Monthly Archives: February 2008

STOPPARD, ALBEE, AND THE MEANINGLESSNESS OF WORDS.

Posted on February 20, 2008 by Philip

STOPPARD, ALBEE, AND THE MEANINGLESSNESS OF WORDS. The article by Ben Brantley I linked to yesterday argues that Tom Stoppard and Edward Albee follow Beckett and Pinter in believing that words are inadequate to communicate. Further, Brantley contends that Pinter … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Theater | 4 Comments

LEARNING SHAKESPEARE’S LINES.

Posted on February 19, 2008 by Philip

LEARNING SHAKESPEARE’S LINES. Ben Brantley writes here about how Tom Stoppard and Edward Albee use words. In the course of the article, he makes a comparison that is very timely for me: He describes how their use of language “makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature, Shakespeare, Theater | 2 Comments

CAN PROUST BE ABRIDGED?

Posted on February 19, 2008 by Philip

CAN PROUST BE ABRIDGED? Of course, I mean can Proust be abridged successfully? (The old law school joke tells of the Vermont farmer who asked if he believed in infant baptism, responded that yes, he had seen it done). I … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 2 Comments

DID PROUST CHANGE MY LIFE?

Posted on February 18, 2008 by Philip

DID PROUST CHANGE MY LIFE? Mary Jane and I loved Alain de Bouton’s HOW PROUST CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE. We gave it to friends. Yet it was not until I heard Laurence Grenier give a couple talks on Proust that … Continue reading →

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CAN A BOOK MAKE YOU CRY?

Posted on February 18, 2008 by Philip

CAN A BOOK MAKE YOU CRY? I posted yesterday on how Laurence Grenier had encountered people who reacted physically to certain paintings. Laurence is interested in this because she herself has had a profound emotional and physical reaction to reading … Continue reading →

Posted in Literature | 3 Comments

JEAN RHYS AND THE EXACT WORD (CORRECTION).

Posted on February 17, 2008 by Philip

JEAN RHYS AND THE EXACT WORD (CORRECTION). I realize I made a mistake here when I said that AFTER LEAVING MR. MACKENZIE began with the words in the title. I looked at the book again, and see that it begins, … Continue reading →

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CAN A PAINTING MAKE YOU CRY?

Posted on February 17, 2008 by Philip

CAN A PAINTING MAKE YOU CRY? Laurence Grenier in the video I linked to yesterday says that she had asked about 150 people the question I raised yesterday: why do you like your favorite paintings? Only Laurence phrases the question … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

WHY DO YOU LIKE YOUR FAVORITE PAINTINGS?

Posted on February 16, 2008 by Philip

WHY DO YOU LIKE YOUR FAVORITE PAINTINGS? We know a remarkable lady, Laurence Grenier, who used to ask people why they liked their favorite paintings. She asked us the question when there were were eight or ten of us conversing, … Continue reading →

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TOLKIEN AS AUDEN’S TOUCHSTONE.

Posted on February 16, 2008 by Philip

TOLKIEN AS AUDEN’S TOUCHSTONE. Frank Kermode in the London Review of Books for February 7 says that, [“Auden’s] devotion to Tolkien was such that any refusal, however polite, to accept that author’s achievement as beyond criticism entailed exclusion from the … Continue reading →

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DID THE ROMANS RESPOND TO ECONOMIC INCENTIVES? (COMMENT).

Posted on February 15, 2008 by Philip

DID THE ROMANS RESPOND TO ECONOMIC INCENTIVES? (COMMENT). I posted here on the question “Was there an ancient Roman economy?” Zenpundit commented that “Rome’s population (actually all of Italy’s) could not have been sustained without a vigorous degree of trade … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, History | Leave a comment