While brushing my teeth this morning, I got the best news of the entire year of 2020. I have a feeling that my distractions of listening to music, playing scrabble and cribbage with the husband, and watching several cable dramas … Continue reading
The ancient Greeks populated their myths and tales with fantastical creatures. Join me for a sampling of images and monster stories from my recent visit in Greece. The relief carving above, with a centaur and dragon/serpent involved in a battle, … Continue reading
by Phyllis Irene Radford From ghoulies and ghosties / And long-leggedy beasties / And things that go bump in the night, / Good Lord, deliver us! — Robert Burns What was your first nightmare? Chances are it was your worst because it … Continue reading
Last week we considered the importance of narrative in monster-wrangling, and looked at the ultimate weapon of the Powers, the narrative opiate of the people: the Myth of Redemptive Violence. This week we unveil the people’s ultimate weapon, subversive agape, … Continue reading
Last week we looked at an exemplary monster of our times, Hannibal Lecter, who combines in one person both vampire and zombie, both predatory capitalism and coercive collectivism. After a recapitulation of the discourse so far, we’ll move on to … Continue reading
In last week’s post we looked at the three magical weapons that popular culture has with which to fight monsters, including poop. Thus armed, let’s consider our strategy and then go look under the bed. With Fava Beans and Chianti for All Taking … Continue reading
In last week’s post we looked at the strengths of monsters and why they’re so hard to defeat. This week we’ll take a peek into the People’s Armory: there’s some serious shit in there. Slouching towards Gotham When monsters multiply … Continue reading
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that those who feel helpless, must be in want of a monster. Well, maybe not universally, but so it seems to me. When events concatenate in a way too complex for our hunter-gatherer minds, … Continue reading
