-
A Lear of the Steppes by Ivan Turgenev
I finished reading A Lear of the Steppes (1870), a novella written by Ivan Turgenev, translated by Constance Garnett. Those familiar with Shakespeare’s King Lear will recognize the basics of the plot, although there are numerous and substantial differences. Turgenev writes beautiful prose and the story unfolds at a wonderfully balanced pace. The characters are…
-
a quote
Tyranny always starts auspiciously. —Jean Racine in Britannicus
-
Dan Holiday and Box 13
I’ve recently started listening to an old radio drama I’ve never really checked out before. It’s called Box 13 and is an adventure series starring Alan Ladd. It began in 1947 and ran for 52 episodes. Ladd’s character, Dan Holiday, is a writer of mystery novels who, in an effort to garner plot ideas, solicits…
-
Pea
There’s a perennial wild pea I often walk by that is growing in the ditch along an alley. I think it’s a Lathyrus latifolius.
-
Britannicus by Jean Racine
I finished reading Britannicus by Jean Racine, translated by John Cairncross. It’s a play of five acts and was first performed in 1669. The plot centers on the Roman emperor Nero, his mother Agrippina, his stepbrother Britannicus, and Britannicus’s lover, June. The action takes place over a single day and tracks the characters’ attempts to…
-
Willie Whitetail
When I was a little kid, I came across this book at my elementary school. I don’t recall now if it was a library book sale or exactly what, but it was discarded from the school’s library. I ended up getting two other books as well, one about a bobwhite quail and one about a…
-
Nymphalis
My daughter and I found this beautiful butterfly at my mom’s. We moved it onto this tree, where it stayed for many hours.
-
-
The Chessmen of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
I finished reading The Chessmen of Mars (1922) by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth novel in his Barsoom series. This story focuses on Tara, the daughter of John Carter, Warlord of Mars. I enjoyed this novel more than the one or two that precede it. I found myself getting pleasantly wrapped up in the characters…