crates | June 30, 2009
Fujiwara Teika (1162-1241) is considered by many to be the preeminent Japanese poet. As a poet, diarist and critic, his influence on premodern Japanese poetry is unsurpasssed. His poetry specialized almost exclusively in the waka, the dominant lyrical form of the Japanese classical period, a five-line poem consisting of thirty-one syllables, arranged in measures of five syllables, then [...]
crates | May 7, 2009
I have a bad habit of buying books. Really it is the only bad habit that of mine that I can think of –unless it is overweening modesty (cough). The reason this is a problem is that I have no more room for books. All my bookshelves are full, and I have boxes of books [...]
crates | April 16, 2009
The unexamined life is not worth living. Socrates, in Plato, Dialogues, Apology Greek philosopher in Athens (469 BC – 399 BC) I am reading Peter Pouncey’s book, Rules for Old Men Waiting, enjoying the wonderful writing and the images and thoughts that were evoked. I got to thinking about how difficult it is today to [...]
crates | March 31, 2009
I was reading this incredible book (God’s Demon by Wayne Barlowe) about the demons of hell and the story of one demon who attempted to regain Heaven and I came across this character called Lilith. I had heard of Lilith before, of course, but I really knew nothing about her. Much has been written about Lilith. There [...]
crates | March 28, 2009
Long ago I read an early English comparison of a man’s life to that of a sparrow, who flies through a mead hall out of a stormy winter’s night. The sparrow is briefly exposed to the light, warmth and safety of the hall before it vanishes back into the night and storm. I have always remembered this and [...]
crates | December 21, 2008
It was with sorrow that I recently read of Tony Hillerman’s death. Mr. Hillerman was of course the author of many fine books, with perhaps the series about the Navajo policemen, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, being his most famous. Hillerman presented these mystery stories in the context of the Navajo culture, showing the difficulties that [...]
crates | March 29, 2008
I just finished a biography of Einstein, Einstein, His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson. I really liked the book which showed aspects of his life of which I was unfamiliar. I was very impressed with Einstein’s child-like qualities, his idealism, his kindness and his wry, self-deprecating humor. Of course I knew he was a [...]
crates | January 2, 2008
Once again I am reading a novel by Tim Powers. A new Border’s Book Store opened up nearby, and I found two of his novels that I haven’t read before: The Drawing of the Dark and Three Days to Never. A few months ago, I talked about reading another of his recent books, Declare, [...]
crates | March 16, 2007
I just got back from seeing “300″ which as probably everybody knows is about the Spartan defense of Greece at Thermopylae. I am not sure if many people in the general population were aware of this battle and if they did, I’m not sure if they realized its significance. I was really looking forward to [...]