Author Archives: hessd

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About hessd

Here is all you need to know to follow this blog. I am an old man and I love to think about why we say the things we do. I've taught at the elementary, secondary, collegiate, and doctoral levels. I don't think one is easier than another. They are hard in different ways. I have taught political science for a long time and have practiced politics in and around the Oregon Legislature. I don't think one is easier than another. They are hard in different ways. You'll be seeing a lot about my favorite topics here. There will be religious reflections (I'm a Christian) and political reflections (I'm a Democrat) and a good deal of whimsy. I'm a dilettante.

Being in Kilter

Posted on December 17, 2025 by hessd

The word for today on my Word-A-Day Calendar is “kilter,” and the author makes the kind of comment I associate with George Carlin, who wondered aloud about what ideas like “chalant,” would do for users of English.  Every use of … Continue reading →

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“The good stuff isn’t in the surface reading”

Posted on November 27, 2025 by hessd

I would like to tell you about this picture.  It will take just a little while because each of the elements of the picture—the woman, the hobbit, and the quotation—has a history of its own.  And then there is the … Continue reading →

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Paying Attention II

Posted on November 17, 2025 by hessd

I ended the precursor blog with this paragraph: That brings me to the lip of the next topic, which is how to reduce the cost of “paying” attention.  It will require a distinction between attending to and attending for.  The … Continue reading →

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Steve says, “Let it go.”

Posted on November 15, 2025 by hessd

I have the chance every now and then to listen to Steve Young, the legendary quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, answer questions for five minutes.  The questions are asked by Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser of the show Pardon … Continue reading →

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Caring for the Stranger

Posted on November 9, 2025 by hessd

For me, the dramatic center of Niall Williams’ novel Time of the Child is this confrontation between a doctor and a priest.  This interaction takes place in Faha, a very small and very Catholic town in Ireland.  There is emotional … Continue reading →

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Paying Attention to the News: Part I

Posted on October 24, 2025 by hessd

It’s not as easy as it used to be.  Today, I would like to explore some of the reasons I feel that way and prepare for an essay in which I describe a few of the things I have done … Continue reading →

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What are the rooks doing?

Posted on October 12, 2025 by hessd

That is a perfectly reasonable question for anyone to ask who is reading Tana French’s novel The Searcher for the second time.  Or third. When I first read this book, I opened to the first page and read: When Cal … Continue reading →

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The Value of Glory, Part II

Posted on September 29, 2025 by hessd

Rebecca got the better of the contest last time.  She had a better first half, as we often say about a football team.  But there are two halves, even in the time of Chivalry and the Crusades, and Ivanhoe does … Continue reading →

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The Worth of Glory

Posted on September 28, 2025 by hessd

One of the things I like about reading a good book many times is that unexpectedly, on the manyeth time, something really good jumps out at you and you wonder how you could have missed it on all the other … Continue reading →

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The Last Fair Election

Posted on September 10, 2025 by hessd

According to Heather Cox Richardson’s column today,  MAGA loyalist Steve Bannon recently said: “They’re petrified over at MSNBC and CNN that, hey, since we’re taking control of the cities, there’s going to be ICE officers near polling places. You’re damn … Continue reading →

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