Now and then I send a Newsletter to friends. Below is the latest. If you'd like to be on the mailing list, let me know at wrconnor1@gmail.com.
Over the summer I found myself often thinking about two issues -- the mental health pandemic affecting adolescents (and hence their education, schools and families), and the revival of interest in ancient Stoicism. It took me a while to realize that the two were connected: that Stoicism provided a powerful approach to well-being among adolescents and many others of us as well.
These issues are explored in a series of postings on my blog at https://www.wrobertconnor.com/blog
You might especially emjoy:
Why the Stoic Revival? entry .of September 13th)
The Best Insights I Have Found into the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis (August 31st)
In Case You Didn’t Notice: There’s a Stoic Revival Going on (August 20th)
Happy (August 14th)
If you check out these blog posts, you’ll also find discussions of
The Student Loan Problem (August 28th)
Monarchy (September 10th)
--
Isonomia, Anyone?
Does the 2,500 year old concept of isonomia, , “Equality before the law” apply to former US president? You bet it does,.argue ASHA RANGAPPA and JENNIFER MERCIE (Thanks to Dan Tompkins for calling this article to my attention.)
Ancient Sailing: The Washington Post tells the story of a reconsyructed ancient ship and how it contributes to our understanding of trade and military movements in the ancient Mediterranean. The key, though, is not the ship but the comparison of evidence about ancient and contemporary wind patters – they are very much the same, it turns out. (Thanks again t Jean Houston for putting me on to this story.)
Neologism of the Month: ”Manosphere”
Jennifer Roberts.exposes the fake view of the Bronze Age. behind this hyper-masculiniyy; see the blog entry for August 27th/
A New Phase in Thucydidean Studies? A discussion with Dimitris Doulgeris of thGreek newspaper Ta Nea, points t a new, more internationalist approach to Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War. See the discussion on the blog post of September10th.
What IS a Classic, anyway?
At Tanglewood in the summer the Boston Symphon okays Randall Thompson’s Alleluia as a theme song. In Maine our favorite Da Ponte string quartet has been doing the same. I find it more beautiful every time I hear it. That makes it, in my view, a true classic – not just “News that stays news,” as Era Pound said, but news that gets better each time you hear it. Here's a link:to a performance by the Oberlin College choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fMtFmNqKFI
Where Have All the Najors Gone?:
The numbers are presented and discussed in an article from the Washington Post. It’s not a pretty picture. I’ll be discussing the figures in blog posts in the next few weeks. Stay tuned. (Thanks again t Jean Houston for pointing me to this article.)
Riddle of the Month:
Why is a eunuch like a bat? Answer in next months Newsletter, or you can read Athenaeus 10. 451b ff.
Quotes of the Month:
When a sympathetic soul said to Helen Keller that it must be very hard to get along without seeing, she replied, It would be, if I had no vision.”
“We find certain things about seeing puzzling, because we do not find the whole business of seeing puzzling enough.”
—Ludwig Wittgenstein--
--
Coming in the October Then and Now Newsletter
Word of the month
Riddle of the Month
Quotes of the Month
Best One Sentence Book Review, ever.
If you enjoy this Then and Now Newsletter, please consider forwarding it to friends and inviting them to subscribe by email at wrconnor1@gmail.com,
And, please, send me leads, suggestions and comments. Thanks!
Bob Connor
Over the summer I found myself often thinking about two issues -- the mental health pandemic affecting adolescents (and hence their education, schools and families), and the revival of interest in ancient Stoicism. It took me a while to realize that the two were connected: that Stoicism provided a powerful approach to well-being among adolescents and many others of us as well.
These issues are explored in a series of postings on my blog at https://www.wrobertconnor.com/blog
You might especially emjoy:
Why the Stoic Revival? entry .of September 13th)
The Best Insights I Have Found into the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis (August 31st)
In Case You Didn’t Notice: There’s a Stoic Revival Going on (August 20th)
Happy (August 14th)
If you check out these blog posts, you’ll also find discussions of
The Student Loan Problem (August 28th)
Monarchy (September 10th)
--
Isonomia, Anyone?
Does the 2,500 year old concept of isonomia, , “Equality before the law” apply to former US president? You bet it does,.argue ASHA RANGAPPA and JENNIFER MERCIE (Thanks to Dan Tompkins for calling this article to my attention.)
Ancient Sailing: The Washington Post tells the story of a reconsyructed ancient ship and how it contributes to our understanding of trade and military movements in the ancient Mediterranean. The key, though, is not the ship but the comparison of evidence about ancient and contemporary wind patters – they are very much the same, it turns out. (Thanks again t Jean Houston for putting me on to this story.)
Neologism of the Month: ”Manosphere”
Jennifer Roberts.exposes the fake view of the Bronze Age. behind this hyper-masculiniyy; see the blog entry for August 27th/
A New Phase in Thucydidean Studies? A discussion with Dimitris Doulgeris of thGreek newspaper Ta Nea, points t a new, more internationalist approach to Thucydides’ History of the Peloponnesian War. See the discussion on the blog post of September10th.
What IS a Classic, anyway?
At Tanglewood in the summer the Boston Symphon okays Randall Thompson’s Alleluia as a theme song. In Maine our favorite Da Ponte string quartet has been doing the same. I find it more beautiful every time I hear it. That makes it, in my view, a true classic – not just “News that stays news,” as Era Pound said, but news that gets better each time you hear it. Here's a link:to a performance by the Oberlin College choir: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fMtFmNqKFI
Where Have All the Najors Gone?:
The numbers are presented and discussed in an article from the Washington Post. It’s not a pretty picture. I’ll be discussing the figures in blog posts in the next few weeks. Stay tuned. (Thanks again t Jean Houston for pointing me to this article.)
Riddle of the Month:
Why is a eunuch like a bat? Answer in next months Newsletter, or you can read Athenaeus 10. 451b ff.
Quotes of the Month:
When a sympathetic soul said to Helen Keller that it must be very hard to get along without seeing, she replied, It would be, if I had no vision.”
“We find certain things about seeing puzzling, because we do not find the whole business of seeing puzzling enough.”
—Ludwig Wittgenstein--
--
Coming in the October Then and Now Newsletter
Word of the month
Riddle of the Month
Quotes of the Month
Best One Sentence Book Review, ever.
If you enjoy this Then and Now Newsletter, please consider forwarding it to friends and inviting them to subscribe by email at wrconnor1@gmail.com,
And, please, send me leads, suggestions and comments. Thanks!
Bob Connor