Getting Better
Gene Glotzer I think I'm doing a bit better than I was as far as my depression is concerned. I'm certainly not great, nor am I where I want to be, but…
The Hobbit – Chapter XI – On The Doorstep
This is another chapter that has always stuck with me. It's a little strange that it would have made an impression when I was a kid. Not very much happens…
The Hobbit – Chapter X – A Warm Welcome
A Warm Welcome is quite similar to A Short Rest, and not just because of the three word chapter titles. Both chapters are kind of a pause in the action. …
The Hobbit – Chapter IX – Barrels Out Of Bond
Way back in my first entry in this series, I commented that I like the fact that Tolkien apparently doesn't care about spoilers. The title of this chapter proves it…
Stop What You’re Doing and Write Something
Jamil Ragland Yes, you. Right now. Stop reading this and write something. Words connect us across time and space, class and race, culture and gender. I can't talk to Frederick Douglass because…
Knowledge Without Belief
Since at least the time of Plato, people have generally accepted that knowledge is justified true belief. Sure there are some who disagree by raising Gettier Problems or denying the possibility of…
The Hobbit – Chapter VIII – Flies and Spiders
From the very first time I read The Hobbit, Flies and Spiders has fascinated me. It's hard for me to put my finger on exactly why, but I can always…
Back, Into The Light (Part 1)
I've wanted to try writing fantasy again, and I've also wanted to write a serialized story. So here it is, my serialized fantasy story! Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Without further ado,…
The Hobbit – Chapter VII – Queer Lodgings
The title of this chapter betrays the age of The Hobbit (First published in 1937). People just don't use the word queer in this way anymore. I suppose if it…
The Hobbit – Chapter VI – Out Of The Frying-Pan Into The Fire
Chapter VI has always felt to me like the end of the beginning. Up until now, Tolkien has been setting the stage, establishing the characters and putting the plot in…