Did you see her on Graham Norton? (With John Cleese and the very tall cricket player?) There is something there, something deeper, I think. She has an act and she has a mischievous smile behind the mask. She stood up for herself very well when Cleese was being a sexist jackass and I thought managed to play up the…

Sad, weird story. My dad left a heavy, sad-sounding, message on my voicemail last night and I wonder if he had been thinking about that man. Thanks for your volunteering.

Interesting. I am curious about how his reputation or just place in the zeitgeist there, if you care to expand. 2666 sounds like one to sink your teeth into for sure.

I admit I was taken aback at first by how much Prochnik inserts himself and his family into it. A friend at work who read his Silence and I both think he comes off a bit pompous. However, he really does evoke the time and atmosphere and make me laugh and then nearly cry on the same page. And once he gets into Zweig's…

I think I have a new swear word.

Upvote cuz what the heck?

Some of my artsy friends in high school made fake labels for their jeans that said "Gerbil."

Mostacco. Comcast-o! Kokostan. hee hee I could do this all day.

Putting the Stirling on my list. Thanks.

Oh yeah! I remember you talking about Spirits and it sounded great. I am glad you are finding success.

I don't know anything about it but what you said, obviously, and it sounds fascinating. How many Stanislavskies are there?

Yeah I am completely entranced and now grateful to that German student who befriended him. There is still magic in the world, I guess. Thanks for the rec.

Any hobby clubs you could join? Walking tours? Volunteering? I sympathize. I'm in a weird period where I've shed all my old friends and now hang out with people from work but that has its limitations. It's hard coming home to an empty apartment on Friday night with no one to talk to about my day.

I am listening to "More Moondog" right now and liking it. On the cover of this one, it looks like he died on an Arctic expedition and they just found the body.

How did I never see that one? It has a psychic frog! I can see why it would leave an icky residue.

I've never liked Oates' writing but your description of this book is intriguing me. I'll take a look-see when I go to the library today.

Do you like Peter Carey?

I think that would make you an iguana instead of a gecko.

Whoever recommended An Impossible Exile, thank you. I feel like I am getting an entirely new perspective on between-the-wars Europe. Zweig's philosophy is giving me a lot to think about.

Why do Danish things look so much cooler? I'll put it on my list for when my psyche can take it.