These itsy bitsy spiders…
…do a lot more than climbing up the water spout. They detect electrical fields and use them to – fly. And although I’m well aware that I just used the word “fly” there to refer to the activity and not … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Literature and writing
Memoir: the whole truth and nothing but?
Memoir is a strange genre of writing. It’s not always good, but when it’s good, it’s very very good. Two examples of which I’m very fond are Nabokov’s magnificently written Speak, Memory and Updike’s remarkable Self-Conciousness. They may not be … Continue reading →
Once more, with feeling: Updike on Kundera
[NOTE: This is a repeat (slightly edited) of a previous post. It seems timely, as I think you’ll see as you read it. Maybe it’s always timely.] I’ve quoted the following excerpt before, because it’s one of my very favorites. … Continue reading →
April is…
…the cruelest month. Or at least, a cruel month. But it’s not really a surprising announcement; I didn’t think the edicts would be lifted as soon as right after Easter. That line about April being the cruelest month is usually … Continue reading →
Reading Maus
[NOTE: Years ago I downsized and got rid of a lot of books. But since I’d had a ton of them to begin with, I’ve still got a lot, although nothing like the original number. And of course, I keep … Continue reading →
Fascinating and urgent
Ammo Grrrll of Powerline writes …I seem to be at a stage in my life where I find almost everything equally fascinating and equally urgent. I can relate – up to a point. Like Ammo Grrrll, I’m also at that … Continue reading →
Doris Lessing, changer
Doris Lessing was a well-known writer who died in 2013 after a very long life and many prizes, including a Nobel. I confess that I’ve never read a thing she wrote, although I tried a few times. It just didn’t … Continue reading →
The best laid schemes: Kobe Bryant
I’m not a basketball fan; I stopped watching back in the 1970s. But I’d heard of Kobe Bryant even beore yesterday’s helicopter crash that killed him. He was that big a sports star, and the mourning is widespread. But although … Continue reading →
The scarlet “I” of IMPEACHMENT
Impeachment, now and forever: Speaker Pelosi: "On Dec. 18th, the House of Representatives impeached the President of the United States — an impeachment that will last forever." https://t.co/Kt0lj3c5pV pic.twitter.com/oC9gXSVk7v — The Hill (@thehill) January 15, 2020 Pelosi likes to envision … Continue reading →
The kingdoms of earth run on oil
And that’s one of Iran’s problems these days. From Victor Davis Hanson: Snce World War II, the United States has been involved in a series of crises and wars in the Middle East on the premise of protecting U.S., Western, … Continue reading →
Emily Dickinson is hard to love
Dickinson’s hard to love, although she’s easy to admire immensely. Don’t get me wrong; I like certain of her poems. But the more inaccessible ones weary me, although I usually tend to have patience with difficult poetry if it really … Continue reading →
Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling gets a taste of the left’s medicine when she stands up for liberty
At my son’s request, I read the first two Harry Potter books shortly after they first came out. They were okay as that sort of thing goes, but since I’m not keen on that sort of thing, I stopped reading … Continue reading →