Hippolytus is born from a kingdom already carrying unfinished business. His father is Theseus. Athens uses Theseus to explain the transition from heroic violence to civic order. His mother is either Antiope or Hippolyta, depending on which poet had stronger opinions and less editorial supervision (Plutarch, Life of Theseus 27, 28). Either way, he isContinue reading “Hippolytus”
Tag Archives: Mary Douglas
The Discipline of Fear
All Hallows’ Eve was my friend Chris Adams’ favorite holiday. He loved its costume and horror that was the foundational décor of Halloween. He made annual pilgrimages to Salem, Massachusetts, drawn to its haunted history. He understood Halloween as America’s truest folk rite: a night when the nation remembers that it was founded on superstitionContinue reading “The Discipline of Fear”
Disgust
Molly Young covered the topic of disgust in her December 27, 2021 article in The New York Times Magazine, “How Disgust Explains Everything.” Her protagonist is Paul Rozin, a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Young’s article is a quick introduction to the topic and Rozin’s work is important as an expansion ofContinue reading “Disgust”
Protective Arts 