The visitor said he too liked poetry, in particular that of Walt Whitman.
The borrowed book
Such love
I should not have done that. I should not have opened one of the few repositories of mementos I have - an old leather writing case which was once a favourite of my mother's - to look for an appropriately elegant bookmark for a gem of a book I'm reading. The book has a history... Continue Reading →
Melancholy, and books I no longer have
Sources of Joy - Day 70 It may have been gifts of money from Christmas or my birthday, but what I do know is that one day early in 1981 I found myself in a bookstore browsing through piles and chaotic piles of sale items. It was a hot day, and I was nauseous, having... Continue Reading →
Facebook fora and book reviews
I love the fact that translator fora exist on Facebook. I only became aware of this phenomenon this year. Through these fora, I now have contact with people I encountered years ago on a translator mailing list, fellow members of ProZ whom I shall probably never meet in the real world, translators I have met... Continue Reading →
Showered with blessings
Sources of Joy - Fabulous Day 50 Today was a day of very pleasant surprises. Those who know me forgive me for a number of things automatically. These characteristics include a reluctance to accept compliments graciously and an independent spirit which makes it difficult for me to ask for help, or accept offers of help. I... Continue Reading →
Scatterling —published!
Have barcode, will publish Proof that with a bit of help from CompletelyNovel in getting the barcode to appear on the back cover, even techno-eejits like me can self-publish. Scatterling is published! Click on the image below to read online: I hope you enjoy the preview enough to buy your own copy. The format and the print... Continue Reading →
Incidental lyricism
Some poets find poetry in the most surprising places. Translators can also find lyrical bits in dry texts. When I come across them, I sometimes scribble these fragments down. These are gleanings from a few target texts I have produced in the last week, which bear no relation to the general import of the text... Continue Reading →
FlumMoxed
Of course, "flum" does not mean anything, but quite a few of us have been "Moxed". The purpose of this post is to get as many people Moxed as possible. The next mass Moxing will occur at the forthcoming TriKonf 2013 in Freiburg, Germany, 18-20 Ocober 2013, where in addition to attending some excellent workshops,... Continue Reading →
Drawing from life
Some people complain on Facebook about how their housemates do not clean the bathroom. One friend describes it in such graphic detail that I am compelled to remark that what she probably needs to remedy the situation is a soapy hot-water pressure hose. We are playing. We are joshing with each other. She replies that... Continue Reading →
The meaning of invincible
It is a feature of human nature that we more readily accept into our personal realm those with whom we share something in common than those with whom we do not. By reading a book, we accept whatever that book holds into our own space, the space we hold most dear. The fact that Muriel... Continue Reading →
That elusive pair of jeans 