rakemag
The Best of the Best
It would be a bit silly to come near the end of this month of poems without hearing a bit from the Bard. Here is Sonnet 116; a little bit from Antony and Cleopatra that once struck me hard; and the famous speech from Henry V that lent title to a damn good book about … Read more
Sentience and sensuality
This one was suggested by a friend of mine who happens to be a Catholic priest. It seems at first a bit voluptuous for a priest’s taste, but as a friend once said, “They can think about it, they just can’t do it.” But, come down to the last stanzas and see the reconciliation of … Read more
Setting the Table
Another from Ted Hughes today, from The Birthday Poems, his last book before dying, and the long awaited answer to Sylvia Plath’s Collected Poems. It’s a bit pathetic, as he claims to have wanted to be her support…and the one who suggested she write about her father. Ted Hughes won all the awards and was … Read more
Equal Time
We’ve had a bit from Sylvia Plath, so here’s one from her husband Ted Hughes. Just for balance, perhaps, because Plath is one of our favorites, but so is the much maligned Ted. Remember Plath supporters, she was nuts before she ever met him. It wasn’t his fault. Bride and Groom Lie Hidden for Three … Read more
The lesson for today
The Burning Man “Lawrence” by Tony Hoagland On two occasions in the past twelve months, I have failed, when someone at a party spoke of him with a dismissive scorn, to stand up for D.H. Lawrence, a man who burned like an acetylene torch from one end to the other of his life. These individuals, … Read more
Raise your hands if you've heard this one before
I’m not sure exactly why, but the election of the new Pope made me think, of course, of Alexander Pope. But then I thought a bit more of what this Pope will have to do, and that reminded me of Milton, and his objective in writing Paradise Lost. To millions of English majors, that objective … Read more
Liza Featherstone
It’s not just the prices that are low at Wal-Mart. Journalist Liza Featherstone has written extensively about the world’s largest retailer, exposing its many abuses of its employees and the effect its labor practices have had on the culture of work in the United States. Her new book, Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for … Read more
Letter from London >> Sticker Shock
There weren’t many people on the plane from Minneapolis to London. My husband, Mike, and I could have had our own aisles, our own sections, our very own bathrooms. Granted, we were traveling in the off-season, but also, dollar-wise, visiting Europe has become rather stupid. Thanks to our huge national debt, the war in Iraq, … Read more
Letters to the Editor
DO LITTLE Thank you for the auto magnets guide [the Rake’s Progress, April]. I had considered having one made that said, “Is this all I have to do?” Simple sentiment is right. Beadrin Urista Minneapolis SHOOTIN’ THE BREEZE I really enjoyed Maria Rubinstein’s article on the IRS’s image [the Rakish Angle, April]. And I know … Read more