John L. Murphy

Medievalist turned humanities professor; overconfident accumulator of books & music; overcurious seeker of trivia, quadrivia, esoterica. Despite an incessant teaching load, I manage to devote free time to reading, listening, pondering big ideas while nagged by small ones. I'm at:"Blogtrotter".
On the Pleasures of Immersing One’s Self in Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in Print and Audio

On the Pleasures of Immersing One’s Self in Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in Print and Audio

With maturity, voracious readers may begin to judge which novels are worth precious time, and why. With the works of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky also available in audio and e-books , the pleasure is deepened.

Touring with the Replacements: A Roadie’s POV

Touring with the Replacements: A Roadie’s POV

While neither groundbreaking nor eloquently composed, Lemon Jail contains a fascinating trove of grainy photographs and ephemera from touring with the Replacements.

In ‘The End of Outrage’ An Historian Peers into His Ancestral Irish Shadows

In ‘The End of Outrage’ An Historian Peers into His Ancestral Irish Shadows

Culling local storytellers' accounts, land valuation records, field maps and more, Mac Suibhne exposes the clash between the secret society of the "Molly Maguires" in their homeland with the forces of law and order in this history of Ireland.

‘Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty’ Memoir Rejects Hagiography

‘Dorothy Day: The World Will Be Saved by Beauty’ Memoir Rejects Hagiography

In Kate Hennessy, a cautious voice emerges over the pious chatter about her famous grandmother, activist Dorothy Day.

What Do We Mean When We Say America Is a Christian Nation?

What Do We Mean When We Say America Is a Christian Nation?

Matthew Bowman provides a dutiful if clinical examination of what American Christianity encompasses and how this concept alters as the nation debates itself.

‘After Ireland’ Bridges the Gaps Between Ireland’s Official Languages

‘After Ireland’ Bridges the Gaps Between Ireland’s Official Languages

After Ireland considers the changing culture, the changing identity, and a fast-changing Ireland in the varied voices and languages of its literature.

‘The Meaning of Belief’ Prefers Calm Logic to Bold Catchphrases

‘The Meaning of Belief’ Prefers Calm Logic to Bold Catchphrases

An atheist argues against the New Atheists by promoting an alternative reaction to religion.

Martin Luther Bio ‘A World Ablaze’ Burns with Righteous Heat

Martin Luther Bio ‘A World Ablaze’ Burns with Righteous Heat

Craig Harline dramatizes the historical record, so we witness verified events as they occur. His style carries one into the considerable courtly power plays, keeping erudite ideas vivid.
‘Empire of Glass’ Reflects on Outsider Status

‘Empire of Glass’ Reflects on Outsider Status

Solomine chooses not to delve too deeply into Chinese complexity, even as naturally she strives to express the foreignness of the encounter she has had in fact and fiction.
‘Solar Bones’ Rewards Immersion

‘Solar Bones’ Rewards Immersion

The narrator's headlong rush and gasp recalls Samuel Beckett's put-upon protagonists.
Luna: A Sentimental Education / A Place of Greater Safety

Luna: A Sentimental Education / A Place of Greater Safety

True to his predilections, Dean Wareham moves the band and song, in covers and instrumentals, and usually away from too much volume.
Sci-Fi Author Ursula LeGuin’s Stories of Class War, Religious Dissension, Identity Politics and More

Sci-Fi Author Ursula LeGuin’s Stories of Class War, Religious Dissension, Identity Politics and More

No matter what ignites the dynamic fusion of thought and action in her Hainish fictions, Le Guin generates provocative and intelligent considerations of complex forces.