Recently I’ve been reading some of the classical Greek plays, notably Aeschylus: Agamemnon, The Persians, and Seven Against Thebes; Sophocles: Ajax. I took a couple of Classics courses in college and enjoyed them, and this re-visit broadens my understanding. I’ve … Continue reading
This is a fine postwar novel in the tradition of others that expressed dehumanization and even nihilism after the catastrophic death and destruction of World War II. Unlike many others (such as The Sheltering Sky, The Stranger), in this one … Continue reading
I have many questions about basic facts of the universe, from “What is sleep for?” to “How do Mirrors Work?” It’s a long list. I’ve attempted to find answers to these questions over the years, unsuccessfully. Usually it’s because I … Continue reading
I signed up for a writer’s conference in Portland, OR, a town I’ve always been fond of. When I lived in Seattle, I often used to take the Amtrak down to Portland for the PDX Jazz Festival and enjoyed the … Continue reading
This is the kind of airport novel I used to read when I traveled a lot. Since then I’ve learned how to read literature with characters who develop self-awareness over time and stories that illuminate the human condition. I’m afraid … Continue reading
This is supposedly more accessible than Gravity’s Rainbow, the ponderous postmodern exercise for which Pynchon won the National Book Award in 1974, although the Pynchon style is the same. This is a lighthearted detective story, with the PI, Doc Sportello trying … Continue reading