University Professor. Assoc Head Coach for @WT_Wrestling. I read old books, lift heavy weights, and mostly post about Tolstoy.
Joined January 2015
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I was on a podcast discussing War and Peace! Just came out on YouTube today!
Check it out and let me know your thoughts
youtu.be/l7szvtxOLhc?si=1hF2…
“Literally, he is writing this book days before he dies. It serves, then, not inappropriately, as a kind of confession.”
theimaginativeconservative.o…
Joshua D Phillips retweeted
In the hush of creation’s unfolding, beauty whispers the name of God. A sacred radiance that threads through every dawn and dew-kissed petal. It is the golden hush of light upon still waters, the tender architecture of a bird’s wing, the quiet glory of a mountain’s snow-crowned summit.
Beauty matters because it is the very signature of the Divine.
The tender evidence that the Eternal has stooped to clothe the world in wonder. Through its gentle summons, the soul is lifted beyond the weight of ordinary days, drawn into the presence of the One who is Beauty itself. God, in infinite kindness, scatters these luminous fragments so that we might remember we are not alone, that every blossom and star is a love letter written in light. In beauty we glimpse the heart of the Holy, and our own hearts are softened, healed, and called home. To cherish beauty is to worship. To behold it is to stand, for a breathless moment, within the very gaze of God.
Joshua D Phillips retweeted
He went through this crisis at around 40-50 years old. He questioned religion, his place in life, his literary mastery.
He also wrote "The Diary of a Madman" in 1884 that further explains his emotional state (so people believe).
On the way into work, someone was burning leaves nearby.
It smelled amazing. It smelled like autumn.
100% true.
The Spotlight Effect is real. You think the "spotlight" is on you and everyone sees you. In reality, no one really cares about what you're doing because they are too focused on themself. So go ahead and take some risk!
I regret to inform you that nobody is thinking about you.
I often wonder how many extraordinary people waste their entire lives fearing the judgement of people who were never even thinking about them in the first place.
Fearing a spotlight that was never even on. Performing for an audience that was never even there.
Because the truth is that you aren't afraid of failure. At least not really. You're afraid of what other people will think of you if you fail.
But nobody is thinking about you. They're too busy thinking about themselves. Nobody cares. Whether you win. Whether you lose. Nobody cares.
So, that thing you've always wanted to do? Go do it.
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Read Tolstoy’s “My Confession” about his spiritual journey. He became famous. Then got depressed because money and fame wasn’t fulfilling. He made his way back to faith.
Arrived at my office at 7:30 am to this note slipped under my door.
It was a short note of gratitude from a student. Beautiful way to start my day ❤️☀️
If someone’s made a positive impact in your life, tell them. It’ll mean a lot.
15 short stories by Tolstoy. Save for later. Goodnight 🌙
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
How Much Land Does a Man Need?
Master and Man
Father Sergius
The Kreutzer Sonata
Alyosha the Pot
Where Love Is, God Is
God Sees the Truth, But Waits
The Three Hermits
After the Ball
What Men Live By
Three Deaths
Two Hussars
The Prisoner of the Caucasus
Hadji Murat
"War and Peace" (2016) didn't even make the bracket?!?
This whole tournament is invalid.
lithub.com/what-is-the-best-…
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My Confession
Tolstoy's autobiographical account of his spiritual journey. From his youth; to his doubts; to his despair; to him finding peace.
*He longed to be a great writer. Once he achieved it, he felt empty. It wasn't as fulfilling as he hoped. He went into a deep depression. Wanted to unalive himself. He hung out with working class villagers near his home. They had hope. They were happy. Tolstoy found happiness and peace in the small rituals of every day life.
Joshua D Phillips retweeted
Upon recommendation, I read the following article from 2002. I disagree with it. But I still find it important in the debate over the work of Bloom
Harold Bloom: His work is portentous, his ideas useless. Bloom's reputation needs puncturing if literary criticism is again to be taken seriously
prospectmagazine.co.uk/essay…
Just checked my analytics for the first time in months, and DANG! I lost a net of ~200 followers in the last month 😂😂. I clearly have no idea what I'm doing.
whoops 🤷♂️
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