Category Archives: Literature

SIMENON THE TECHNICIAN.

Posted on October 30, 2011 by Philip

SIMENON THE TECHNICIAN. Joan Acocella cites Julian Symons as saying that the Maigret stories were not detective stories because Simenon was not interested in detection. I concede that Simenon is not interested in forensic clues of the Sherlock Holmes kind, … Continue reading →

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A NOBEL PRIZE FOR DETECTIVE STORIES?

Posted on October 29, 2011 by Philip

A NOBEL PRIZE FOR DETECTIVE STORIES? I posted here that I thought that Simenon was worthy of a Nobel Prize. Some think that Simenon did not win the Prize because he was so prolific. He usually spent an intense 10 … Continue reading →

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SHAKESPEARE’S EDUCATION (COMMENT).

Posted on October 26, 2011 by Philip

SHAKESPEARE’S EDUCATION (COMMENT). When I questioned the claim that a commoner could not have written Shakespeare’s plays in this post, Nick commented: “I wish I knew more about education that could be available at the time.” Simon Schama, in this … Continue reading →

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ANONYMOUS—ONLY ARISTOCRATS CAN CREATE LITERATURE.

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Philip

ANONYMOUS—ONLY ARISTOCRATS CAN CREATE LITERATURE. We saw the new movie Anonymous at the New Yorker festival about a month ago. After the screening, there was a discussion with the scholar James Shapiro and the director of the movie. Shapiro’s criticism … Continue reading →

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CAMUS AND SIMENON AND THE NOBEL PRIZE.

Posted on October 22, 2011 by Philip

CAMUS AND SIMENON AND THE NOBEL PRIZE. Joan Acocella had an article in the New Yorker (October 10) about one of my favorite writers, George Simenon. She points out that Simenon had predicted that he would win the Nobel Prize. … Continue reading →

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STEALING A BRIDGE; STEALING A FERRIS WHEEL.

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Philip

STEALING A BRIDGE; STEALING A FERRIS WHEEL. I posted here about the thefts of a building and of a gold bathtub. Nick, who discussed the gold bathtub in one of his standup routines, called my attention to this article about … Continue reading →

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A SIMPLE REACTION TO ULYSSES.

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Philip

A SIMPLE REACTION TO ULYSSES. I had promised Nick my reactions to ULYSSES. I have now finished it. Obviously, it’s a great book, a book I’ve always wanted to read. I enjoyed it. One reaction will seem naive. As I … Continue reading →

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ON COPIA—IS THIS HOW SHAKESPEARE, DONNE AND MILTON LEARNED TO WRITE?

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Philip

ON COPIA—IS THIS HOW SHAKESPEARE, DONNE AND MILTON LEARNED TO WRITE? I posted here about Stanley Fish’s book HOW TO WRITE A SENTENCE which show students and others how to model good sentences on good sentences from great writers. Victoria … Continue reading →

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IS SHAKESPEARE UNIVERSAL? —THE CASE OF FRANCE.

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Philip

IS SHAKESPEARE UNIVERSAL?—THE CASE OF FRANCE. I think of Shakespeare as universal—admired in all cultures. Here is a review (by Lenard R. Berlanstein) of a book by John Pemble, SHAKESPEARE GOES TO PARIS: HOW THE BARD CONQUERED PARIS, which argues … Continue reading →

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FINDING THE SYMBOL.

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Philip

FINDING THE SYMBOL. I posted here about my experience of beginning ULYSSES and feeling that I had entered a world where “every word is meant to have associations and everything is a symbol.” It seems to me that Joyce has … Continue reading →

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