Ashok Karra

philosophy

On Compliments

...some of the most insidious, dogmatic ideologues are expert at presenting themselves as thoughtful, using the appearance of gentleness as a weapon.

poetry

Humberto Ak'abal, "If Birds"

Truth be told, in a world where noise-cancelling headphones are needed, the "mic drop" appears profoundly countercultural.

poetry

William Stafford, "At the Un-National Monument Along the Canadian Border"

To hear there is not only the possibility, but the reality of a greater peace, that a place can be "hallowed by neglect and an air so tame"—I mean, I can't imagine how that isn't moving.

poetry

Kyla Houbolt, "Be That As it May"

For me, "you are your own worst enemy" ties to a deeper process of self-knowing, so deep I thought the advice useless once upon a time.

poetry

Emily Dickinson, "A South Wind — has a pathos" (J 719)

When you create something entirely your own, something no one else attends to, you could forget who you were.

education

The Surprising Ways Students Relate to the Classics

How does an intuitive notion about education, one with the power of clarity and simplicity, become a problem?

philosophy

Franz Kafka, "The Top"

It's not just a maniac philosopher who believes "the understanding of any detail... [is] sufficient for the understanding of all things."

poetry

Arakida Moritake, "The fallen blossom"

Since the result of growth matters so much, maybe growth should be treated as no less than a miracle.

poetry

Naomi Shihab Nye, "Come with Me"

I spent Valentine's Day thinking about Transformers branded Valentine's cards from grade school.

philosophy

On the first two sentences of Farabi's "The Philosophy of Aristotle"

Why read Farabi? This is just the opening of one of his works, and it is as thorough as one can get in terms of weighing ideas and their consequences.

philosophy

On Reading Closely

...what's really exciting about reading, what makes me addicted to good essays and difficult ideas, is formation.

poetry

Matsuo Bashō, "Winter solitude"

I believe Bashō and Stevens have something to say about writers who are too comic.

poetry

Jane Hirshfield, "All the Difficult Hours and Minutes"

Hirshfield's poem brings us to a number of pains and frustrations. They are "difficult hours and minutes," "like salted plums in a jar."

poetry

Louise Glück, "On Realism"

What exactly do I get out of what I read? How can my reading be of value to others?

poetry

Emily Dickinson and Political Philosophy: On "My Reward for Being," J343

I am so, so jealous of Dickinson's confidence in this poem.

politics

The Danger of Politics as a Wrestling Promo

20 year old me would not believe a former President could stoop this low.

poetry

Robert Creeley, "Help Heaven"

I think attention should be paid to how well Creeley uses phrases on the edge of cliche.

poetry

Ted Kooser, "Starlight"

...there are desires connected with the unknowable, and those desires underlie things like religious belief.

poetry

Robert Frost, "The Pasture"

...there's real value for real people in creating things which do not strive for immortal status.

poetry

Yosa Buson, "Yearning for the Past"

I believe most of us can relate to getting older, losing friends, and becoming lonelier.

poetry

John Wieners, "Plus Mine" & Robert Frost, "Meeting and Passing"

I wonder about the 11 year old kid brought to the White House to mow the lawn while Trump yelled at him.

poetry

Charles Simic, "Fear"

I always thought the one benefit of getting older would be becoming less panicky.

"21," by Ben Niespodziany

...since I'm trying to be more professional, small failures hit harder. They're seeds of guilt which grow like magic beans.

poetry

Robert Frost, "Hyla Brook"

In order to do political philosophy, one has to actually know something practical.

poetry

from Hanif Abdurraqib's "All the TV Shows Are About Cops"

...I live in the United States of Kyle Rittenhouse.