The Mind as a Fractal: An Excerpt from a Thesis on Narrative and Suicide

By Rooks Russel Have you ever wondered what depression, neurotic symptoms, and funny shapes might have in common? No, it isn’t the coloring sheet that they’ll hand you after getting tossed in the psych ward. The common thread actually points toward a metaphorical understanding of the mind, a complex information processing system, as a fractal. The term psychological “disorders” implies chaotic and unstructured thinking, but … Continue reading The Mind as a Fractal: An Excerpt from a Thesis on Narrative and Suicide

A Harbor for the Winter: Art, Snow, and Suffering

By Campbell Collins “About suffering they were never wrong, / The Old Masters.”  I love these lines, the opening of W.H. Auden’s “Musée de Beaux Arts.” In the poem, Auden describes the paintings of the Brueghels, the Masters who understood suffering so well. He references their depictions of a Dutch Mary, head bowed beneath a blue robe, trudging ignored in the cold and almost hidden … Continue reading A Harbor for the Winter: Art, Snow, and Suffering

Catholicism and America: A New Consideration for Our Age

By Fred Woodward “America is the most democratic country in the world, and at the same time, according to reliable reports, it is the country in which the Roman Catholic religion is making the most progress…our grandchildren…will tend more and more to be divided clearly between those who have completely abandoned Christianity and those who have returned to the Church of Rome.” Thus wrote Alexis … Continue reading Catholicism and America: A New Consideration for Our Age

An Epic Trio

by Dr. Eric Hutchinson Aeneas There once was a hero, Aeneas.Nearly everyone said he was pius.He left Dido aloneSo that he could found Rome:Fate’s decree; it was not spontaneous. Ulysses There once was a drifter, Ulysses.He thought the Phaeacians were sissies.They knew nothing of war;It was rather a bore.He would not stay to wed Nausikissies. Achilles You’ve heard of swift-footed Achilles?He gave all the Trojans … Continue reading An Epic Trio

“House Pelopides”

by Dr. Eric Hutchinson Atreus There once was a man from Mycenae.His brother was such a big meanie.He fed him his kids,Put his life on the skids—Drama fit for a pulp magazine-y.  Agamemnon There once was a king, Agamemnon.He knifed his own child; it was no fun.Sure, it altered the wind,But his wife thought he sinned,So she ruined his bath—“Welcome home, hon!” Orestes There once … Continue reading “House Pelopides”

RFM!

by Dr. Charles Steele I’m an ultrarunner. “How do you run 50 miles? Why would you run 50 miles?” I will try to explain this, but you should understand at the outset that words really cannot explain. An ultramarathon, or ultra, is any footrace longer than the 26.2 mile marathon. My first ultra was Montana’s Le Grizz 50 mile Ultramarathon. It is aptly named. Its … Continue reading RFM!

Aristotelian Conceptions of the Good in “The Duck Song 5”

by Joseph P. Oldsboy, freshman | edited by Zachary Chen As every educated person everywhere knows, Aristotle once defined the concept of true happiness or eudaimonia as an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue. What most people don’t know, however, is that he could have also defined virtue in terms of “The Duck Song 5.” In what follows, I shall attempt to prove … Continue reading Aristotelian Conceptions of the Good in “The Duck Song 5”

Poetic Truths in Nature: An Introduction to my Senior Thesis on Emily Dickinson

by Caitlin Filep Tell all the truth but tell it slant —Success in Circuit liesToo bright for our infirm DelightThe Truth’s superb surpriseAs Lightning to the Children easedWith explanation kindThe Truth must dazzle graduallyOr every man be blind — Emily Dickinson It is nearly impossible to encounter Emily Dickinson without being immersed in the natural world that she dearly loved. This poem, though it may … Continue reading Poetic Truths in Nature: An Introduction to my Senior Thesis on Emily Dickinson

The Twisting of Tolkien: A Rings of Power Season 2 Review

by Henry Ahrabi, Anna Jackson, Jonah Murray, and Jonathan Rolfe Two years ago, out of our great love of Tolkien, we decided to begin watching Amazon’s new Rings of Power. It was a delightful time, holed up cozily in Koon (then, as now, a women’s dorm), watching it, offering a running commentary with our friends. We did not expect much faithfulness to Tolkien, and so, … Continue reading The Twisting of Tolkien: A Rings of Power Season 2 Review