Ralph Waldo Emerson: Self-Reliance and Other Essays
Three of the essays in this collection (“History,” “Self-Reliance,” “The Over-soul”) sprang from the 1836 lectures on the philosophy of history Emerson delivered at the …
Author: Tom Fasano
I am an unapologetic hack writer, blogger, and poet, and an obsessive writer of classical music cd reviews. You can read my reviews at www.classicalguy.com
Genesis of “The Dead” by James Joyce
For “The Dead” James Joyce drew upon an incident in Galway in 1903. There a young man named Michael (“Sonny”) Bodkin was courting Nora Barnacle …
John Dos Passos — Three Soldiers
The defining moment in the life of John Dos Passos came between August 16 and 20, 1917, when he experienced combat firsthand as an ambulance …
Mountain Interval by Robert Frost (1916)
The first edition of Robert Frost’s third collection of poems, Mountain Interval, was published in 1916 by Henry Holt and Company and was dedicated “To …
Is your local Barnes & Noble closing down?
Is Barnes and Noble doomed to Borders’ fate? Borders’ liquidation this summer should have been Barnes & Noble’s grand opportunity to grab a sizable market …
Spontaneous Human Combustion: Fact or Fiction?
Spontaneous human combustion (SHC) is a concept that has fascinated and puzzled people for centuries. The idea that a human body can suddenly burst into …
Restrepo
“Restrepo” is an outstanding documentary by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger, capturing the US military experience in Afghanistan, reminiscent of the Vietnam War. For a …
The 7 Worst Parasitic Worms
The world of parasitic worms is both fascinating and horrifying. These uninvited guests can wreak havoc on their hosts, causing pain, discomfort, and even death. …
My Old Classroom
My old classroom at Buena Park High school, where I taught before transferring to Sonora High School in 2009. I retired in 2022.