Jeffrey Eugenides in the February 5, 2018, issue of The New Yorker has a short story entitled "Bronze."  In the story, Eugene, an aspiring poet, translates the Roman poet Horace's boastful final poem in his third book of Odes, Exegi Monumentum Aere Perennius, thus: I have made a monument more lasting than bronze And higher than … Continue reading It Ain’t Braggin’ If You Can Do It

When my brother John died, I inherited part of his stash of books by his favorite authors: Elmore Leonard and Larry McMurtry.  I recently finished Pagan Babies by Elmore Leonard.  The Leonard book that I previously reviewed was The Hot Kid which rehearsed the Raylan Givens character from Justified in the form of Carlos Webster, … Continue reading Book Review: Pagan Babies

Guillermo del Toro loves to make lovable monsters.  The Shape of Water features a love story between a webbed, gilled, bioluminescent merman and Eliza, a numinous mid-century mute, played by Sally Hawkins. At one point, Eliza says of her merman-sel in distress, "“All that I am, all that I have ever been, brought me here to … Continue reading Movie Review: The Shape of Water