Paul D. WilkeA Defense of Deep ReadingWe're losing our ability to sit down, slow down, and focus on a book. So what? Why does this matter? I'll tell you why.
Paul D. WilkeJosé Ortega y Gasset's "The Revolt of the Masses" a Century LaterA look at Spanish philosopher José Ortega y Gasset's thoughts on how modernity created the mass-mind and what that means for us today.
Paul D. WilkeMaturity A poem on maturity, idealism (or the death of it, anyway), and how we kill our souls long before our bodies kill us.
Paul D. WilkeThucydides, the Melian Dialogue, and Keeping the (Russian) Jungle at BayI look at Thucydides' Melian Dialogue from the Peloponnesian War and how it still matters today.
Paul D. WilkePhilosophical Themes from Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate A look at Vasily Grossman's epic masterpiece "Life and Fate" and some of the themes that made it unpublishable in the Soviet Union.
Paul D. WilkeThe Daydream AssassinsPoem for the daydream believers, or how the world loathes those who don't plug in, pay their attention taxes, and aren't "practical" enough.
Paul D. WilkeAn Introduction to the Byzantine Emperor HeracliusByzantine emperor Heraclius's life was filled with both triumph and tragedy, victories and defeats. I look at the life of a fascinating man.
Paul D. WilkeThe Incestuous Origins of Myrrh as Told in Ovid’s MetamorphosesThe three magi brought Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh. But what is myrrh? And what is the ancient incest myth behind it? I take a look.
Paul D. WilkeJacques Ellul, Technique, and the Digital AgeJacques Ellul believed technique and technology were toxic to human freedom. Yet most people wouldn't have it any other way.
Paul D. WilkeThree "Degenerate" Artists Murdered by the Nazis A look at three talented artists murdered by the Nazis: Charlotte Salomon, Franz Karl Bühler, and Felix Nussbaum.