Category Archives: LITERATURE

LITERATURE: Writing It.

In triple-thinking the post below, I realize I may be getting a bit anal retentive about the grammar, and I certainly am not one who is masterful in the language so why am I complaining? Further, this thought occurred to … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Best American Mystery Stories 2005 – Finale

Finally, I’m done with this.  All I can think right now is that Joyce Carol Oates and I do not share a taste in mystery stories.  So what I need to do is read some more of her own stories … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Contemporary Fiction

Scott at Slushpile has a very interesting post entitled Literary Invulnerability regarding our more common than admitted sometimes disenchantment with the story selection of literary journals.  I myself have been a lot more vocal about it, although I was thrilled … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: BAMS – Opening Lines

I’m almost done with The Best American Mystery Stories,  having put it aside for a while to get caught up on other things, but hadn’t found anything outstanding to post about until now.  In The Love of a Strong Man, … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Phaedo – On the Higher State of Knowledge

Surrounded by at least fifteen friends, Socrates is in his final hours before he sips his aperitif of hemlock.  He explains the viewpoint of the philosopher, who understands that the soul’s departure from the body is considered then unfettered by … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Fiction Trends

I don’t know what’s the big hot setup in fiction sales; I’m too far from completing a novel to need to know what’s current.  But I do see an awful lot of fantasy fiction being written lately, especially so on … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Plato’s Crito

Glad I read this short dialogue between Socrates and Criton.  Basically, Socrates is in prison, doomed to die and planning to commit suicide the next day.  His friend begs him to reconsider, pointing out friends and family who care about … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Great Dialogues of Plato – Timeliness

It seems a plan of sorts, that as I delve into further study and love of philosophical works they appear to be so perfectly attuned to what is happening in my personal life just as I read them.  But of … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Of Late…

Still slogging through BAMS, but haven’t selected my next novel or classic learning lit yet until I get through this week and the next on editorializing.  I did happen upon some more novels hidden in the end table that I … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Phaedrus – Example by Example

While I cannot say that I have understood all the lessons put forth on speaking, writing, and love of both man and philosophy in this first complete reading of Phaedrus, I am interested in both the arguments used for the … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Reading

It has always been my norm to stay fairly within a genre or range of reading for an extended period of time, the selections being whatever hot thing I was into at the time.  Stuck to horror and mystery for … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Phaedrus – On Writing

Socrates. "The disgrace begins when a man writes not well, but badly." Hmmm.  If I take little else from Phaedrus, this statement shall live with me the rest of my days. Not the best time to hear it, as my … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Phaedrus Socrates’ Speech

I must admit that Phaedrus is not easily read.  There are many different concepts going on, and I get the feeling that they are not clearly defining merely love, and at that, not merely love of man (or woman), but … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: A History of Time

Obviously contemporary literature unravels story that is relevant to its time, both in the way a society or culture is current in its trends–at least for a segment of the population–as well as its ideas of past and future. With … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Phaedrus – On The Soul

It is difficult to get through this without discussion, and I find myself questioning my thoughts as I have only myself with whom to argue.  This, of course, despite the best intentions and efforts at playing Devil’s Advocate taints somehow … Continue reading Continue reading

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