Author Archives: Simon Maass

“Labyrinth” (1986) and Fairy Tales – By Simon Maass

While no hit immediately upon its release in 1986, the motion picture “Labyrinth” has since garnered the status of a cult classic. This belated popularity is not highly surprising – directed by Jim Henson, executive-produced by George Lucas, starring David Bowie and a young Jennifer Connelly, the project was hardly short on talent. Indeed, manyContinue reading ““Labyrinth” (1986) and Fairy Tales – By Simon Maass”

Reflections on Mykola Khvylovy’s “Stories from the Ukraine” – By Simon Maass

By Simon Maass I had one of my more ambiguous experiences with literature when I recently read “Stories from the Ukraine,” an anthology of tales by the early twentieth-century writer Mykola Khvylovy, translated and edited by George Luckyj. The book contains five short stories by Khvylovy himself, followed by an abridged autobiographical account featuring himContinue reading “Reflections on Mykola Khvylovy’s “Stories from the Ukraine” – By Simon Maass”

Theodore Roosevelt’s “Strenuous Life” Speech Today

By Simon Maass Reading Theodore Roosevelt’s famous “strenuous life” speech nowadays elicits, mainly, two reactions. Firstly, one is struck by the strength of the late statesman’s character – Roosevelt’s biography leaves no doubt as to his sincerity in expounding “the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife.”Continue reading “Theodore Roosevelt’s “Strenuous Life” Speech Today”

Bolshevism and Anarchy: Is “The Street” H. P. Lovecraft’s Most Relevant Story?

By Simon Maass In 1919, legendary horror writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft penned “The Street,” a short story perhaps more pertinent to the current political moment – from a conservative perspective, of course – than any of his other writings. Just over a century later, this is also one of his lesser-known creations, and connoisseurs whoContinue reading “Bolshevism and Anarchy: Is “The Street” H. P. Lovecraft’s Most Relevant Story?”