To start this short post, two moments from last week's totality, separated by three minutes: 3:23 pm, moments before totality. That's my son running around. 3:26 pm, the sun's disc just beginning to reemerge And how does one prepare in the weeks before a total eclipse of the sun? So glad you asked. With a … Continue reading totality times toys
If I knew little about "Paradise Lost" before reading it this past summer, I knew nothing about "Paradise Regained". I guessed that it would deal with the Second Coming, but I was off by at least two thousand years. "In the Wilderness," artwork by Ron DiCianni "Paradise Regained" is a short retelling of Jesus' temptation … Continue reading Paradise Regained
Like countless readers, I took no great liking to Milton's depiction of God the Father in "Paradise Lost." On that subject I have nothing to add, and I want instead to talk about Milton's vision of God's Son. This won't be a lengthy analysis, just a short list of the passages that are most memorable … Continue reading Jesus in Paradise Lost
As an amateur astronomer, I took special pleasure in all the astronomical imagery in Milton's "Paradise Lost". Milton depicts Satan exploring the vastness and boundaries of three immense worlds: Hell, Chaos, and the created universe that contains our Earth. At one point he has Satan landing on the surface on the Sun, which is such … Continue reading Satan in Milton’s telescope
I've finished "Paradise Lost," and I thought it would be fun to list all the passages that made me think of Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." Many things in "Paradise Lost" made me think of Middle-Earth, some because of their resemblance to Tolkien's creations, others because there was only a superficial similarity and strong differences. … Continue reading LOTR and Paradise Lost
My kids have not grown up on "Star Trek", and until recently they knew nothing about it beyond Spock's ears, a captain named Kirk, and maybe a ship named Enterprise. For our regular movie night I recently picked "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." I didn't tell the kids what I was going to … Continue reading Star Trek II: The Wrath of the Well-Read Villain
I don't know how I've never read John Milton's "Paradise Lost," but I'm here for it now and it's already blowing me away. The first two of its twelve parts are densely filled with poetry that's surprisingly easy to read, and with so many dramatic images that I've lost count. The first surprise for me … Continue reading Discovering Paradise Lost
