My journey to Ulysses began with another classic of the modern canon: the Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary Collection. I listened to those two CDs ad nauseam, ceasing only when the 30th Anniversary Collection was released. Along with “King Tut” and “Monster Mash,” Allan Sherman’s “Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah!” is one of the more well-known tracks. … Continue reading In Preview: James Joyce’s Ulysses
Books
In Review: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Here come a riddle. Here come a clue. If you were really smart, you'd know what to do. - Talking Heads '77 One lyric that typifies the style and charm of The Decemberists' songbook comes from "Calamity Song," in which a verse begins, Hetty Green, Queen of supply-side bonhomie bone-drab (ya know what I mean?) … Continue reading In Review: Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Review: What’s Bred in the Bone, by Robertson Davies
What’s Bred In the Bone is the second novel in Robertson Davies’ Cornish Trilogy. As anticipated, 1985's WBITB follows the life of a minor figure in The Rebel Angels, Francis Cornish, whose death in the earlier book leaves professors Hollier, McVarish, and Darcourt with the task of sorting through his massive collection of paintings, sculptures, … Continue reading Review: What’s Bred in the Bone, by Robertson Davies
Review: The Rebel Angels, by Robertson Davies
The Rebel Angels is a 1981 novel by Robertson Davies, the first in his Cornish Trilogy. It is a story of scholars and their peculiarities, magic and its realities, and classics and their application to modern man. Sentence for sentence, Davies' prose is unparalleled: clear, expressive, and beautiful. The characters and story lines are delightfully … Continue reading Review: The Rebel Angels, by Robertson Davies
Put It In Your Hat 