All Purls. No Swine.
I rarely contemplate the works of Charles Dickens for very long before thinking about a college professor of mine (we're talking mid-1970s here). This individual was a native of South Korea, and he taught at my alma mater, Duquesne University, from 1973-1990. I understand that--in his chosen field, as the 'writer-in-residence,' and as a professor… Continue reading Happy Birthday, Charles Dickens! On Hearts, Tempers, and the Magic of Touch
Seventy-one years ago today, upon the death of her father, King George VI, Princess Elizabeth Alexandra Mary ascended to the throne of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and all her other Realms and Territories. She spent the next seventy years of her life cheerfully (to outward appearance) doing her duty and serving the people she… Continue reading Queen for a Day Three-Quarters of a Century
This post requires a bit of imagination. It involves what used to be called a "poetic conceit," in the days when it was allowable to speak in simile and metaphor, or to employ metonomy or synecdoche, secure in the knowledge that your audience didn't have to know what any of those things actually was, or… Continue reading The Headwaters of the Mississippi, and a Few Other Things
As reported in several places: XX= Woman XY=Man YYY=Delilah In an effulgence of political correctness/cowardice, the Welsh Rugby Union has announced that the Tom Jones hit song Delilah will no longer be played as part of its approved song list. Because, you know, "misogyny." Thankfully, and as I had hoped, it's foolish and pointless to bet… Continue reading Meme: YYY, Delilah!
I like Jordan Peterson. I don't agree with everything he says, but I think he's generally on the side of the angels, and that the young men of the world would do far better to listen to and follow, Jordan Peterson than--say--Andrew Tate, especially when it comes to their understanding, and their treatment, of women.… Continue reading Jordan Peterson On the Differences Between Men and Women, Not Quite in a Nutshell
It was sixty-four years ago today, on February 3, 1959. Rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed when their plane, a Beechcraft Bonanza, crashed near Clear Lake, Iowa, when the pilot lost control of the plane in bad winter weather, and crashed into a cornfield. All… Continue reading The Day the Music Died
Today, February 2, 2023, I'm celebrating Candlemas Day, the one on which Christians marvel at the return of light, protection, and prosperity, that which wards off death, evil, and end times. Let us today bless candles in church for distribution to the congregation. Or, if that's a bridge too far, let us at least celebrate… Continue reading Groundhog Day? Love the Movie, but Otherwise, No Thank You
It's a relatively short tome (about 250 pages), written by British journalist and author Simon Winchester. It tells, in extremely readable prose, the fascinating story of the two men most important to the publication of the world's greatest dictionary, whose first volume (A-ANT) was published 139 years ago today, on February 1, 1884. Two more… Continue reading Book Recommendation: The Professor and the Madman