It’s been ten years since this Nobel laureate last published a work of fiction, so the arrival of the English translation of Memories of My Melancholy Whores qualifies as a major event—even though, at just more than one hundred pages, it’s more novella than novel. Still, after a bit of journalism and the obligatory stab … Read more
As dangerous as an allegory on the banks of the Nile Yesterday this from the NY Times about the Biblical literalists’ invasion of natural history museums and how they are accosting and interrupting guides while they are explaining the scientific view of how we got here. The article explains how members of B.C. groups (B.C. … Read more
A pair of epigraphs and some random gleanings from the archives of the Wangensteen Medical Library at the University of Minnesota: When I lie down, I say, when shall I arise, and the night be gone? And I am full of tossing to and fro unto the dawning of the day. –The Book of Job, … Read more
Joe brought to my attention this morning that the term “mud duck” has emerged as a derisive name for Minnesotans. It’s trend enough to have made the pages of the Star Tribune, although to be fair, the Strib appears to have perched its considerable reporting credibility in this very important matter on the back of … Read more
A moment away from a very busy week of production: It’s too early to see whether the roll-out of Times Select is going to bung up the daily “most e-mailed” list–and whether articles behind the firewall, that is, primarily the celebrities of the Op-Ed pages, will even be emailable and thus eligible for the honors … Read more
For many months, on her way to and from school each day, Gloria had paused at the pet shop window to gaze with a combination of adoration and desire at the pretty little accordion nestled there in its kennel. Each night at the dinner table she would beg her parents to let her have an … Read more
Question: How low can you go? Additional question: When was the last time a Major League baseball team played so many games that so closely resembled World Cup soccer matches? Another question: Who wants to weigh in on this team’s chances of finishing above .500? One final question: What the hell? And, further food for … Read more
I apologize for the mess, Reverend, but I wasn’t expecting company. Things have gone to hell around here since Delmar moved into that old pop-up camper out back –says he got tired of captivity, as if that filthy camper he bought on eBay is anything but an even smaller cage. That’s the thing about Delmar, … Read more
Brownback–isn’t that a species of great ape? Today, I take back everything I’ve said about David Brooks of the NY Times. This is a howler. If you’ve spent any time at all listening to the confirmation hearings for John Roberts, you’ll like this. The only thing funnier is listening to Kansas Senator Sam Brownback’s performance … Read more
I’ll tell you exactly what I saw: they had the mediocre man trussed in a wheelbarrow and they rolled him out into the middle of the street and blew him up. He was round, agitated, and full of guts, and he babbled nervously right up until the moment when they set off the detonator. I … Read more