Blogs I Enjoy
Still Figuring Out What To Do With This Blog, So Enjoy Someone Else's Content In The Meanwhile
Aside from the knowledge, reflections, and amusement they may provide, a familiarity with number of blogs (including some vlogs) may provide one with the opportunity to write blog posts on the virtues of said content, so here you go. With no audience yet to cater to, I recommend primarily whatever I enjoy and frequent, and what I don’t suppose my Substack subscribers will have come across, so no Substacks are included unless they are in some way affiliated with the blogs or their authors. I could have made the list thrice as long, but best to save a few for potential future posts. Blogs are arranged in no particular order.
Classics and Linguistics
The Philological Crocodile: The best summary I can muster is that this is a riveting, informative, and opinionated collection of essays on the classics, but I can give no better introduction to the blog than the one it provides for itself. Would recommend How to Learn Latin Well to begin with.
Language Log: The linguistics blog which every other linguistics blog I read seems to link to, a delightful source of linguistic tidbits. Discursive in it’s topics (the only constant I’ve noticed being Mair’s sinological interests), prolific.
Antigone journal: This is a blog with articles that educate on topics as disparate as the choices involved in translating Virgil (How Would Virgil Speak In Chinese?), to the life and legacy of Porson (Richard Porson: Scholar Of A Different Class). Nuff’ said.
Paper Pools: After reading the Last Samurai, I was curious to learn about the character and talents of the writer of such an erudite book, and I was not disappointed. A woman with a reading list like this and a repository of post labels that read like an encyclopaedia index is worth paying attention to, to say the least. Has tapered off since the early years, but like Thousand Maths below is worth reading at a leisurely rate.
Close Reading Poetry: English literature student makes video essays on poetic exegesis. Has began a series of videos on how to read Paradise Lost about a month ago. Would recommend his two videos on George Herbert to gauge your mileage for this sort of thing. One’s length is 8:52, the other 28:43, so pick whichever you have the time for.
The Torah: Many years ago I came out as an agnostic to my mother, which led to me going on a quest to investigate the evidence in favour of, and contrary to, the various major religions of the world. In doing so I became interested in studying biblical criticism, and became persuaded of the usefulness of reading religious texts in their original tongues so as to receive a deeper understanding of the the ways that various translation choices found in different bible versions obscure, or rather selectively emphasise, the particular meanings present in said texts. I went so far as to learn some ancient Hebrew (which I have begun to brush up on again) via a textbook and some websites dedicated to Talmudic study with the express aim of developing a deeper understanding of the Torah, and got lost in the joys of talmudic argumentation. One of the websites I used to foster my understanding of said arguments, and which I have the fondest memories of, is this one. Do Not Cook a Kid Still Suckling Its Mother’s Milk is an article that still sticks in my memory, and which I believe is a good-enough litmus test for whether you’ll want to read this blog.
Language Learning
Comprehensible Chinese: A useful supplementary tool in my language learning goals, insofar as it allows me to practice my comprehension skills for the grammar and vocabulary I already know and rapidly learn new grammar and vocabulary. Provides copious content for varying skill levels.
Aleph with Beth: Another thorough source of comprehensible input, but for biblical Hebrew.
Saturna Lanx: Yet another source of comprehensible input, coupled with short lessons and advice on how to learn Latin.
Geoffrey Steadman: Resource for those who are learning Latin and Greek, a treasure trove of texts with facing vocabulary on almost every page, and a glossary of pertinent grammar at their end.
Chinese Poems in English (Inactive for 1 year, ~7 months): Retired politician translates (mostly) classical poetry. The structure of the average post is rather regular, first providing a short introduction, followed by the text in the original, followed by his rendition, and lastly a line-by-line commentary of his choices.
Early Indo-European Online: A collection of lessons and grammars for various Indo-European languages, and perhaps the most comprehensive and useful resource of it’s kind that I have come across. Excellent for developing a footing in these languages, an absolute joy that provides meaning to the internet’s existence.
Fitness
Physical Culture Study: If you are curious about the history of bodybuilding, with an emphasis on earlier periods, then this blog is for you. Stumbled upon whilst looking up the workout routines of the Bronze Age stars, and it more than delivered. This channel has a similar focus and has some good fitness advice.
Music
Will C. White: Composer and conductor blogs about composing, conducting, and appreciating music and the culture surrounding it. I have fond memories of this blog for introducing me to Schnittke, and the Purcell biopic England, My England, but there is much else of value here. Author is a Sondheim fan, a personal plus. Also has a podcast with two other conductors that has an associated Substack. Also has a youtube channel of his musical work.
OzanFabienGuvener: A treasure trove of old recordings, mostly of notable pianists, with a few singers and violinists thrown in here and there.
Mathematics
The Bright Side of Maths: Decent walkthroughs of a variety of mathematical topics generally around the undergrad level. A good supplement for unsticking oneself in the face of confusion after exposure to new concepts. Would also recommend the Mathematics discord server if one wishes to check one’s proofs on a budget when self-studying. Work submitted to the server’s help section must be written in Latex.
Thousand Maths: Then-grad-student creates blog with the express purpose of writing a 1000 blog posts primarily about the experience of becoming a more competent mathematician and of doing mathematics. Finished, but never boring to dip into.
Logic With Bo: Short, lucid videos on various concepts in logic, which has been useful to me when looking for additional clarification of concepts I have encountered in Smith's The Laws of Truth, Chiswell & Hodge's Mathematical Logic, and Priest's Introduction To Non-Classical Logics. Check out the author’s website too. Compare and contrast with the logic playlists by Attic Philosophy, which are also useful supplements.