Monthly Archives: July 2011

A Slavic Love Story: Hero and Leander Retold

Posted on July 26, 2011 by

Once upon a time, An overbearing father grounded his daughter Hero, a ripening young melon; he exiled her to a maiden’s tower on the edge of the water. But, that didn’t stop the willful virgin from seducing Leander, a gorgeous … Continue reading →

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Our Founders: How Did They Do It?

Posted on July 24, 2011 by

“We hold these truths to be self-evident”—this remarkable assertion begins the Declaration of Independence as written by the founders of our country in 1776 after considerable heated debate and 11th hour compromises on wording. Some few years later, in 1789, … Continue reading →

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Sorghum Justice: Murder and Vengeance in Mexico

Posted on July 22, 2011 by

As he enters the ripening sorghum field, Ramón sees an unclothed girl lying face down her own blood. He takes off his shirt to place it over the girl’s nakedness. He approaches closely: he recognizes her face; it is Adela his … Continue reading →

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The Whale—The Lure of the Sea

Posted on July 17, 2011 by

Wandering through the house with a heavy novel in my hand, I was looking at book shelves and now and then pulling a volume to read the opening lines—I was half way through my yearlong project of reading and re-reading … Continue reading →

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Summer on a Mid-western Horse Farm

Posted on July 14, 2011 by

Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley’s debut novel Barn Blind (1980) is an intimate look at a family in turmoil—Katy and Alex Karlson and their 4 teenage children operate Kate’s horse farm in the mid-west; they are caring for 40 thoroughbred … Continue reading →

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Harold Pinter: Tense Memory Play Recalls Old Times

Posted on July 11, 2011 by

There is no proscenium curtain at the Pigott Theater on the Stanford University Campus. The 200 or so seats in this intimate theater look directly onto the stage. When I attended the Summer Theater 2011 production of Harold Pinter’s Old … Continue reading →

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Looking Back: Vietnam and The Quiet American

Posted on July 8, 2011 by

Graham Green, author of The Quiet American, was a war correspondent stationed in Saigon, Vietnam during the final stages of the Indochina War pitting the French against the revolutionary forces of Ho Chi Minh. Green lived in Vietnam until the … Continue reading →

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