Tag Archives: history

Learning a Little

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It’s that time of year again.

2011 was a year of learning little things. No great truths were uncovered. No startling and life-changing insights into the universe were gained. At least not any that I care to share with an audience.

Not on the list, because it should have been something I knew I knew, is not to wear boots with heels when walking down a steep path to the beach. Also not on the list: the awesomeness of killing zombies, defeating the Geth and running through dungeons – that deserves a post all on its own.

Anyhoo, in no particular order, I give you 10 lessons of the past year. Continue reading →

Thoughts on Whitman

Aside

If you’re posting a Whitman poem for National Poetry Month, it’s hard to avoid putting one up on the anniversary of Lincoln’s death. Once that decision’s made, it’s all but impossible not to post “O Captain! My Captain.”

The New York Times has been running a commentary series, Disunion, on the Civil War. It’s worth reading for a number of reasons, but a recent piece focused on how the war affected Whitman and includes an interactive feature showing the start of Whitman’s imagined dialogue with Lincoln. The commentary on Whitman’s notebook was written by Adam Goodheart, whose 1861 covers the first year of the war and who has been a regular contributor to Disunion.

And just to bring things full circle, Carmine Sarracino is a Whitman scholar.

What 2010 Taught Me

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2010 is almost over. Time for everyone to reflect over the last 365 days and look ahead to the next.

Among the lessons I learned this year is not to let the blog drift into neglect. I want to better about keeping the site updated next year and get back to reviewing books. I kept track of things I learned that I thought would stick with me, and I’m pleased to report I know what everything on the list means. I’m still not sure what was up with weekends and Nazis.

This year’s lessons made me laugh and made me cry. A couple just made me shake my head at the bizarre nature of the universe. I’m sure I learned more than these 10 things. I certainly hope so, at least. If not, I feel I’ve let the bizarre universe down somehow. But here is what I know I learned. Presented in reverse chronological order because the first thing I learned in 2010 was sad.

Continue reading →