Critical theory, critical culture, & postmodern humanism
In a nutshell: February 11 marked 50 years since poet Sylvia Plath killed herself. Her posthumously published book of poems, Ariel, was a landmark of the new confessional poetry that helped change the face of contemporary verse. This audio piece Continue reading Sylvia Plath, 50 years later
In a nutshell: Critical culture is about the power of cultural forms to construct subjective identity and foster group solidarity. These poems composed by an American P.O.W. during his captivity in the Hanoi Hilton and later written down from memory Continue reading Identity, solidarity, and poetry at the Hanoi Hilton
In a nutshell: Alexandra Petri is a political humorist manqué with no particular qualifications to write about contemporary poetry. A young woman named Alexandra Petri pissed off a lot of people on January 22 by writing a Washington Post blog column Continue reading Is Alexandra Petri (brain-) dead?