I admit it: I love Christmas. Despite being a horrible crafter, I make holiday cards for family and friends. (See the feature image for proof.) I also have a stack of books I read during the holidays, including Connie Willis’ story collection A Lot Like Christmas and Christmas with Anne, which contains holiday-themed excerpts from L.M. Montgomery’s work. Many of the stories bear a message we oft hear at this time of year: It is the action of giving that is significant rather … [Read more...]
Forgiving as harm reduction
“You have to eat and keep going. Eating is a small, good thing in a time like this.” (Raymond Carver, A Small, Good Thing) Maybe reading is also a small, good thing? I am finally back in the swing of reading for pleasure and, as a treat to myself, I re-read for the umpteenth time Raymond Carver’s short story, “A Small, Good Thing.” The story appears to be about a couple as they try to deal with the aftermath of their son being hit by a car. But I think the story is really about the human … [Read more...]
World-travelling, envy, and the role of emotions in solidarity
Recently, the American Philosophical Association (APA) Newsletter put out a call for papers (CFP). They are asking for reflections on the experiences of philosophers who come from a first-generation and/or low-income background (deadline is Sept 15 if you want to submit). One of the topics listed by the APA was “Code Switching across Academic and Non-Academic (Familial or Home) Life” and it got me thinking... The world of home I am not the first in my family to attend university. In fact, both … [Read more...]
A love language
In a previous post, Katy pondered what love might have to do with visiting other worlds. She partly landed on love as a way of preventing us from objectifying the other, to engage with others respectfully. I want to take that a little further. Katy admits that she is uncomfortable with the idea of love in politics. But I think love can be a kind of language that allows us to start thinking about politics. Visiting According to Hannah Arendt, visiting is the process of expanding our … [Read more...]
Solidarity and equity in pandemic times: A new paper and a panel discussion
It's vacation season here in Southwestern Ontario. even though COVID-19 has restricted travel, I know several people taking the time to visit cottages or go camping. Perhaps you need something to read or watch on your vacation (or staycation)? Then check out these links! During the pandemic, many of our "At Home with Arendt" posts have focused on solidarity. Find some of my recent work in the links below (and of course, previous blog posts here). New article: Virus Interruptus The first is … [Read more...]