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Netflix’s series Roman Empire: Reign of Blood follows the recent docu-series movement, mixing historians, narration, and drama over multiple episodes. It also continue the trend moving from sword-and-sandal epics to blood-and-boobs entertainment (to paraphrase a line from Adrian Goldsworthy). The story starts with the end of the emperor Marcus Aurelius’ reign and focuses on his […]
A note from Mark Twain, to help put the animated comments of the day in perspective. Heated moments when dealing with elections are nothing new… I’ve been reading books with the boys this year that tie into their history studies. We spent a day on Chapter 13 of Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King […]
There’s always plenty to enjoy in the Asymptote journal, but I wanted to recommend two articles in the October 2016 issue. The first is a scene from György Spiró’s Prah. I’m a huge fan of what I’ve read so far by Spiró. I’ve posted on his play The Imposter and really need to post on […]
Heal Your Child From the Inside Out: The Five-Element Way to Nurturing Healthy, Happy Kids by Robin Ray Green Hay House: 2016 A little bit of shameless self-promotion. Or rather promoting my wife’s book, which is being released tomorrow… I can’t improve on the work she’s done, so please check out her page on the […]
Once again, I apologize for the silence. I’m dealing with an intense amount of pain that just doesn’t seem to lessen…it just changes forms. Speaking of which, are there novels that deal with intense physical pain more than just in passing for a character? Not that I want to read it, now or ever. Mental/emotional/psychological […]
I think it’s clear I’m a huge fan of the Landmark Ancient Histories edited by Robert B. Stassler. For anyone else wondering what is forthcoming in the series and the timing, I stumbled across this note posted by Mr. Stassler to a query on an Amazon.com board: I am very much alive, and up to […]
Well, August has been anything but fun…two trips to the hospital and some surgery, for starters. Hopefully the pain levels will recede and I’ll feel like reading and posting again soon. I apologize for the break but I’ll get going again soon.
It will be a little bit before I write on Marketa Lazarová by Vladislav Vančura, but I wanted to share something I stumbled across yesterday. Someone (I’m assuming Stefano Leone, who posted it) paired Joy Division’s “Shadowplay” with scenes from Marketa Lazarová, a stunning combination. The scenes are as haunting as the song. Speaking of […]
There are some movies currently streaming online that I wanted to pass along to readers. First up is Coriolanus available for free to Amazon Prime members. Directed by and starring Ralph Fiennes while John Logan adapted the play for the screen. I was impressed by the whole production, which was as troubling on the screen […]
After swearing I’d never work for another startup company, I’ve agreed to work half-time for another startup. I think we all know what half-time will actually mean, though. Plus I’ll continue homeschooling the boys. How all of this is going to work I have no idea. I guess I was worried that I was becoming […]
Last night I went to see the movie version of Romeo and Juliet presented by the Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company. It was a little eerie being one of only four people in a sizable movie theater watching this marvelous production, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Richard Madden was solid as Romeo, showing progress from self-absorbed […]
If anyone else in the San Francisco Bar area is interested in seeing The Lowest Pair at Doc’s Lab on September 8th, drop me a note here or via email (see my Profile). I’d love to meet up with some of you and enjoy the evening together. I know…bluegrass/roots music isn’t for everyone, but this […]
Anatomy of a Soldier by Harry Parker Knopf, 2016I was intrigued enough by the premise and approach of this book to overcome my reluctance in reading current fiction. The novel tells the story of Captain Tom Barnes, a 25-year-old British army captain stationed in Afghanistan (the location is not specifically named but it’s clear where […]
Not All Bastards Are From Vienna by Andrea Molesini Translated from the Italian by Antony Shugaar and Patrick Creagh Grove Press I don’t read much current fiction. The current releases I usually focus on are usually either nonfiction or recent translations of older books. I’ve been holding off posting on a few recent releases that […]
I remember running across St. John’s College’s website in the late 1990s and being inspired by the reading list they provided. THIS was the liberal arts education I wished I had gotten. It inspired me to take my reading more seriously. This blog, for better or worse, was one eventual outcome. Gil Roth at Virtual […]
While I’m posting on things happening in San Francisco this week, I don’t want to forget to mention “Archive Live by The Collected Works.” The Collected Works is one of my favorite theater groups (better described as collaborative artists) in the San Francisco Bay area, and I’ve mentioned them before after seeing “Princess Ivona” by […]
A few years back I had posted on Melanie O’Reilly’s song “I Lose Myself”, inspired by James Joyce and the Irish myths that inspired him. I wanted to pass the following flyer along to those in the San Francisco Bay area who may be interested in what sounds like a fun Bloomsday event: Bloomsday is […]
While we’re on the topic of Don Quixote, I wanted to mention Terry Gilliam’s umpteenth try at filming a movie based on Cervantes’ book. There are many articles available, but here are two I liked: Terry Gilliam on finally filming Don Quixote: ‘Adam Driver is bankable! Thank God for Star Wars!’ and Video: Watch Terry […]
Don Quixote’s Profession by Mark Van Doren New York: Columbia University Press, 1958. Print. Drawings by Joseph Low Mark Van Doren in Quiz Show, answering a question about the meaning of Don Quixote: “It means, if you want to be a knight, act like a knight.” My great friends do not know me. Hamlet in […]
Lunatics, Lovers and Poets: Twelve Stories after Cervantes and Shakespeare Edited by Daniel Hahn and Margarita Valencia Introduction by Salman Rushdie Los Angeles: And Other Stories, 2016. Paperback.Links: Introduction by Salman Rushdie at the NewStatesman “The Dogs of War” by Juan Gabriel Vásquez at the Irish Times “Shakespeare, New Mexico” by Valeria Luiselli in Guernica […]