Saturday Good Reads

It was a great week for poetry: A teacher at Hillsdale Academy (a high school) has her students memorize the 280-line poem “The Wreck of the Deutschland” by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Adam Kirsch at Foreign Policy wonders if we will be seeing a rebirth of political poetry. And California Poet Laureate Dana Gioia is interviewed on his life and poetry.

New images on British banknotes (art and poetry). New revelations about last fall’s protests at the University of Missouri. Britain is grappling with questions of religion and race (sounding oddly similar to another country we know). Hugh Whelchel at the Center for Faith, Work, & Economics asks if the idea of religious liberty is Biblical.

And a personal indulgence: I love this song by Sting.

British Stuff

J.M.W. Turner’s “The Fighting Temeraire” featured on new Bank of England £20 note – National Gallery. And poet Nan Shepherd to be featured on the £5 note – BBC.

First performance in 1,000 years – Songs from the Middle Ages brought back to life – Cambridge University.

Big Ben 'bongs' to be silenced for £29m refurbishment – BBC.

Britain grapples with enduring questions of religion and race – The New York Times.

Faith

Is Religious Liberty Biblical? – Hugh Whelchel at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics.

Sorry, Jesus didn’t come to help your self-esteem – David Rupert at Red-Letter Believers.

Who Riled Jesus the Most? – Lynn Mosher.

Young Men – Is This You? – Geoffrey Kirkland at Vassal of the King.

Art and Photography

Milan, Sullivan County, Missouri – Chris Naffziger at St. Louis Patina.

Day 7 of the Nature Photo Challenge – Susan Jones.

Tranquility – Tim Good at Pics, Poems, and Ponderings.

Life and Culture

The Heartfelt Hilarity of Olan Rogers – Chris Yokel at The Rabbit Room.

New Revelations about the Mizzou crisis – National Review.

Poetry

Bird Lands – Maureen Doallas at Writing Without Paper (from Neruda’s Memoirs: Poems).

Will America see a rebirth of political verse? – Adam Kirsch at Foreign Policy.

The Artwork on the Walls of Our Minds – Victoria Barry via Hillsdale College.

Firewood – Ian Barth at Plough.

An Interview with Dana Gioia on his life and poetry – Writers Almanac.

Slipped and Sunk – Anne Moyle at Curator Magazine.

Writing

Don’t Write Angry – Mick Silva.

Why Do We Writers Put So Much Pressure on Ourselves? – Ann Kroeker.

Sting: Fields of Gold

Painting: Man Reading in the Park, oil on canvas by Auguste Macke (1914).