Reprint of the original, first published in 1867.

The year is 1300 and Dante Aligheri is lost in a dark wood with no plan, not even a clue. But Heaven conspires and brings him a guide, the Roman epic poet, Virgil. Together, they begin the most arduous leg of Dante's journey to salvation: the journey through Hell. The poem is part travelogue, part cautionary tale, a Medieval catalogue of every possible way one could lose one humanity, but is neither gratuitous nor penny-dreadful: it is a necessary part of Dante's education. The road is long and hard and we are lucky to have Fr. Woods with us on the road, to lead us as Virgil leads Dante, pointing out the sights and providing the background we need to understand a journey that is not limited to the Middle Ages, but is the journey of every Christian soul to God.

T. S. Eliot had moved on to Drama and was uncertain whether he would ever write poetry again, but some lines he had cut from his first play, Murder in the Cathedral, stuck in his imagination. They became seeds. And, in the tumult preceding the Second World War, the seeds began to sprout. This was the genesis of Eliot's final suite of poems, the Four Quartets. Each poem saw separate publication before they were bound together into a single unit. There are four poems: one for each of the base elements of physical reality air, earth, water and fire. Each poem is connected to a place the poet revisits in memory: Burnt Norton, East Coker, The Dry Salvage and Little Gidding . As a whole it constitutes a brilliant meditation on time, eternity and those timeless moments when the two intersect. Eliot is a notoriously difficult poet, known for his wide allusions to the entire of the European poetic canon. In this poem he also alludes to the ancient scriptures of India. Luckily, Father Woods is available as tour guide, to lead you profitably through this literary adventure.

What do you get when you combine the writings of a master story-teller, a brilliant preacher and geniused theologian? If you believe Dr. Urban C. von Wahlde, you get the Gospel according to St. John. In his monumental 2010 commentary, Dr. von Wahlde attempted to parse the literary process that was the genesis of a Gospel. He theorizes three literary strata. The Signs-Author, with his intimate knowledge of pre-war Judea, tells the stories of Jesus' miracles to prove he was the Christ. After the war and the destruction of Jerusalem, the Evangelist fights (and loses) to maintain both his Christianity and his ancestral Jewish heritage. The Redactor, a fully Christian theologian, picks up the pieces after schism rends his community, rethinking the Evangelist's more radical thoughts and taking the first steps towards defining the distinctly Christian view of the Divine Economy. All in All, a fascinating read spanning three volumes and 2,075 pages. Intimidating you say? Well, Fr. Woods has fought the monster and is back with this book detailing his struggles. It is no substitute for the real thing but you do get the flavor. John's Gospel can be as confusing as it is rewarding. This book will help you cut through the cross talk and understand what it actually says.

The chief problem with Purgatorio is Inferno. Dante wanted to write a universal epic, like Homer's or Virgil's, but the botched and blighted souls he met in Hell were of no use. They could care less about the truth. So, in the second stage of his epic, Dante must play catch up. This he does brilliantly in the one of the most insightful depictions of the developmental psychology of sainthood since St. John Climacus. The Holy Mountain is Hell in reverse, allowing Dante to develop a system by which virtues are inculcated in the soul. The seven deadly sins are undone and the pilgrimage ends with a return to innocence (the Garden of Eden) where sacred rivers erase the pilgrim's memories of their sins and enhance their memories of good deeds. But all this brilliance comes at a cost. Unlike, Inferno, which was all downhill, Purgatorio can be an uphill battle. Luckily, Fr. Woods is available as tour guide, to explain abstruse Medieval terminology and concepts (there are some) and to point out the many spectacular views along the way.

From dreading Death to the first breath of Spring air, I had an existential crisis, questioned my Mortality, and had to grow up. I surrounded myself with Peter Pan books, only to not read them. My anxiety skyrocketed toward the moon. And I found a circus full of ghosts. However, I've also seen euphoric clouds and constellations. From fictional tadpoles to pink glowsticks, I've seen it all-in my head. I've also created fictional people; Betty, Sam, Edith, Willoughby, Ash, and Eden. Each one with their own darkness, their own story, and their own glow. I've been in the depths of the oceans, thinking I could find Atlantis. I've been glancing at the sun, flinching at the bright light. And just when I found shades that helped against the electric Chaos, and started to get cozy on the flowing sand in the darkness of the water, I was reminded to grow up. And without the words of Peter Pan to hold on to, Chaos broke out, and Mortality started to wander. I got stuck in the circus, trying to find a place to be free. To be scared of, and to be in love with things, people, and places, I will dive Into Aurora Borealis. x C

Socrates goes by night to a party given by the tragic poet Agathon. On there, a discussion breaks out on the nature of romantic love which issues in a competition of speeches in praise of love. Behind it all, putting the strings of this shadow play, is Plato. He was too young to have attended the event, so, what is his interest in telling its story? And how, moreover, is philosophy related to romantic love. In writing his great "dialogue," Symposium proved that a book of philosophy could also be a work of art. Here we attempt to disentangle this great and beautiful work and find the meaning in Plato's art.

Poetry about growing up, being scared to be mortal, breathing in the new spring air, and feeling hopeless and vulnerable. I found a circus full of ghosts. I've been in the depths of the oceans, thinking I could find Atlantis. I've been glancing at the sun, flinching at the bright light. I've seen it all-in my head. To be scared of, and to be in love with things, people, and places, I will dive into Aurora Borealis. This is what happened before Everless. And it's a lot. x C