PLAYING TO THE GODS: Last week I saw Venus in Fur, at the Studio Theater through July 10. Basic story: Pompous playwright/director who thinks nobody really feels passion anymore is auditioning actresses for the role of Wanda in his adaptation of Sacher-Masoch’s novel (i.e. the one masochism is named for). A blowsy New Yorkeress stumbles across his transom in hooker heels, too late for her audition (which isn’t on the schedule anyway), but insists on reading for him. She is... Read more

“OBJECTS OF ART AND RITUAL OBJECTS.“ Hey, somebody’s writing about the thing I wrote about in this InsideCatholic column! (Also, the National Gallery of Art’s “Sacred Made Real” exhibit–sorry for subscribers-only link–included many “working” artworks which returned home to grace monasteries and get paraded through the streets on feast days.) Stone Owl link via WAWIV. Read more

During an extended visit to Soviet Russia in the Brezhnev era of stagnation, on several occasions I was asked by acquaintances of only a casual nature whether or not I believe in God. Why, I wondered, would anyone on the streets of Moscow in the 1970s care about my personal religious life? This had never been a topic of interest in the United States, except, if ever, among close friends.–from the introduction to Doubly Chosen: Jewish Identity, The Soviet Intelligentsia,... Read more

SEND THIS, GUNS, AND MONEY. I have lawyers in the family already. Via TKB. Read more

LOSING IN FRONT OF YOUR HOME CROWD: I have watched neither Friday Night Lights nor Glee, but I have not been able to get this column comparing the two out of my head. FNL comes across as both better and more countercultural, which does not surprise me. (I do think it’s bizarre that the author reads “everyone moves away from Dillon because it’s a dead-end small town” as a rejection of solipsism–I’m pretty sure she means that since the characters... Read more

Given the findings in this study, it is tempting to idealize the working-class patterns of exchange and reciprocity in an overly individualistic society. But[] the flip side to the positive interdependence is conflict and resentment over whether someone owes someone else a favor. In addition, the concern over reputation and privacy among the working-class respondents was sometimes overwhelming. It is also tempting to idealize middle-class patterns of friendship if one is interested in self-development and the expression of individuality. But... Read more

KITCHEN ADVENTURES: SO CUTE! I had a wee little stuffed potato for lunch, and another for dinner. The basic how-to is here, and I didn’t deviate from that, but of course you can make the filling from whatever you like. The new potatoes I used were about half the size of your basic russet, and the filling was tomato, jalapeno, basil, Greek yogurt, “authentic Mexican” Sargento shredded cheese blend (though I prefer their inauthentic Mexican blend), salt, a bit of... Read more

“She reregistered the apartment in her own name. I’m like the heir or something.” “Then kill her! Have you forgotten how it’s done? Make it look like an accident.” “I can’t. I just got baptized. I made a vow, for the rest of my life.” … “How about this,” Maxim said, interrupting the silence. “I’ll kick her out myself. Then you’ll be off the hook. Where’s your place?”–in which someone volunteers to be a shabbos goy for murder; from Vladimir... Read more

“PHILOSOPHERS,” 1917. Read more

“Keeping your options open is like suicide in tiny, tiny increments.”– Rob Gordon in Nick Hornby’s High Fidelity Via comments here. Read more