The Dialectic of Enlightenment by Horkheimer and Adorno
‘Enlightenment, understood in the widest sense as the advance of thought, has always aimed at liberating human beings from fear and installing them as masters. Yet the wholly enlightened earth…
Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid by Johann Sebastian Bach
As a lover of Baroque music, for years it has been my New Year’s resolution to listen to Bach’s cantatas in order of the liturgical year, but I sadly never…
I Remember, I Remember by Thomas Hood
Recently, I have read the coming-of-age novel Hard Land by Benedict Wells. The book was quite predictable, but it moved me all the same. It reminded me of my own…
The Abduction of Europa
Have you ever wondered where Europe got its name from? Look no further, for today I will discuss the myth of the Phoenician princess Europa, to whom the continent of…
The Gallic Wars: Caesar’s Conquest of Gaul
Gallia est omnis divisa in tres partes. If you have been to grammar school, you will undoubtedly recognize this line as the beginning of Caesar’s Comentarii de Bello Gallico. While…
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar
Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987) was a Belgian-French novelist and essayist, best known for her Memoirs of Hadrian. Born in Brussels, into a wealthy family of noble descent, Marguerite enjoyed a privileged…