There’s something almost poetic about a tweet. Consider what Audre Lorde had to say about poetry: “Of all the art forms, poetry is the most economical. It is the one which is the most secret, which requires the least physical labor, the least material, and the one which can be done between shifts, in the hospital pantry, on the subway, and on scraps of surplus paper … poetry has been the major voice of poor, working class, and Colored women. A room of one's own may be a necessity for writing … [Read more...]
Caring for the world and caring for community
Amor mundi, or “love of the world,” was the title Arendt wanted for The Human Condition. In an August 6, 1955 letter to Karl Jaspers, her teacher and friend, she said: I’ve begun so late, really only in recent years, to truly love the world that I shall be able to do that now. Out of gratitude, I want to call my book on political theory ‘Amor Mundi.’ As Samantha Rose Hill notes: Within this statement there is a recognition and reckoning with the events of the past. What does it mean to … [Read more...]
On Gifts
I admit it: I love Christmas. Despite being a horrible crafter, I make holiday cards for family and friends. (See the feature image for proof.) I also have a stack of books I read during the holidays, including Connie Willis’ story collection A Lot Like Christmas and Christmas with Anne, which contains holiday-themed excerpts from L.M. Montgomery’s work. Many of the stories bear a message we oft hear at this time of year: It is the action of giving that is significant rather … [Read more...]
Forgiving as harm reduction
“You have to eat and keep going. Eating is a small, good thing in a time like this.” (Raymond Carver, A Small, Good Thing) Maybe reading is also a small, good thing? I am finally back in the swing of reading for pleasure and, as a treat to myself, I re-read for the umpteenth time Raymond Carver’s short story, “A Small, Good Thing.” The story appears to be about a couple as they try to deal with the aftermath of their son being hit by a car. But I think the story is really about the human … [Read more...]
World-travelling, envy, and the role of emotions in solidarity
Recently, the American Philosophical Association (APA) Newsletter put out a call for papers (CFP). They are asking for reflections on the experiences of philosophers who come from a first-generation and/or low-income background (deadline is Sept 15 if you want to submit). One of the topics listed by the APA was “Code Switching across Academic and Non-Academic (Familial or Home) Life” and it got me thinking... The world of home I am not the first in my family to attend university. In fact, both … [Read more...]