The Wonder of Appearance

"What seems paradoxical about everything that is justly called beautiful is that it exists." Walter Benjamin
"[T]his paradox—or, more simply, the wonder of appearance—was always at the center of all his concerns." Hannah Arendt on Walter Benjamin

I've been re-reading Benjamin's Illuminations. It's must reading for anyone interested in 20th-century cultural and intellectual history but also very interesting and...illuminating in its own right. Those of you familiar with my poems will understand why the above quotations are especially meaningful to me.

I've updated the links column. Web Nymph has ceased; in its place I've added a banner link to elbo.ws, a very comprehensive and popular aggregator. Check it out!