Monthly Archives: November 2014

“It is the height of art that on the first perusal plain common sense should appear — on the second severe truth — and on the third beauty. . .”

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Tony Herman

On Thanksgiving Day, I am particularly thankful for great writers. At the top of my list of favorites this year is Henry David Thoreau. I’ve loved Walden for decades, but now, thanks to the work of editor Jeffrey Cramer, I’m … Continue reading →

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“Do I dare disturb the universe?”

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Tony Herman

Of all of the divisive people in history, T. S. Eliot ranks at the top of the list in the literary world. Some find “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” incomprehensible, fragmented, and boring.  Some consider it an inspired … Continue reading →

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“We tell ourselves stories in order to live.”

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Tony Herman

This is the first sentence from The White Album by Joan Didion, a classic from 1979.  Known for her precise, unsentimental tone, she “wrote with a cool head in accordance with the principle that the lower the temperature of her … Continue reading →

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“”Understand, I am always trying to figure out what the soul is, and where hidden, and what shape…”

Posted on November 6, 2014 by Tony Herman

I have always felt more at home with questions than with answers, and I gravitate toward poets who explore rather than explain. Mary Oliver, one of my favorites, writes in this poem, “I believe I will never quite know.  Though … Continue reading →

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