Harrison Middleton University
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Rachel Carson

Category: Nature

We’re excited that you’ve joined the conversation! At HMU, we want to continue the great authors’ conversations in a contemporary context, and this blog will help us do that. We look back to Aristotle and the early philosophers who used reason and discourse to gain wisdom and now we endeavor to do the same every day.

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December 23, 2022 Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post. Robert Frost was born in San Francisco in 1874. Frost, an American icon, was one of few poets who achieved celebrity status. As the first poet to read at a Presidential Inauguration, he set many standards for our nation. Focused on country life, …

Robert Frost Delivers Christmas Trees Read More »

September 16, 2022 Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post. Recently, I attended a pop-up conference hosted by Classical Pursuits. Moderator Melanie Blake walked us through a short story by Guy de Maupassant. I jumped on this opportunity since I had never read any of his short stories. And discussion is an excellent …

De Maupassant’s “The Necklace” Read More »

August 26, 2022 Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post. From Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek: “I wonder whether what I see and seem to understand about nature is merely one of the accidents of freedom, repeated by chance before my eyes, or whether it has any counterpart in the worlds beyond …

A Peek at Knowledge Read More »

August 12, 2022 Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post. At HMU, we place a great deal of importance on asking vital questions. I continuously work towards finding helpful, insightful, deep questions which enables me to better understand an author’s perspective. Thinking in this way opens pathways to asking insightful questions of our …

Annie Dillard and the Science of Can and Can’t Read More »

April 22, 2022 Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post. Today is Earth Day, which celebrates earth’s wonderful variety. It is startling to think how small we are in the scope of things. That thought alone helps me attend to the beauty of this planet. From my window I can see a number …

Sofa in the Arroyo Read More »

January 14, 2022 Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post. Though I do not excel at problem solving, I always like to know that someone has a plan. I like the security of emergency plans in hotels, for example. In the outdoors, I have first-aid supplies for all sorts of possibilities. And I …

Book Review: How to Avoid a Climate Disaster Read More »

December 3, 2021 Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post. Listen to “Misty Mountain Hop” by Led Zeppelin while reading today’s blog. In The Meaning of Travel by Emily Thomas, she explains that mountains used to be feared, vile, despicable places. In literature, they were described with disdain and hatred. She quotes John …

Summit: Mountain Travel Read More »

June 25, 2021 Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post. It is easy to assume that the way things are now is the way that they have always been. For example, visiting a museum is commonplace now, however, museums have not always been around. In fact, “curiosity closets” predate museums and offer a …

Summer Birds Read More »

March 26, 2021 Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post. Part of my attraction to the Brontës is the excruciating and raw emotions. It is as if they speak truth when others would rather avoid the issues. It is a form of witness to their own reality, to the harshness and beauty of …

The Brontës’ Poetry Read More »

February 5, 2021 Thanks to Alissa Simon, HMU Tutor, for today’s post. “Joy, in part, is the justice we give ourselves.” – Dr. Drew Lanham This post is about the love of being. Also, the love of birds. After listening to Krista Tippett (of OnBeing) interview Dr. Drew Lanham, ornithologist, writer, and Wildlife Biologist at …

Joy of Being Read More »

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