Francis James Child

It just would turn out that Child was an American and was late 19th century. It also just would be the case that he collected things that had already been collected and has been said to have a third eye or sixth sense that enabled him to ensure that what he collected was truly old. … More Francis James Child

Skjaldesang

At last I have found this skjaldesang, a medieval ballad I have been looking for for years. It is apparently not medieval, though it may sound so. The melody is old, but the words are nineteenth century and the author is Grundtvig. It is a nationalistic and pedagogical text nostalgic for the time of Kings … More Skjaldesang

Aftershocks

Not only is there now much more Spanish literature than there was at one time; what used to exist has become more interesting. Within my memory there were exam questions such as, “Discuss idealism and realism in the Spanish soul, citing examples from relevant literary texts.” In Catalan class the questions had only marginally more … More Aftershocks

Ramón Llull

I am now studying the literature of the Iberian Peninsula so as to teach it and there is a lot to know that I did not. Ramón Llull knew classical Arabic and wrote his first book and other texts in it, for instance; he had learned Arabic so as better to convert the infidel, just … More Ramón Llull

13 Bak’tun

As we know, I have taken the opportunity of the new Bak’tun to consider that we have a dawning of sorts, and to consider that it is as though the Twins had been resurrected and we were all back from Xibalba. This means that the blog topics have shifted from can I speak? and how … More 13 Bak’tun

Posts of the week

Another great post on guns. Castrated existences. Material on my novel in this post and an echo here. Daily Kingfish, Lamar White, and Lamar’s links. Louisiana children and teens up for adoption now. Had I not committed to this book project, were I five years younger and so still eligible, and were I just slightly … More Posts of the week