The Boy Who Wouldn’t Stop Singing
A close reading of the boy's hymn, his walk through the ghetto, and his murder in Chaucer's Prioress's Tale — and the word the…
Perception
The Weight of a Word: Antisemitism Before Chaucer
The historical background behind Chaucer's Prioress's Tale — from Rome and Judea through blood libel and the medieval expulsions of 1290, 1306, and 1492.
The Woman They Called Boule de Suif
Her nickname was a euphemism for what she was — and that word choice becomes the engine of the entire story. A close look…
The Eye, the Obsession, and a Flawed Syllogism
He had no motive. No passion. He loved the old man. And he killed him because of an eye. Jimmy analyzes the obsession at…
The Brain Surgeon or the Bullet Points?
The NCTE said book reading is out. Jimmy asks: would you rather be operated on by the surgeon who read the books or the…
Can You Be a 100% Listener?
A room full of executives said you can’t be a 100% listener. Marcus Aurelius wrote five words that say you can. Jimmy’s analysis of…
Three Kinds of People — and Marcus Aurelius Knew Which One He Was
Jim Lovell said there are three kinds of people. Machiavelli agreed. So did Marcus Aurelius — from a battlefield, without a spacecraft. Jimmy's analysis…
Erase Your Blackboard
Marcus Aurelius wrote that a limit of time is fixed for thee to clear the clouds from thy mind. John Locke said the mind…
Faust Doesn’t Want Knowledge. He Doesn’t Want Power. So What Does He Want?
Most people assume they know what Faust is after. He makes a deal with the devil, so the assumption is that he wants something…
What a Rubber Band Has to Do With Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius wrote in Meditation I that the same man can be both resolute and yielding. Jimmy explains what that means with a rubber…
Everything Is Opinion — Including This
Marcus Aurelius wrote that life is opinion. Jimmy explores what that means through colorblindness, the sun problem, and Meditation IV.3 — the most radical…
Five Ways You Are Doing Violence to Your Own Soul
Marcus Aurelius listed five ways the soul harms itself in Meditation II.16. Not what others do to you — what you do to yourself.…
