RIP Jules Feiffer
I hadn’t thought of Feiffer in many years, but as a teenager I was a huge fan. I had several of his books of cartoons, and they were wonderful. He turned his satirical eye and his whimsical pen on the … Continue reading →
Category Archives: Arts
Why poetry matters
Here’s a fellow lover of poetry: WHEN I speak of poetry, I think of classic poems written by great poets of the past, poetry that modern educationalists think of as ‘elitist’ literature. Such writing may now be largely the preserve … Continue reading →
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright
I felt a catch in my throat when I heard that Olivia Hussey had died at 73. She will always be Juliet to me, a role I saw her play in a movie theater in 1968 when the Zefferelli film … Continue reading →
Those fouettés
You might say that the turns in ballet known as fouettés are a sort of parlor trick. They’re neither beautiful nor interesting – at least, not to me – and are mostly a physical feat that requires great skill. In … Continue reading →
Happy Chanukah, and some reflections
[NOTE: This is a slightly edited version of a previous post.] This is the second night of Chanukah, and I wish everyone a happy one. Chanukah is about a successful revolt and a miracle of light: The miracle of the … Continue reading →
Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah (another golden oldie from the neo archives)
On Christmas Day—blog? I’d rather have grog, Or maybe eggnog, Then go walk the dog. Or watch a Yule Log, And eat like a hog, Then go for a jog. Blogging’s a bog. My mind’s in a fog, Or maybe … Continue reading →
‘Twas the Blogger’s Night Before Christmas
[NOTE: This small poetic effort of mine has become somewhat of a holiday tradition at the blog. So here it comes again—just like the holiday itself.] ‘TWAS THE BLOGGER’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through … Continue reading →
Dostoevsky’s Demons
I was in high school when I first read a Russian novel; it was Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment. The book immediately grabbed my attention – here was something to really sink my teeth into, something that dealt with the Big … Continue reading →
Luigi Mangione, Bonnie and Clyde, Tsarnaev, and Raskolnikov
Twenty-six year old Luigi Mangione has been detained as a person of interest in the murder of United Healthcare executive Brian Thompson, and he’s emerged as a popular figure with a certain segment of the left. Call it the romantic … Continue reading →
Daniel Penny jury says it hasn’t been able to reach a unanimous verdict
[NOTE: Please see UPDATE in this new post.] The jury is deadlocked on the charge of manslaughter in the second degree after three days of deliberation. Penny is facing a second lesser charge as well: criminally negligent homicide, which carries … Continue reading →
Musical interlude
When I was a kid and the internet didn’t exist, I used to spend a lot of time listening to records. That’s why, to this day, my brain still has access to the entire scores of many Broadway musicals and … Continue reading →
Open thread 11/23/2024
Chopin wrote this piece when he was eleven years old. It’s his earliest surviving work, but not the earliest he wrote. He was a child prodigy not just in playing but in composing: I think the pianist is thirteen here.
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