-
A Conversation
I read the chapter titled ‘Mutiny’ in The Brothers Karamazov yesterday morning. It reminded me greatly of the story The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin; so much so that it seems to be an answer, in the form of fiction, to the question posed by Ivan: “And are you…
-
Haiku
Here is a haiku I wrote this morning upon looking out the window. The weather has changed; the cool and damp of late fall has settled in. Yellow smoke of pinesFiltering the morning lightRain will be heavy
-
Whaling
This set of whaling-themed tobacco cards from Ogden’s was released in 1927. It’s a 25 card set with beautiful images of ships, whales, sailors, and equipment. I can’t help but be reminded of Melville’s great chronicle of the sea, and Ahab’s obsessive quest for the solitary leviathan called by sailors Moby Dick. “But as for…
-
True Bug
A Western Conifer Seed Bug (Leptoglossus occidentalis), from the Hemiptera order, I saw on Monday.
-
The Ancient World
I finished reading The Ancient World: A Beginning by T. R. Glover (1935). This is an overview of the history of the ancient world, focused on the Mediterranean region and primarily Greek, Jewish, and Roman culture. It touches lightly upon surrounding areas and peoples, including Asia Minor, Egypt, and Persia. There is a mention here…
-
Sea Adventure
I added a new set of tobacco cards to my small collection. As you can see from the back of the card, it is called Sea Adventure and consists of 50 cards. There are quite a few beautiful images in the set, and I think this Robinson Crusoe one is a good example.
-
Hiero’s Journey
I just finished reading Hiero’s Journey by Sterling E. Lanier (1973). The tale is set in the distant future, thousands of years after nuclear and biological warfare nearly destroyed humanity. It’s an adventure story of travel, discovery, and conflict and is well-told. Some of the character interactions, especially around gender, I found annoying and trite.…
-
The Suppliant Women
I finished reading The Suppliant Women by Euripides (first performed in 423 BC), translated by Philip Vellacott. The events of this play occur shortly after Polyneices’ attempt to wrest the throne from his brother Eteocles, as told by Aeschylus in Seven Against Thebes. Besides being another fantastically written play by Euripides, The Suppliant Women explores…