First things first …

 … Getting things started with a book review.

Something to think on …

Since when do you have to agree with people to defend them from injustice?

— Lillian Hellman, born on this date in 1905

Why aren’t the news channels telling you this?

 … U.S. Navy battles attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

Sounds intriguing …

 … John Freeman’s Hit and Run is gorgeously crafted. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Just so you know …

… NASA Predicts Rare Nova Explosion This Summer.

Good news …

… (18) What Exists Exists - by William F. Vallicella.

Q&A …

… An Interview With Grace Paley - Boston Review. (Hat tip, Rus Bowden.)

A poem …

 … The NS Poem: On Rachmaninoff’s Birthday. (Hat tip, Rus Bowden.)

A word for today …

… Succor - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little. Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

The first of twelve books …

 … Once upon a time there was a great flood.

In the beginning…

 … Reading about the first people to walk the Earth.

Lost and found …

… A Legendary Missing World War II Plane Has Appeared in the Jungle After 80 Years. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Something to think on …

What a vast difference there is between knowing God and loving Him.

— Blaise Pascal, born on this date in 1623

Meow…

 … One cat just leads to another: going from Jon to Garfield.

A word for today …

…Zwieback - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

RIP …

… (7) SFGiants on X: "It is with great sadness that we announce that San Francisco Giants Legend and Hall of Famer Willie Mays passed away peacefully this afternoon at the age of 93. https://t.co/Qk4NySCFZQ" / X

Read away …

… Paris Review - Writers, Quotes, Biography, Interviews, Artists.

Better days ahead …

 … Conditions improved for Philadelphia residents.

Turning slower but longer …

 … Music began playing longer on phonographs in 1948.

A word for today …

… Inveterate - Word Daily.

Something to think on …

Public toilets have a duty to be accessible, poetry does not.

— Geoffrey Hill, born on this date in 1933

Let us pra …

 … to the Little Flower —  Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Fire rhem …

 

… Nolte: NYT, WaPo Team Up to Destroy Incoming WaPo Editor

Friends and brothers …

… The odd couple | Jeffrey Meyers | The Critic Magazine. (Hat tip, Dave. Lull.)

A word for today …

… Inveterate - Word Daily.

Required reading …

 … John Hersey (b. June 17, 1914) wrote the book that “everyone able to read should read”

Don’t shoot until you see the white of their eyes …

 … June 17, 1775 — despite their loss, inexperienced forces inflicted significant casualties against the enemy

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Something to think on …

Journalism allows its readers to witness history; fiction gives its readers an opportunity to live it.

— John Hersey, born on this date in 1914

A word for today …

… Eldritch | Word Genius.

Good day for a long walk …

 … It’s Bloomsday, and James Joyce fans are celebrating.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Something to think on …

Loneliness is dangerous ... because if aloneness does not lead to God, it leads to the devil. It leads to the self.

— Joyce Carol Oates, born on this date in 1938

And here’s the evidence …

…Anecdotal Evidence: 'A Poem Calls For a Formal Reading'. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

The importance of noticing …

… Zealotry of Guerin: Poetry and Fiction by Christopher Guerin: Observation.

A wotd for today …

… Amalgamate | Word Genius.

Savor the flavors …

 …  Rich fresh wine of June.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower  — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Influential writer’s birthday …

 …  She would write the book that would start the great war.

Haiku …

 It's a life lesson:

The rose, lovely as it seems,

Might hurt you with thorns.

Jennifer Knox

Jenny Erpenbeck

 

It was not until recently that I became acquainted with the work of Jenny Erpenbeck, winner of this year's International Booker Prize. But these prizes, of course, drive attention. And this in case, for good reason: Erpenbeck's Kairos is a moving, dire, complete novel. 

Part of what I most admired about the book is its symmetry: this is a love story that emerges under the shadow of two distinct German nations and which, perhaps not surprisingly, unravels as those nations become one. And more, it's a story about generations: about a young woman and an older man, and their attempts to bridge the history between them: the Second World War and the transition -- nearly immediate -- to a divided Germany. 

Kairos, the god of "fortunate moments," is just that: the serendipity of social interaction: the random quality of love. For the first part of the novel, Kairos is everywhere: a love born of a fortunate moment becomes a web of fortunate moments, each more poignant and charged than the next. But then, these moments become something else: they represent the weight of time, of promises broken and partnership betrayed. There's considerable pain, loathing, and abuse in the second part of the novel: it's the unraveling of something fueled by passion but also by discretion, infidelity, and secrecy. The emotional pain uncovered by Erpenbeck is pointed, indeed. 

And then, cast over it all, is the geopolitical maelstrom that was the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the eventual unification of the German states. This tectonic moment would test any relationship. But its significance tests this one -- between Katharina and Hans -- more than most because, in East Germany, collaboration was rampant. The result is that no one was truly who they were supposed to be, or who they were understood to be. And thus, when the state collapsed, so did its many unassuming agents, its small army of men and women as brittle, in the end, as the political body they served. Lovers were lovers, but they played many other roles, too. That division is what separates the novel in half. 

This is a sharp, multi-layered, seductive novel: one of history, of love, and longing. I highly recommend Kairos as an entry into the work of Erpenbeck. 

Hero and saint …

…  Review: 'Cabrini' Depicts the Patron Saint of Immigrants.

The bad guys in this movie are the bureaucrats. And they’re pretty bad.

In remembrance of a reluctant astronaut …

 … Rest in Peace: Albert II (d. June 14, 1949)l

Something well worth pondering …

 … The Morning Briefing: The U.N. Is a Terrorist Haven That Needs to Be Abolished.

Something to think on…

I look back into past history, the stored experiences or products of the imagination. I look no further forward than the evening.

—Jerzy Kosinski, born on this date in 1933

Remembering when…

 … It happened on this day in history: June 14, 1777.

I have proof of its presence …

 … On the existence of the soul.

What does it mean to be?

… (18) Plato, Power, and Existence - by William F. Vallicella.

In memoriam …

… Martin Amis and the pursuit of pleasure - New Statesman. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Noteworthy event …

 … POTUS addresses the nation on Flag Day.

A word for today …

… Inveterate - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Dawn …

Daybreak

Now is the time 

When darkness fades

And sparrows arrive

In the silence. Before

Things get going again

The joy of travel 0 …

…(18) Italian Adventure Part ll: Death, Weddings, and Florence..

June Poetry at North of Oxford …

 … Three Poems by Robert Tremmel.

… Where The Yellow Rain Falls by Emma Grey Rose.

… Real Beauty Rarely Glitters by Gwil James Thomas.

… second coming By Allen Seward.

Another word …

… Tyro - Word Daily.

In search of lost times …

 … Study hall and lunchtime in the high school library.

Hmm …

… Jesuit Plots - The American Conservative. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

 

I am myself Jesuit-trained, but i often find Pope Francis underwhelming.

On the occasion of the poet’s birthday …

 … Surely the Second Coming is at hand.

A word for today …

… Latitudinarian | Word Genius.

Let us pray …

… to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese- Full Prayer.

And so it goes…

 … This is the Hour of Lead —

The price of liberty …

 … Two exceptions to amnesty were to be hanged.

Mostly talk …

 … Snippets: Ethan Hawke’s Biopic about Flannery O’Connor. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Something to think on …

A man is whole only when he takes into account his shadow.

-— Djuna Barnes, born on this date in 1892

Fright night at the movies …

 …  Shooting begins on history-making horror film.

In search of lost time …

 … Archeologist makes history on June 2, 1981.

A word for today …

… Lyceum - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

That celebrated jumping frog story …

 … Time in California’s Gold Country started writer’s career.

Patriots or Traitors?

 ….  Committee of Five will change the course of history.

The thing is…

 … The thing is…

History and fashion …

… Facing the Facts - The American Scholar. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

The night is alive…

 … In spite of everything, the stars.

A fresh look …

… Inside the mind of Franz Kafka - New Statesman. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

A word for today …

… Evanesce | Word Genius.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower —  Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Wild game …

… Forfeits and Beer - BallNine.

They’re in the Army now!

 … Important proposal in 1775 (and starting over in 2024)

Politically diverse …

 … I  Heard Ol’ Neal (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Sharper edges …

 … Mark Twain’s Inconvenient Truths.

Serenity …

 … Robert Smith, Bill Wilson, and “one day at a time” in 1935.

Something to think on …

The media ignores what is really going on.

— Nat Hentoff, born on this date in 1925

A word for today …

… Burgeon - Word Daily.

RIP …

…; Celebrating David Boaz: A Luminary of Liberty, A Champion of Progress - FEE.

This is big …

 … 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Acknowledges Plaintiffs’ Claim that COVID-19 mRNA Jab is NOT a Vaccine, But a Therapeutic

What is this world coming …

… UCLA Students Sue Over Appalling 'Jew Exclusion Zone' | Newsmax.com.

Maye somebody shoukd the First Amendment.

Another word …

… Univocal | Word Genius.

A word for today …

… Percipient - Word Daily.

The enduring question …

 … Have you no sense of decency?

Road trip …

 … Weekend adventure in Hannibal, Missouri.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Something to think on …

Historians are to nationalism what poppy-growers in Pakistan are to heroin-addicts: we supply the essential raw material for the market.

— Etic Hobsbaum, born on this date in 1917

Warming to hus subject …

… How to Roast Yourself in Five Different Ways.

Scary …

… Postscript to Lost Neighbors by A. M. Juster (Michael J Astrue) - Scottish Poetry Library. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Getting underway …

 … Mark Twain took a famous ride on this day in 1867.

Coincidence? Hmm…

 … A memorable day when the clocks were striking thirteen.

Being alive …

… Zealotry of Guerin: Poetry and Fiction by Christopher Guerin: The Spot.

A word for today …

… Clerisy - Word Daily.

Something to think on …

I believe in God, only I spell it Nature.

— Frank Lloyd Wright, born on this date in 1867

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Once upon a time …

 …  Do you remember this home entertainment innovation?

Past, present, and future …

… Lee introduces resolution (and I refocus on my bucket-list)

Our town …

… Paul Davis On Crime: In Philly, Even The Cops Get Robbed.

Visiting a masterwork …

… A Great Rock in a River. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Something to think on …

We are each other's harvest; we are each other's business; we are each other's magnitude and bond.

Gwendolyn Brooks, born on this date in 1917

Sure seems that way …

 … It’s Time to Make a Strategic PR Pivot in Dealing with the Climate Change Issue.

Unless we incorporate sophisticated communication techniques and effective PR strategies, we will lose the AGW war — and that’s the direction we are heading

A word for today …

… Eidolon - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flowe — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Hmm …

… 51pdYMUyjDL._SL1600_.jpg 530�960 pixels. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

How sad …

 … The Philadelphia Free Library’s whole Author Events staff has resigned over workplace conditions. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.) 

I know Andy Kahan. He used to ask me to introduce authors. Great guy.

William Blake …

 … Earth’s Answer.

A review of reviews …

… The classical temper: A study of James Joyce's Ulysses: Goldberg, S L: Amazon.com: Books. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Time for some crime …

… Paul Davis On Crime: My Crime Fiction: 'Moretti The Money Man'.

Another word…

… Synecdoche - Word Dailyl

A poem for today …

 … Milo De Angelis — The Sounds That Arrived.

Scholarly satire …

 …. ‘Loud-mouthed bully’: CS Lewis satirised Oxford peer in secret poems. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

“Lewis took an immediate and intense dislike to Wyld, partly because he considered the content of the lectures to be elementary and self-evident. But he also objected to Wyld’s manner: his snobbery and tendency to harangue his audience for coming in late, not concentrating and not knowing the answers to the questions he fired at them.”

Let’s all go to the snack bar…

 … Let’s all go to the snack bar…

A word for today …

… Exiguous | Word Genius.

Something to think on …

Laughter is a sunbeam of the soul.

— Thomas Mann, born on this date in 1875

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower —+Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

But being men

 … Out of the chaos would come bliss.

Never caught a rabbit …

 … He put every part of his being into his performance.

Something to think onn …

• As regards plots I find real life no help at all. Real life seems to have no plots.

Ivy Compton-Burnett, born on this date in 1884

A poem by Robert Francis …

 … Remind Me of Apples. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

A word for today …

… Kawaii - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Hump day …

 … Officer departs NY with orders to buy camels for Army.

Ecumenical Blake …

 … The Divine Image.

A word for today …

… Adduce | Word Genius.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Blogging note

 I won’t be blogging for a few days.

My iPad only works in my new apartment, and I’m not moving in there until later in the week

Spare us the nonsense, sir …

 …  Eric Clapton Discovers the Secret: Israel is Running the World.

A Divine Image …

 … Cruelty has a human heart and jealousy a human face.

One if by land (and two if by land) …

 … “Paul Revere of the South” began his midnight ride.

A word for today …

… Cloven | Word Genius.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

Something to think on …

I had a moment of clarity, saw the feeling in the heart of things, walked out to the garden crying.

— Allen Ginsberg, born on this date in 1926

The first one of too many …

 … Bishop tried for witchcraft was found guilty and hanged.

Nabokov reconsidered …

… The Lamp Magazine | Except as Smut. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Cosmic irony …

 … Poem to be read the occasion of the poet’s birthday.

Something to think on …

To dwellers in a wood, almost every species of tree has its voice as well as its feature.

— Thomas Hardy, born on this date in 1840

Word for today …

… Ethos - Word Daily.

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower —+ Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.

RIP …

… John Burnside, author of Black Cat Bone, dies aged 69 | Books | The Guardian. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)

Please bear with me …

 I am in the process of moving out ofbmy house and into a firstfloor apartment on the next block. Blogging must again take a back seat.

The magic of waves …

… Zealotry of Guerin: Poetry and Fiction by Christopher Guerin: Pentwater.

And so begins another month …

 … And what is so rare as a day in June?

Something to think on …

God warms his hands at man's heart when he prays.

— John Masefield, born on this date in 1878

A word for today …

… Syncretism - Word Daily,

Let us pray …

 … to the Little Flower — Miraculous Invocation to St. Therese.