Love me some Roethke as well. This was a hard choice for me to pick out something specific.

Yup, that's exactly how I feel too. When it was decided we'd do it, I was like, "Good, I liked what I've read of this." Now, I'm telling everyone I know to read it, because it's amazing, and I'm shocked by it's brilliance.

That doesn't start with a D!

I'm totally with you. I love the idea of self-reinvention metaphorically represented in an actual transformation.

False and false. I actually deliberated about what to give it, and tried really hard to find some redeeming qualities. The book is really just that bad. I didn't assume anything going in, thank you very much.

I honestly had no idea it was one of their song titles. It's still a terrible line and makes no sense.

Those two ladies are awesome, aren't they? This has been so much fun to do.

But what do you make of the "end" of Rose's story? What does the heart represent? I'll admit, it turned me off a little to her storyline here because I couldn't quite tell what it was getting at. Has Desire "freed" her somehow? Thoughts?

I don't think it's too risky. From the notes in the annotated Sandman, it seems like Gaiman is a bit of a micromanager when it comes to the art, so I could totally see him wanting some connection like this.

Yeah, I couldn't list all of his co-written works, but I'm sure they're real pleasures.

When I was a small child I had a recurring dream where every night a witch stole me out of my crib to kill and eat me. Not the best thing to go to bed to every night.

Yup, and what's interesting is how "the transition of authority" is also an issue in Fables and Reflections - in that you have multiple stories of Kings (again, "boys") trying to keep their power. The big distinction is that F&B is all about (failed) attempts at preservation, where here it's more about dealing with…

He didn't. George Cruikshank was his illustrator for many books. And yes, @avclub-fc0917d88195961172274194b3525c14:disqus , I am in fact a cat.

He didn't. George Cruikshank was his illustrator for many books. And yes, @avclub-fc0917d88195961172274194b3525c14:disqus , I am in fact a cat.

My knowledge of Roman history is pretty much confined to Caesar's writings on the Gallic Wars and Tacitus, so I'm happy to cede the point about Livia. It doesn't change my impression of "August," though.

My knowledge of Roman history is pretty much confined to Caesar's writings on the Gallic Wars and Tacitus, so I'm happy to cede the point about Livia. It doesn't change my impression of "August," though.

Sorry! It won't happen again.

Sorry! It won't happen again.

@avclub-e95a45d0b1f5afdf0ab9cde82b4b1d06:disqus Good to know. I'll have to revisit this conversation after I've gotten through it.

@avclub-e95a45d0b1f5afdf0ab9cde82b4b1d06:disqus Good to know. I'll have to revisit this conversation after I've gotten through it.