Tag Archives: Virtue & Vice

When people die who were never born

Before we go on, please know that this post contains spoilers, specifically relating to The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens. If you haven’t already consumed as much of that novel as you want to, then stop here! After this … Continue reading

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researching virtue and vice

If I have a sudden desire to investigate or study something, I try to act on it. I trust that the desire is coming from a good place, even if I don’t know exactly where that is or why it … Continue reading

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Justine by the Marquis de Sade: birth of the philosopher-pornographer

Justine by Marquis de Sade My rating: 3 of 5 stars The struggle between virtue and vice is portrayed in the starkest possible way. I was reminded of this book when I read The Seven Basic Plots: Why We Tell … Continue reading

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The Republic by Plato

The Republic by Plato My rating: 4 of 5 stars This early effort to deal with the deepest problems of civilized man sets the agenda for all subsequent discussion. Knowing this to be one of the most important literary works … Continue reading

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Pulp Fiction: cesspool enchantment

The first time I saw the movie Pulp Fiction, probably in the late 1990s, I thought, “Ugh—thank god I don’t have to watch that again.” In programming the 1990s section of my History of Cinema Festival I left Pulp Fiction … Continue reading

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