‘Literature’ is often thought of as a kind of thing. You can even come across people arguing that some text ‘is’ or ‘isn’t’ literature. This is a thought-tool (see my […]
Sharpening our tools
Our ‘thought-tools’ (concepts) often need sharpening—or even replacing.
Literature
What are ’emotions’?
A human being without an emotional life would be a strange sort of creature. But what is an ’emotion’? Let me give you a few examples. Loneliness, reverence, depression, boredom. […]
Emotions in our lives
Blake notoriously said, “Those who restrain Desire do so because theirs is weak enough to be restrained.” In the same way that people can see a half-full glass rather than […]
Drama
“Text and performance” is a recognised field of study. This identifies two subsidiary fields of study—literature and the theatre. However, there is a third field, which is often conflated with […]
Who am I? (Who are you?)
I’m a person, aren’t I? But how long have I been this person? John Donne, when looking for excuses (‘today’) for breaking a love promise (made ‘yesterday’) included in his […]