HOW IS ALAN BRAY SO AWESOME??? I’ll write a real post on The Friend soon, but for now, just know that I’m in love with this book. As Mark Shea would say, “Check thou it out!” Read more

THE CIA AND THE NEW CRITICISM: …Norman Holmes Pearson, formerly an instructor in the English Department at Yale University before becoming a major element in the OSS, was wholly approving. As a student of literary criticism, he was naturally attracted to the subtleties of a text-based system that put a crucial emphasis on recognition of thematic and structural patterns. New Criticism, as the practice was called at Yale, concerned itself not with literary history and the personality of authors, but... Read more

My philosophy? Metaphysics. What is metaphysics? There’s a long, complicated explanation for that question. But to make it simple: A metaphysician doesn’t believe you’re dead when you die.—The Dead Talk Back Yes, I’m watching MST3K on YouTube. I’m reminded of the friend of mine who did interviewing for prospective Yale students. One eager little high-school senior said he wanted to study physics–at which point my friend got a devilish grin and asked, all atremble with temptation, “Have you ever heard... Read more

FOLLOW SALAM PAX ON TWITTER. (Who? “I became the profane pervert Arab blogger….”) Read more

UPLIFTING: Over the weekend I watched Up in 3D. It was fantastic! (Very mild spoilers follow.) Really, one of the best children’s movies I’ve ever seen–maybe even second-best after the indescribable Last Unicorn. I’d say it’s tied with The Great Muppet Caper. It’s a beautiful story of love and grief, of fulfilling one’s dreams and sacrificing them, of hope and wanderlust and discovery and homecoming. I think maybe the Kevin-the-bird arc is the subplot which defines the movie’s heart: Obligations... Read more

EATING PEOPLE IS WRONG. Proving too much? Read more

She said to herself, “Is not the gown the natural raiment of extremity? What nation, what religion, what ghost, what dream, has not worn it–infants, angels, priests, the dead; why should not the doctor, in the grave dilemma of his alchemy, wear his dress?”—Nightwood Read more

IT’S THE FEAST OF ST. ONUPHRIUS, which should be my chance to show you guys the stark Ribera portrait. Google image search turns up only a bunch of art-print-on-demand sites, but you can at least get the basic idea. Also, David Bowie sketchbook time!!! My immediate thought with the Seth sketch was, “Whoa–William F. Bowie!” Read more

No one could intrude upon her because there was no place for intrusion. This inadequacy made her insubordinate–she could not participate in a great love, she could only report it.—Nightwood Read more

THE SEASONS COME, THE SEASONS GO: Notes about various things which have spanned my personal, furry-book boundary between spring and summer. In roughly chronological order. Edmund White, The Married Man. At least one reviewer believed this to be White’s best book. I can’t imagine how that could be true. It’s a fairly standard account of gay love and death, enhanced by a few terrific turns of phrase and obviously by the subject matter, and nearly destroyed by a midsection devoted... Read more