“Surely there is not another language that is so slipshod and systemless, and so slippery and elusive to the grasp. One is washed about in it, hither and thither, in the most helpless way; and when at last he thinks he has captured a rule which offers firm ground to take a rest on amid […]
Mark Twain on Learning German
Schevchenko, Lviv, and the Glory of Ukraine
I am convinced that everything that is worth while in the world has been accomplished by the free, inquiring, critical spirit, and that the preservation of this spirit is more important than any social system whatsoever.
Sinclair Lewis, It Can’t Happen Here
Sinclair Lewis, It Can’t Happen Here
The Battles of the Sinclairs and the Real Socialist and Fascist Strive for Power
At present, I’m making my way through Sinclair Lewis’ It Can’t Happen Here. It’s a rather dated novel, detailing the rise of a fascist American leader who employs typical patriotic tropes, slogans, and attitude during the election of 1936. Many today would like to make the obvious connection to the rise of President-Elect Donald Trump. […]
An Innocent Abroad
I’ll admit, it started out so innocently. It was but a small speck of time, those faint months spent in Vienna. My eyes open wide to an entire new existence. Never before had I been to a land where I couldn’t speak the language. And now, my heart embraced feelings it couldn’t dare to understand. […]