Guess What . . .

Clio (the muse of History) is telling Virgil and Melpomene?  There is big news in the land of
Classical languages! Check it out at http://www.classicsinthewillows.blogspot.com/

Americans In Paris

For many years, I have enjoyed learning about the period of German occupation in France during World War II. Recently, I purchased this fascinating book by Charles Glass, Americans in Paris: Life and Death Under Nazi Occupation. In this work, Glass chronicles the lives of a number of Americans as they face the overwhelming presence of the enemy.

My favorite character thus far is the Countess de Chambrun. She was Ohio-born Clara Longworth, and her infamous sister-in-law was none other than Alice Roosevelt Longworth. The Countess is marvelous in her fearlessness and as my mother would say, her "gumption." This is a great read and I would recommend it to any who are interested in the era.

Living in the Past

This beautiful picture of Elizabeth and Phillip captures the beauty of a time long past and values that seem to be long lost.  Until just recently, I have been so excited about the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.  What kind of dress will she wear? What will she be called? Kate or Catherine? I remember watching the wedding of Charles and Diana on a very small b & w television in our dorm. The heartbreak of that relationship and Princess Diana's tragic death made this upcoming wedding that much more promising--a loving couple with a bright future for a Nation steeped in the most wonderful traditions! So what's my issue?

A few days ago, I was reminded in an article of a fact I had put out of my mind:  Prince William and Kate have lived together.  The article congratulated "the Royals" for finally catching up with modern times by discarding those antiquated rules of morality.

As my husband says,
the world is changing, but not for the better.

Worshiping at the Feet of Baal

Having studied the Constitution's history and present since my first class in Constitutional History in 1982, I feel I have a somewhat "informed opinion" about the actions of the Court.  Since the Schenk case at the close of the First World War, the Court has taken it upon itself to defend the First Amendment with vigor. The famous and not so famous cases that have made their way through the dockets of history demonstrate that the Court has indeed pursued the promised "preferred positions" doctrine with respect to First Amendment freedom of speech and expression: in recent years amidst all of the clamor from the left that civil liberties were thrown under the bus by the Republican administrations, the Court has held firm in protecting the First Amendment.  In 1989, the Court ruled that burning the flag of the United States as a means of political expression was Constitutionally protected; in 2002, the Court ruled that "virtual child porn" was also protected by the First Amendment. The rationale here was that no children were actually harmed in the production of the images.  Now, the latest travesty:  Snyder v. Phelps, et al.  In this horrendous case, the Court upheld the right to protest at military funerals.  I was deeply disappointed that Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia joined in Chief Justice  John Roberts' majority opinion.  Only Associate Justice Samuel Alito had the courage to stand up to the "Emperor with no clothes."  The First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech was one of the most important features of the Bill of Rights--our country came into being because of the bravery of Thomas Paine and others who proved that the pen was indeed mightier than the sword--mobilizing colonial opinion to support the concept of independence. Bravo to Paine, Adams, Jefferson, and all these fearless men.  We must always stand by this freedom of political speech; however, in their zeal to show their adoration for this right and to highlight its "preferred position" the Court has come to worship a god that does not exist.  What would the founding fathers have thought about these cases which place a political ideal above decency and dignity? Madison and those men in Philadelphia in that hot summer of 1887   created an instrument of government to serve the people, not an empty god to be served by the people.

Arthur and his Times

This summer, we will be able to offer  the course on King Arthur and his times. I have wanted to teach this for some time! We will be using Malory's Le Morte d' Arthur as well as a biography of Malory himeslf.
Thomas Malory lived in an age when knights and chivalry were themselves under seige. The Knights Templar had all been destroyed by the French King, Philip IV (1268-1314). (When I teach about Philip, I refer to as the "history killer." ) "Bastard feudalism" had replaced the code of loyalty once held by European knights. In short, everything Malory was taught to hold dear had been destroyed by "changing times."

In this context, Malory wrote the fantastic tales of Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.  These great stories and characters no doubt possessed some place in history, but as with the tales of Homer, much has been added over the years of passing the stories along.  Speaking of Homer, there is as much mystery about Malory as there is about the great blind bard from the ancient world the Aegean.  As Homer attempted to capture the glory of the days of the Trojan War, so too did Malory try to recall a time when fealty meant more than money; honor, more than pride.

We will have a grand time looking at Arthur and for Arthur in the stories of a man as enigmatic as that great Celtic King.