Author Archives: Lee

Orchid

Posted on November 15, 2022 by Lee

“The force that through the green fuse drives the flower / Drives my green age” writes Dylan Thomas. The same force that makes a plant grow flows within me and makes me alive. To be young is to feel close … Continue reading →

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The Conduct of Life

Posted on November 14, 2022 by Lee

“Kant’s philosophy represented an uncompromising philosophical criticism; and Spinoza’s philosophy stood for a radical scientific naturalism. But their philosophies also illustrated the dangerous consequences of rational enquiry and criticism. The consequence of Kant’s philosophy, if it were to drop its … Continue reading →

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Giant

Posted on October 27, 2022 by Lee

Why are giants so cruel? Because they are made of ice and poison. Before the earth was created there was Niflheim, a dark and cold place from which poisonous rivers flowed and which had existed forever. Far to the south … Continue reading →

Posted in Mythology, Norse Mythology | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Ragnarok

Posted on October 24, 2022 by Lee

The final judgement of the gods. All their deeds – and crimes – rewarded and punished here. Most are guilty, and so almost all perish, but few without some deserved glory. Thor is permitted to die with a smile on … Continue reading →

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Salt

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Lee

Why is the sea salty? In Denmark there were two millstones that could grind out anything. King Frodi used two strong slave women, called Fenja and Menja, to grind out gold, peace, and prosperity for him. They turned the heavy … Continue reading →

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Idea

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Lee

Loki’s cleverness was his own undoing. He was trying to figure out how his enemies might catch him, now that he spent most of his days as a salmon, hidden deep in the water near a great waterfall. He wanted … Continue reading →

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Notes on Linda Yablonsky, The Story of Junk

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Lee

How can a person suffer this much and still want to go on living? He’s dying in a hospital bed, and even as he talks to her his eyes keep fluttering up to the TV screen. “He still wants to … Continue reading →

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Phaethon

Posted on August 5, 2022 by Lee

His mother has always told him that his father is Helios, the sun, but now his friends tease him. “Your mother is a liar,” says Epaphus. “No one knows who your father is, and so she told you a story. … Continue reading →

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Notes on Robin Hobb’s Farseer Trilogy: Royal Assassin

Posted on July 20, 2022 by Lee

What is a life for? This is the question that Fitz is asking again and again, in one form or another, as he tries to find his place in the world and wonders whether it’s all worth it. It’s easy … Continue reading →

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Notes on Bleak House: “Bell Yard”

Posted on July 13, 2022 by Lee

Mr Skimpole reflects on “how things lazily adapted themselves to purposes.” There’s no other way things can adapt. Let nature take its course. Principle of non-resistance. This is how Mr Skimpole lives his own life, never working or worrying. Mr … Continue reading →

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