Published in 1917, Ernest Poole's winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize in 1918, His Family, is a surprisingly delightful read. The book has been largely out of print in recent years, and much like other early winners of the Pulitzer Prize, including Booth Tarkington's The Magnificent Ambersons, His Family is largely overlooked by modern … Continue reading Thoughts on His Family
Daniel: A Book of Dreams and Dark Prophecy
The Book of Daniel is an odd book in the Hebrew Bible - it is believed to have been the last or most recent book written that was later included in the Biblical corpus, though its contents take place many hundreds of years earlier during the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. In the deutero-canon, … Continue reading Daniel: A Book of Dreams and Dark Prophecy
Further Consideration of Jonah
Though we know almost nothing about the author of the Book of Jonah, it has been suggested that the book emerged after the Babylonian exile due to its universalist monotheistic message which came about with Second Isaiah, the anonymous sixth-century prophet of Babylonian exile. This global conception of God is a wholly different than the … Continue reading Further Consideration of Jonah
In Appreciation of the Song of Songs
The foundational books of the Hebrew Bible were originally composed, though not edited, from the 10th or 9th century to the 7th century BC, excluding a few archaic poems. The critical moment in biblical history was the Babylonian exile, which began after the conquest of Judah and Jerusalem in 586 BC. The Song of Songs, … Continue reading In Appreciation of the Song of Songs
Reflections on Judges
In reading through Robert Alter's translation of the Hebrew book of Judges, it is nauseatingly apparent how "stiff-necked" and disobedient the Israelites are. Joshua dies at the end of the book of Joshua, however his death is again re-described in Chapter II of Judges, and thus the people of Israel are without a leader with … Continue reading Reflections on Judges
The Little Colonel
The Little Colonel (1935) Director: David Butler The first of four films starring Shirley Temple alongside Bill Robinson, The Little Colonel is a fun film of north and south comaraderie post-civil war, however portrayals of African Americans in the film will, no doubt, be troubling for modern audiences. Ironically, the famous scene of dancing on the … Continue reading The Little Colonel
Joshua: A Book of Conquest
To recount the Biblical narrative thus far: We are given an account of origins, in which the humans fail to follow the law, and God's frustrations are continually pronounced with human beings (scattering them and confusing their languages, before ultimately deciding to destroy them in a flood). He saves the human beings through the lineage … Continue reading Joshua: A Book of Conquest
The Littlest Rebel
The Littlest Rebel (1935) Director: David Butler The film is a beautiful and classically heart-warming tale of a Southern plantation family during the American Civil War. It was released in 1935, and became a top box-office film, along with Shirley Temple's signature performance in Curly Top, which was also released in 1935. Shirley Temple stars alongside Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, the … Continue reading The Littlest Rebel
Man on the Flying Trapeze
Man On The Flying Trapeze (1935) Director: Clyde Bruckman Starring W.C. Fields, Man on the Flying Trapeze is a hilarious film. It is actually a loose remake of a film called Running Wild originally made in 1927, also starring W.C. Fields. It tells the story of Ambrose Wolfinger a "memory expert" for a woolen manufacturer - a memory … Continue reading Man on the Flying Trapeze
The Tragedy of Mob-Rule: Iphigenia in Aulis
Euripides's Iphigenia in Aulis was produced in conjunction with the Bacchae and the Alcmaeon at the Dionysia in 405 BC, shortly following Euripides's own death. It was produced by his relative, Euripides the Younger. It tells the story of the Greeks en route to Troy. Agamemnon is forced to sacrifice his daughter Iphigenia to Artemis to gain favorable winds in sailing … Continue reading The Tragedy of Mob-Rule: Iphigenia in Aulis
