Montaigne and Thoreau: Idle Joy

I have enjoyed a leisurely weekend for the first time in several months. On Thanksgiving Day, I expressed gratitude to friends and family, but I stayed home. I slept late, drank coffee, made a simple breakfast, and read Kazantzakis's Zorba the Greek, to admire the dyonisian main character and to break with my overly apollonian … Continue reading Montaigne and Thoreau: Idle Joy

Glück: Quiet Evening

I am thoroughly enjoying these autumn evenings reading Louise Glück's Meadowlands (1996). Her poems weave the story of Penelope, Odysseus, and Telemachus into the life of a childless, contemporary couple mired in a strained relationship. They share moments of generosity and pettiness, love and hurt, vindictiveness and remorse, neediness and aloofness, blended with instances of … Continue reading Glück: Quiet Evening

Aguilucho norteño / Northern Harrier

Ayer fue el primer día de tiempo otoñal: brisa fresca, casi fría; sol brillante dorando el follaje que empieza a mudar a tonos amarillos y naranja; cielo cian. Yo salía de nadar en el campus de Brooklyn College y apreciaba esta belleza, cuando un ángel negro sobrevoló la avenida Bedford. ¡Era un aguilucho norteño! Una … Continue reading Aguilucho norteño / Northern Harrier