Elinor Nauen

Oh damn, it happened so fast, oh damnit to hell Babs, what are you doing dying on us? I keep thinking of your sharp wit, your Arkansas drawl, your complete acceptance of who you are, your hilarity, how you made yourself into the charismatic singer of Homer Erotic, of you as one of the Joans of Arc in our play from 1979, of how rare & pleasing it was to truly surprise you, how long we've all known each other, another bit of the texture of our world thinned out. Yes yes I know it happens & will keep happening but so what. This is now.  Read More 

Dych chi eisiau afal neu lemon?*

Eich bod yn synnu fy mod yn siarad eich iaith mor dda!**

DuoLingo launched their Welsh course this afternoon & I was one of the first people to sign up. I already know the days of the week & some greetings, although the words are pretty mushy in my mouth.

I remember going to visitmy relatives in Cardiff, and Aldwyn insisting I try to use Welsh, so I dutifully told the taxi driver I was going to 4 Llanfair road in as clicky a Welsh accent as I could manage.

The driver shrugged: Never heard of it.

It's a big street! It's right off of Cathedral Parkway!

I gave in & said "lan-fair" & he said, Oh! and took me right there.

* Do you want an apple or a lemon?
** You are surprised I speak your language so well! OK, I got this one from Google translate. It's the one sentence the brilliant & hilarious Barbara Barg knows in a dozen languages.

My friend Bob, whose birthday is today, notes that he shares it with Madonna, but is more interested in pointing out that August 16 was the day three kings died:

* Robert Johnson, King of the Delta Blues Singers
* Babe Ruth, Sultan of Swat
* Elvis Presley, King of Rock & Roll, or simply The King. Which makes me remember that Barbara Barg (who's from Arkansas) wanted to make a t-shirt with his picture & "I speak the King's English."  Read More