What I’m reading: The Death of Ivan Ilych, Montaigne’s essays
What I’m listening to: Pure
What I’m watching: Almost done with the final season of The Wire
What I’m drinking: Yuengling lager
What Rufus is up to: Holding it in, as he refused to crap Saturday evening during the tropical storm that was belting the area. That said, he was willing to brave the elements for a pee-break or two, from which we returned looking like a pair of drowned rats.
Where I’m going: Nowhere, although I really oughtta get into NYC for this Charles Burns exhibition.
What I’m happy about: That my in-laws’ homes didn’t get demolished by hurricane Gustav! (Oh, and that I got a new dishwasher last week. And that when Lowe’s sorta screwed up and overcharged me by $50, they called a few hours later and credited me.)
What I’m sad about: That my pal Tom got mugged in Rome last weekend, and that I got this news five minutes after receiving a not-so-nice letter from the IRS.
What I’m pondering: How and when to rip up all the forsythia in the backyard and transplant 3 or 4 of them in the side yard.
i had to read The Death of Ivan Ilych twice. I have now read numerous Tolstoy short stories and a couple novellas, and I honestly have no idea at all why so many critics think this is great stuff. I’m sure he is a great writer–I’m thinking of his novels, none of which I’ve ever read–but Harold Bloom called Hadji Murat the greatest piece of short fiction in western literature. ???????? It is utterly conventional and did not particularly impress me and … did Bloom not read Heart of Darkness?? Hadji Murat is like an eighth graders work by comparison. I wasn’t real fond of Ivan Ilych either. I’d be interested to find out how it strikes you; i read it back in university so maybe I missed the point.
hey there Gil – go easy on the forsythia – those bushes were among Freddie K’s first “gifts” to us about 38 years ago
I’m hip, but those things are outta control! And this way, they’ll be much closer to Freddie’s house! (if that transplanting takes)
I assume Tom is unhurt, or you would’ve mentioned otherwise?
Yup! He’s peeved, but wasn’t physically injured. And he’s safe & sound in the U.S. of A., where muggings don’t happen.
God bless America!