ANIMALES FANTÁSTICOS
“AT AROUND 20 FEET TALL,” PBS SENIOR ARTS Correspondent Jeffery Brown recounts, “they’re hard to miss, brightly colored and intricately designed…. fantastic animals that have their roots in Oaxaca and … Continue reading
MORE DIRTY BOOKS
THERE—THAT SHOULD GET YOUR ATTENTION AGAIN. Who would have guessed Boccacio’s Decameron was once described as “probably the dirtiest great book in the Western canon.” I gleaned this from Barbara … Continue reading
ANTHONY COMSTOCK, CHAUCER’S LITHE-AS-A-WEASEL ALISOUN, AND PERSONAL CHOICE
AN ENLIGHTENED ENGLISH TEACHER ENCOURAGED US to master the first lines of Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales—in Middle English: “Whan that Aprill, with his shoures soote/ The droghte of March hath … Continue reading
ENOUGH ALREADY WITH PENCILS IN KNIFE FIGHTS
JIA LYNN YANG WRITES OF DEMOCRATS in The New York Times, August 15, 2025: “Will the battle over Texas’ gerrymandering lead to a new era for the party?” An interesting … Continue reading
C&SC’S LUST-WORTHY CLASSICS PART 2
YESTERDAY WE BEGAN SELECTING FAVS from Classic & Sports Car’s “29 Sexy Cars for the Masses.” We continue here in Part 2 with others from its list, also accompanied by … Continue reading
C&SC’S LUST-WORTHY CLASSICS PART 1
MY FAVORITE CAR MAGAZINE, THE BRIT CLASSIC & SPORTS CARS, has assembled “29 Sexy Cars for the Masses,” a selection of “lust-worthy classic cars that didn’t cost the Earth when … Continue reading
TRUMP LIES LIKE A RUG
HOW CAN ANYONE TRUST A PATHOLOGICAL LIAR? As Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said, “You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to our own facts.” Succinctly, … Continue reading
ENZO FERRARI TIDBITS FROM THE LRB PART 2
THOMAS JONES’ ARTICLE IN LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS “Lunch With Mussolini” is replete with tidbits continued here in Part 2. A Young Enzo. Jones relates that Ferrari’s first business venture … Continue reading
ENZO FERRARI TIDBITS FROM THE LRB PART 1
I’M OFTEN ENTERTAINED BY THE LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. To cite a few examples, see “Just Because I’m a Librarian Doesn’t Mean I Have to Dress Like One”—Belle Da Costa … Continue reading
PARNELL THOMAS AND SAM SPADE??
GEEZ, HOW IS SAM SPADE LINKED with Parnell Thomas?? Spade was the classic sleuth of The Maltese Falcon, The Kandy Tooth Caper, and numerous other adventures, 1946–1951, recounted these days … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 