more

  Posted on 01 May 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Ethics of Nations

  

  If it hadn’t started two world wars last century, Germany would likely have a stellar reputation. I don’t say this because of my own Teutonic blood, but rather... Read more

  Posted on 30 April 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Quiet Quarantine

  

  I’m an introvert. I require quiet time—quite a lot of it—to recharge and prepare myself to be social. Some people think introverts don’t want to be around... Read more

  Posted on 29 April 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Misreading Melville

  I make it a practice not to discuss books I’m still reading on this blog. There’s no reason I shouldn’t, I suppose, but it just feels like cheating getting... Read more

  Posted on 28 April 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• White Rabbit

  

  There are books that make you feel as if everything you know is uncertain. D. W. Pasulka’s American Cosmic is such a book. Its subtitle, UFOs, Religion,... Read more

  Posted on 27 April 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• WHO Believes?

  

  These days it’s pretty clear that if you want to listen to anyone for advice it shouldn’t be the government. I suppose that’s why I spend so much time on the... Read more

  Posted on 26 April 2020 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY