“All Hallows’ Eve”—Read It
October 31, 2012 | by Andrew Harvey | Topic: The Content of Character
“On the vigil of the hallows, it was gloomily and steadily raining.”
And so it is. I am quoting from a story set in 1945 London, but here we are on another eve of All Hallows and Hurricane Sandy is … More>
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Baseball, America, and the 21st Century
April 6, 2009 | by Andrew Harvey | Topic: The American Story
“Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball”
–Jacques Barzun
Right off the bat, Jacques Barzun’s pitch about baseball strikes us today as coming out of left field. First asserted in the 1950s, his … More>
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The Sparkle of Irony: When Presidential Politics and Poetry Collide
January 26, 2009 | by Andrew Harvey | Topic: The American Story
What is it with Democratic inaugurations and poetry? Poetry and politics do not mix. Never have. One or the other never fully measures up to the task of the historic moment. Alexander the Great lamented that he did not have … More>
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Listening to Frankenstein
October 30, 2008 | by Andrew Harvey | Topic: The DNA of Greatness
At this very time of year, on a dreary night, and during a lightning storm, Victor Frankenstein first gave life to his hideous creation in Mary Shelley’s tragic novel. And so was born both the connection between Halloween and Frankenstein … More>
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For Whom Does the Bell Toll? Remembering September 11, 2001
September 10, 2008 | by Andrew Harvey | Topic: The American Story
Seven years ago, Sept. 11, 2001, we all remember where we were and with whom and what we were doing. I was rushing off for my 9:25 AM class; it was my first semester as a tenure-track professor. Teaching John … More>
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On Morality, Abortion, and Empires
January 22, 2008 | by Andrew Harvey | Topic: The Content of Character
On this anniversary of Roe v. Wade let us consider legalized abortion as not just a court case but a sign, and ask, “What does it signify for us as nation, a culture, a civilization?”
At the height of another … More>
