Persuasion is the last novel completed by Jane Austen and was published posthumously. Its main character, Anne Elliot, is twenty-seven years old, the oldest of Austen’s chief female protagonists. She also seems to be the … Jane Austen’s PersuasionRead more
Author: Bill Isley
A Haunting in Venice
As a reader, I feel that film adaptations of novels can be good but are often inferior to the written works for two reasons. First, given the film’s shorter length, the novel must be … A Haunting in VeniceRead more
Revelations concerning Human Nature over a Bowl of Cream of Wheat
“O ye of little faith.” Jesus’ criticism of his disciples applies to all of us in a way that is not often considered. We do not recognize the depth and wonder of humans, even those … Revelations concerning Human Nature over a Bowl of Cream of WheatRead more
Tea with Chesterton
Last night four of us met to discuss the first chapter of G.K. Chesterton’s The Man Who Was Thursday. The discussion ranged freely from anarchy, chaos and order in the arts to Chesterton’s use of … Tea with ChestertonRead more
An Old Coot Teaches Kierkegaard to Youngsters
I am almost **.5 years old, and my students are in their teens. Some of their parents are younger than my sons. In my post “On Aging” (http://billisley.com/2023/01/on-aging/#more-4730) I mentioned discussing the Danish philosopher Søren … An Old Coot Teaches Kierkegaard to YoungstersRead more