Morning roundup …

… Courtesy of Dave Lull.

… Uh-oh: Joyce Carol Oates, At It Again.

I tend to agree that Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth ares " minor artists whose work lacks the sort of insight and nuance we expect from major painters." Regarding realism, all involved should consult Stephen Pentz.

… Inside the Angsty, Affirming World of Whisper -- Daily Intelligencer.

If you're older than 25, you may not have heard of Whisper. But the app — already popular among high-school and college students across the country — is quickly becoming the most interesting social network around. It allows people to post anonymous Whispers (photos with a line or two of text overlaid on them, in the style of a Reddit image macro) which can then be "hearted" or replied to by other users. Users can view popular Whispers, Whispers with a common keyword, or Whispers posted from a nearby location.

… ON TRANSLATING KAFKA’S “THE METAMORPHOSIS”.

… Gregor has only himself to blame for the wretchedness of his situation, since he has willingly accepted wretchedness as it was thrust upon him. Like other of Kafka’s doomed protagonists, he errs by failing to act, instead allowing himself to be acted upon. Gregor Samsa, giant bug, is a cartoon of the subaltern, a human being turned inside out. He has traded in his spine for an exoskeleton, but even this armorlike shell (“carapace” and “armor” are the same word in German, Panzer) is no defense once his suddenly powerful father starts pelting him with apples—an ironically biblical choice of weapon.

… The motley Muses: Clio and Her Sisters.

Clio, the demi-goddess in charge of history, is traditionally depicted with a scroll or a book. But as portrayed by [Peter Charles] Hoffer -- a professor of history at the University of Georgia – she is in regular communication with her peers in philosophy, law, the social sciences, and policy studies. I picture her juggling tablet, laptop and cellphone, in the contemporary manner.

… Rowles on Tatum. 

Among Art Tatum's fans was a fellow named Sergei Rachmaninoff.

… Healing and art: WHERE POETRY LIVES: WRITING WORKSHOP FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS.

… A STRANGE UNIVERSALISM Finding the Spiritual in a Murder Mystery.

… I’ve come to realize when I read mysteries there is something of the spiritual running right through it, whether or not there is an explicit religious theme or figure.