Space Dolphins, Virginia Woolf, and More
Robert Trivers, a leading evolutionary psychologist, died this week, prompting reflections on his provocative personality and scholarly impact. The post also raises a speculative astrobiology question about the existence of “space dolphins” beyond Alpha Centauri. It revisits Virginia Woolf’s early‑century feminist vision, linking her ideas to current debates on gender and intellect. Overall, the piece highlights a growing appetite for eclectic, cross‑genre cultural commentary on platforms like Arts & Letters Daily.
Colm Tóibín, the Neuroscience of Time, and More
The post juxtaposes three cultural pieces: an interview with novelist Colm Tóibín that reveals his lively personality behind a stark literary style; a review of a book exploring how Schrödinger’s cat, Bayesian inference, and neuroscience explain our perception of the...
Twilight of the Book Critics, Franz Boas, and More
The post curates three recent cultural essays: one highlighting the sharp decline of full‑time book‑review critics to fewer than ten, another revisiting Orwell’s observation that “everyone has the face he deserves” and extending it to the symbolism of our hands,...
Will Self’s Cancer, Defining Monotheism, and More
Renowned author Will Self confronts a blood cancer diagnosis while maintaining his characteristic literary ferocity, sparking renewed interest in his latest essays. Scholars continue to wrestle with a precise definition of monotheism, despite its recognition as a pivotal historical innovation....
Anti-Liberal Historians, António Lobo Antunes, and More
Renowned Portuguese novelist António Lobo Antunes, whose gritty war‑filled narratives defined a generation, died at 83. The post‑colonial author’s oeuvre, marked by psychological depth and political critique, reshaped modern Portuguese literature. The piece also revisits Franz Rosenzweig’s WWI‑born philosophical system...
Harold Bloom, Mary Gaitskill, and More
The post juxtaposes Harold Bloom’s towering, canonical criticism with Mary Gaitskill’s provocative classroom provocation, illustrating a clash between traditional literary authority and contemporary, identity‑focused pedagogy. It highlights how students increasingly view meaning through a transactional, internet‑mediated lens, turning campuses into...