George M. Cohan on Olympus
In ancient Greek plays, the chorus would dance, sing, and interact with the actors who were on the stage. The chief character in George M. Cohan’s 1920 play The Tavern…
Cleopatra’s Daughter
No woman from history is more famous than Cleopatra. Her love affairs with Julius Caesar and Marc Antony are the very definition of legendary. But ask anyone about her daughter…
Ancient Roman Pandemic
In the late 1700s, John Wilkes famously responded to an insult in Parliament to the effect that he would die either “of the pox or on the gallows” by saying…
Wonder and Awe
I begin this book review with a quote from Rachel Carson, the great marine biologist and conservationist. What is the value of preserving and strengthening this sense of awe and…
The Soul Resides in the Heart
For Andrea Cesalpino (1524-1603), the soul resides in the heart. All very romantic, but in this edited book about his work, the topic of the heart comes in a chapter…
In Search of the Sublime Sandwich
That is the quest underway in this very quirky play. Entitled Clyde‘s, it is by Lynn Nottage, who has won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice. Clyde’s opened on Broadway…
THE SUMMER OF 1905: Matisse and Derain
The Museum of Fine Arts Houston is hosting a world-class exhibit right now, and it’s not to be missed. Henri Matisse is a household name, Andre Derain less so. But…
Indie Meme Festival Screener
Footprints on the Water I had planned to go to the Indie Meme Film Festival this year but was laid in bed with something wretched. The organizers of this Austin-based…
Ancient Cryptography
This book is a very fine study of the method of sending messages, whether confidential or encrypted, from the very earliest times. Author MartineDiepenbroek (biography below) writes that the “extant…
Ancient Greece and Sir Kenneth Dover
This book looks back on the life and work of the great Classicist, Sir Kenneth Dover. The occasion was the 100th anniversary of his birth: he made it to age…