It is hard not to think of Nebraska without thinking of its greatest writer. Here is a marvelous piece by Capote, Remembering Willa Cather . I remember seeing a stage production of O Pioneers! and being deeply moved by its raw emotions. I had read My Antonia before, and soon found myself hooked, like Capote was by the simple elegance of her prose and the way she was able to evoke so many feelings through her characters. Much of it came from the fact that she had lived those experiences herself. Her father dragged the family from Virginia to Nebraska in 1883, when it was still a young state, settling in the town of Red Cloud. named after one of the great Oglala chiefs. Red Cloud was still alive at the time, living on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota, in the aftermath of the "Great Sioux Wars" of 1876-77. I don't know whether Cather took any interest in the famous chief, although it is hard to imagine not. Upon his death in 1909, he was eulogi
Scary. Seems Clint stole the show last night with his debate with the chair ; )
ReplyDeleteFortunately I missed that one, too.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, as theater it was pretty good. One of the best things to come out of this crappy convention.
ReplyDeleteAnd apparently the first thing people on prime time got to see on t.v. For someone as controlling as Romney, I would assume heads would roll. Pretty funny when you think about it.
ReplyDeleteI like the "empty chair" meme that's floating around as a result. Maybe the empty suit could sit in it.
And in case anyone missed this (I regret not watching the entire week):
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mediaite.com/tv/jon-stewart-basks-in-the-glory-of-clint-eastwoods-awesome-speech-while-tearing-apart-romneys/
Here's Mitt suffering through a chat with a gay Vietnam war veteran,
ReplyDeletehttp://www.upworthy.com/mitt-romney-accidentally-confronts-a-gay-veteran-awesomeness-ensues
So good!
ReplyDeleteThis is where policy affects real people. All he seems to be ultimately asking for is the equal right to have his partner/husband recognized by the government when it comes to pensions, hospital rights, and burial. Why is that so difficult to grant someone who has served in the military? What the hell's the difference as he says.
It's also interesting to listen to Romney trying to make small talk with someone his own age -- let's see ... while you were (probably drafted) in Vietnam I was in college and then off to serve my church for two years. Talk about worlds apart.
Since this is a meandering thread I started a book today called Savage Continent a history of europe in the years right after WW2.Really good book so far 75 pages in.A Brit author named Keith Lowe wrote it and it's very readable.bosox
ReplyDeleteI read Dark Continent a few years ago by Mark Mazower which took in the pre-war as well as post-war conditions of the Continent. It was very good as he laid out the reasons why Europe adopted a socialist path after WW2. There is also Tony Judt's Postwar, which I've been meaning to read.
ReplyDeleteTony Judt's Ill Fares the Land is a remarkable book.
ReplyDeleteA meander into Russia:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tnr.com/blog/plank/106969/putin-flies-birds-jumps-the-shark
Good one, av! Shared it with my buddies from the old Russia and Eastern European forum.
ReplyDeleteTwo faced is a good way to describe Romney, as he backtracks once again on tax cuts and repealing Obamacare,
ReplyDeletehttp://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/romney-says-won-t-cut-taxes-wealthy-americans-144438996--election.html
http://news.yahoo.com/romney-says-likes-parts-obamacare-131040341--finance.html
As several commentators have pointed out, he'd have a hard time repealing some of the more popular parts of the plan once people start getting used to having the benefits of more equitable access (e.g., like me).
ReplyDeleteNot sure what the heck he's talking about re taxes. I guess his point is he'll lower rates, but close (undisclosed) loopholes so the rich will continue to pay the $$ amount that they do now. Like a shell game: Don't look there -- listen to what I say. And whatever you do, don't look at MY taxes.
I sure hope people are paying attention.
I think they are. Seems Reuters is polling a sustainable "bounce" from the Democratic Convention, which is why Romney is reversing himself once again.
ReplyDelete