I’m reading John McCain’s account of his time as a POW in Vietnam. I happened to be flipping through a book I own about reporting Vietnam, and there it was. He was just out of the POW prison. Not a politician and not worried about his words or appearing perfect. For example, he used the […]
Archive | Famous People
Jesus Says: Burn in Hell
Richard Dawkins reads his mail:
Solzhenitsyn
The author of The Gulag Archipelago has died. He spent seven years in the Gulag, for criticizing Stalin in a letter to a friend. There he began to write, and he never stopped. For a long time, practically everything he wrote was illegal; he and his courageous friends had to hide his work and smuggle […]
Odysseus Journeys Home
Robert Fagles (who was approvingly quoted in a weeklyrob post about translation) has died. Obit.
Oprah
Would you trust this woman with your summer reading? I was talking to a friend today who mentioned that she was planning to give away some books. She has a lot of science fiction, some random books on Africa, and a few crappy Oprah books. “Crappy Oprah books?” I asked. Of course, she was talking […]
Gone, Gone. Part Two (Arthur C. Clarke Edition)
He helped invent radar, predicted communications satellites in synchronous orbit, supposedly inspired the creation of Star Trek, asserted “Clarke’s Law” (which I quote or allude to frequently in my life), became a knight, and by the way, co-wrote “2001, A Space Odyssey.” Obit.
Shaggy Dog
I’m reading Tristram Shandy, the most famous shaggy dog story of all time. As it happens, I’d never heard of the book until I saw ads a while back for a movie version of it. I wonder what the less-known shaggy dog stories are. Has anyone ever heard of, or read, this book? Anyone? Anyone? […]
Grace Kelly
She was pretty. Anyway, I was extremely busy the last 7 days. Turned 39 (thank you very much), helped put on my Mom’s catered birthday party (she’s older than 39), celebrated my wife’s 35th birthday party, and today celebrated our anniversary. Oh, and my 91 year old grandmother stayed in our bedroom while we slept […]
Big Think
I’m excited. Thanks to aldaily for the link.
Harlan Ellison is Pissed
And cusses about it. And cusses. My thoughts: Right on! [Link from BookLust.]