15 May
Since it's first appearance in The Red Magazine in 1912, "The Derelict" has remained one of Hodgson's most popular, and reprinted, stories. It's mixture of the sea, science and horror is unique and sets the tone for many similar tales by H. P. Lovecraft (although Lovecraft did not read Hodgson until 1934, long after writing most of his fiction). The story is truly one of Hodgson's best and has also had several audio adaptations as well.
5 Apr
Frank R. Stockton was born on April 5, 1834. The author of many books and short stories, when failing eyesight stopped his writing, Stockton continued his craft by dictating his stories.
Perhaps his best known work is The Lady, or the Tiger? which was debated for hours after being read at a literary meeting.
I leave you with the final line:
Which came out of the opened door,–the lady, or the tiger?
5 Apr
2 Apr
Today, April 2, is the anniversary of the birth of one of my favorite authors, Émile Zola (1840-1902).
At this point I have read nineteen of the twenty Rougon-Macquart novels plus several of his other works. (His excellency Eugene Rougon is the one I haven’t yet read.) L’Assommoir with its character of Gervaise is my favorite. I’ve read it in three or four different translations.
11 Mar
What a great thought, written almost two hundred years ago, by Alessandro Manzoni (1785-1873):
“Bullies, oppressors and all men who do violence to the rights of others are guilty not only of their own crimes, but also of the corruption they bring into the hearts of their victims.”
– I Promessi Sposi by Alessandro Manzoni (The Betrothed, Bruce Penman translation)
16 Feb
After dinner, most people repair to their television sets and begin the process of becoming one with their couches or La-Z-Boys while a host of pundits, would-be stars and celebrities, and announcers with expensive hair-dos fill the hours of their lives with ... noise. Just noise. Nothing much else but noise.
What I do after dinner is sit in my library and read.
6 Feb
Today, Martine and I did something a little different. I was curious to see the NASA Space Shuttle Endeavour, which was on display in a large hangar at the California Science Center in downtown Los Angeles. To get there, we took the relatively new Metro Expo Line from its current end of the line in Culver City to the Expo Park/USC Station.
29 Jan
Take a ride on the moon with Apollo 16 astronauts John Young and Charles Duke in 1972.
6 Jan
Happiness by Carl Sandburg
I asked professors who teach the meaning of life to tell me what is happiness.
And I went to famous executives who boss the work of thousands of men.
They all shook their heads and gave me a smile as though I was trying to fool with them.
And then one Sunday afternoon I wandered out along the Desplaines river
And I saw a crowd of Hungarians under the trees with their women and children and a keg of beer and an accordion.
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