Tag Archives: personal
“Shed Down By the River” Continued
Two other things that impressed me: (2) Among my peers at the Facultad de Filosofia y Letras in Barcelona, the “pandilla” was the organizing social unit — congenial, urbane, catholic, benign, excluding neither the ill-favored nor the studious nor the … Continue reading
Remembered
Arturo Rodríguez, Mexican immigrant, master mason, arch builder, craftsman, sweet tenor, husband, friend. Told one of the best jokes I know. Its punchline: … No le hagas caso a ese caballo, no sabe nada de mecánica. Copyright (c) 2018 James … Continue reading
Dear Mother… I’m continuing
“I’m continuing to read Jacques Barzun’s “Teacher in America,” written in the forties. He has a lot to say about what education really consists of (a lifelong endeavor), and I imagine a lot of his ideas would be sympathetic to … Continue reading
Shed Down by the River
From the street it’s nondescript: long and low, homely brickwork giving way to corrugated metal, no windows. Flat, pedestrian, a second-rate, seedy, industrial-looking structure on a humble side of town. Patio and doorways are on the opposite side facing inward … Continue reading
Dear Mother… Charles
Charles gave me a copy of his “translation” of Arthur Rimbaud’s “Le bateau ivre” (The Drunken Boat). I put “translation” in quotes because Charles readily admits that his version derives from other English versions of the poem, since he doesn’t … Continue reading
Dilettante, heal thyself
I’m curious about too many things, which is why I haven’t achieved distinction in anything. Consider this fascinating article in today’s NYTimes about perfumes: “The Difference Between Perfume, Cologne and Other Fragrances” by Tynan Sink. Here’s an overview, but read … Continue reading
Waking the Dogs
It’s been a red-letter several days in my quiet life, and I’m afraid it has me sounding off more than I should here on topics that normally I would let lie with sleeping dogs. I have a fear of goading … Continue reading →