From the pen of
John Amos Comenius was known to have been a writing phenom, having more than 140 published works and 40 more unfinished. It is a serious question as to why he chose allegory as his first major writing project. This art form is challenging to pull off in long-form, such as Labyrinth, and he was a relatively young author.
From the pen of
The first five chapters of Comenius’s epic story are a mere 14 pages in this new edition. One could read this section in a mere 20 minutes—even if you were one of the slowest readers in the world. There is nothing fancy about them, yet they are laden with sinister clues, intrigue, and a level of fascination. Finally, Comenius has you confined to the stewpot of his story; he places you over the fire and has thrown on the kindling.
Enter Comenius’s Labyrinth Read Post »
From the pen of
I recently went to a National Polka Festival 2022 in Ennis, TX, in order to meet a greater audience for The Labyrinth of the World, and network. This effort worked on many levels. I also received an education on several points. What stood out to me was the difference between American Czechs and the Czech-Republic Czechs. I also picked up a bit of understanding of the different regions of the Czech Republic, specific to Moravia and Moravian distinctives.
Listen, Dance and Learn Read Post »
From the pen of
Few things in life are not beautified by art. It is one of the universal expressions of humankind because people of different languages and cultures can often capture the import of an image or illustration without understanding anyone talking about it. Part of my adaptation of Labyrinth of the World was putting art back into an English edition because it adds a dynamic. This post is about how I went about developing the artwork in this book.
Extending the Impact Read Post »
From the pen of
In 2020, when I seriously considered adapting Labyrinth of the World, I was first discouraged by one scholar with some relatively strong opinions. The import of his investigative questioning was that there was no value in any work not directly translated from the Czech into English. Yet, after four prior attempts to invent that wheel, I did not figure using that same approach was the way to go. This post is about my motives for adapting The Labyrinth of the World, which is also articulated more extensively in the Front Matters of the new edition of this book.
I Chose to Adapt Labyrinth of the World Read Post »
From the pen of
Since Labyrinth of the World inspired Pilgrim’s Progress, as a former post relates. This post will be a literary comparison of the two books. The thinkers behind the two books were entirely different. Yet, it is interesting how these extreme differences led to books with strikingly similar characters and elements. However, what is most telling is the outcome from the views employed in the one book. It has fed religious institutionalism and escapist perspectives among church people for centuries.
The Tale of Two Allegories Read Post »
