Carpe Diem
“Carpe, carpe diem, seize the days boys”, Keating shouted to his students. “Make your lives extraordinary!” The movie was Dead Poets Society. Keating was played by an extraordinary Robin Williams. And if there was ever a call to action, this was it.
I am writing a book on quotations. I have a chapter called Action Items […]
Faith and Folly
“Each man has his own way of betraying himself.” (Andrew O’Hagan, Be Near Me)
After having met and come away suitably impressed with Scottish writers Andrew O’Hagan and James Meek at the 10th annual Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival in Montreal, I resolved to read and report on at least one book from each.
The first is […]
Proverbs With Nationalist Pretensions
Proverbs tend to be assigned to, ascribed to or claimed by nations or nationalities. Silly really, because proverbs are, by definition, universal in nature. On the other hand, some connections - if somewhat stereotypical - make intuitive sense:
The Tsarina’s breasts yield milk, not wine. (Russian proverb of the upper crust)
You can’t heat a stove on […]
The Writer’s Voice
The 10th annual Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival is over. It was, for me at least, a treasure trove. I always take copious notes when I attend a lecture or panel discussion because I know I will end up dwelling on the more interesting concepts and using some of the ideas as starting points for […]
