[JH] #06 a personal note Dear friends, It is still Tuesday in most places so I think this email counts as far as my commitment to Tuesday emails go 🙂 Let’s ignore the fact that I have skipped a few weeks: I went to Toronto and I needed some time to catch up with work…

[JH] #05 Why we collect books Dear friends, This time a few more thoughts, based on something I wrote during the Cultural Literacy Retreat this summer.  A short reflection on ‘learning’During the retreat, we have read several texts which have helped us to think about ‘the art of learning’. We have read some texts together, but also some…

[JH] #04 Why we collect books Merry Christmas, Christus natus est. Why I collect books Yesterday I found a nice book in one of those roadside book exchange libraries that people put up in many places in The Netherlands. The hunter-gatherer in me loves them. Usually, I catch nothing of interest, but every once in a…

[JH] #03: What books can do What a book can do Last week I read The End of the Affair by Graham Greene. It is a typical Greene book, at least it reminded me of The Power and the Glory, which I read two years ago. These books dive deep into the lives and anxieties…

[JH] #02: Cultural Literacy & Great Books Welcome to the second edition of this personal newsletter. Every other week I write a short letter about things of academic, professional, or personal interest. Thank you to all who have responded to the first edition, I appreciate hearing from readers. A few people asked about the PhD…

[JH] #01 “Always We Begin Again” Dear friends, Welcome to the first edition of this personal newsletter.  Every other week I write a short letter about things of academic, professional, or personal interest. This letter arrives in your mailbox on Tuesday, noon (West European time). Some of you have read my email newsletters in the past. In…