Lauren Phillips, NYC middle school teacher, writes: Everyone is looking for love. Yet, as I know personally, there is much confusion and tumult on the subject. As two people look into each other’s eyes, they need to know what makes love grow and thrive—or fail. What Eli Siegel writes in “Love and Reality” has the… Read more

Steve Weiner, computer specialist and Aesthetic Realism associate, writes: In this new issue of TRO, you’ll have the pleasure of learning about a subject that Aesthetic Realism understands in all its richness and depth: Imagination! And you’ll learn something hugely important and new: there are two very different kinds of imagination. What is the basis… Read more

Nancy Huntting, Aesthetic Realism consultant, writes: Today, all of us used our imagination in some way. But do we really know what imagination is? And, do we know how to use ours in the best and wisest way? You’ll be thrilled by the comprehension in the current issue of TRO as you learn what Aesthetic… Read more

Karen Van Outryve is a poet and Aesthetic Realism consultant. Together with Margot Carpenter, she teaches “Poetry & Liking the World,” a class for children based on the Aesthetic Realism understanding of poetry. About Eli Siegel’s poem “Spark,” she says: Every time I read this poem I feel hopeful, and I’ve seen hope in the… Read more

Steve Weiner, computer specialist and Aesthetic Realism associate, writes: This first issue of TRO for 2025 is about a subject that people every­where need desperately to understand—a subject that Aesthetic Realism shows to be the most beautiful, exciting subject that exists: what justice is! This TRO asks—and answers—the question Does all poetry, the real thing, arise from a just way… Read more

Barbara Buehler, NYC planner and Aesthetic Realism associate, writes about Ruth Oron’s important article “What I Learned about Kindness: Looking at a Painting by Vermeer”: Most people would say they want to be kind, and yet too often we feel we’re not. I thought I was kind in remembering friends’ birthdays and writing thank-you notes… Read more

Nancy Huntting, Aesthetic Realism consultant, writes: The new issue of TRO has an irresistible and urgent title: “The Kindness of Art.” What does it mean to see in a way that’s kind—solidly kind? Does art show that kindness is not some soupy thing but is powerful, terrifically accurate self-expression? Yes! In this issue you’ll meet… Read more

Jeffrey Carduner, Aesthetic Realism consultant, writes: Is there such a thing as a best way of seeing what we don’t like, what’s confusing and disorderly? And what does true poetry, including the poetry of Stephen Crane, author of The Red Badge of Courage, have to do with honestly making sense of our world? The knowledge that awaits you… Read more

Christopher Balchin, educator and Aesthetic Realism associate, writes: When I first read “It Will Be Annabel November,” I was amazed, and stirred to my depths. This greatly musical poem by Eli Siegel is about a woman and her relation to a wide and ever-changing world, as represented by the month of November. In his note… Read more