… all Saturdays, are the dates of UD’s lecture series on the essay, at the Georgetown Public Library. 1:00 – 3:00.
The Essence of the Essay begins by looking closely at Tatiana Schlossberg’s much-read essay about her impending death, and asking why it was so powerful. It moves on to define the genre, talk about its main categories, and try to account for why it represents arguably the clearest and deepest expression of the singular human voice.
Here are some of the essays we’ll read:
“A Battle with my Blood,” Tatiana Schlossberg
”Aes Triplex,” Robert Louis Stevenson
”On the Assassins’ Trail,” Gore Vidal
”How the Poor Die,” George Orwell
”Return to Tipasa,” Albert Camus
This December 13, in the afternoon (don’t yet know exact time), I’m giving a talk on Jane Austen (it’s the 250th anniversary of her birth) at the Georgetown Public Library. This will be my fifth library lecture – I’ve talked about poetry and James Baldwin there. Please join us!
https://www.dclibrary.org/plan-visit/georgetown-library
UPDATE: The talk (Jane Austen: The Enigma of Her Endurance) will be at 2:00.
Two sights yesterday, on a walk
before tea at the Henley Park Hotel.
A sculpture on a side
door to the Henley Park.
Massed sky on Mass Ave.
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Our tea table, Henley Park.
On her way to her Uber, UD spied
a turtle in her pachysandra.
At Potomac Park, she bought tea
and coffee at this new Italian cafe,
stuffed her backpack with grapes,
Cheerios, toothpaste and dog treats
from Harris Teeter, walked briskly
around residential Potomac Park,
and then Ubered home.
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UPDATE: UD‘s rather – uh –
informal garden turns out to be
a perfect spot for turtles.
Today I was on campus to have lunch
with a Canadian student getting ready
to start law school at Osgoode Hall;
to pick up a student’s final exam from
Disability Support Services; and to
check out a third student’s photography exhibit.
Here the photographer talks about her project:
An image from the show.
On my way back to the Foggy Bottom metro,
purple irises bloomed between buildings.
In a new series, UD will acquaint you with her world, Washington, DC.
Here’s a representative denizen, a fellow Metro passenger this afternoon.
Let me start with what you can’t see: His lapel boasts a large circular button identifying his membership in some political organization – NRA maybe. He doesn’t look like an ACLU type.
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Actually, to UD’s majorly practiced eye, he doesn’t look like a DC resident. He looks like a heartlander in town for a conference (note the luggage).
You also can’t see that his tie is a big splash of red white and blue.
He is young yet portly.
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Now to electronics.
Note that his headset phone’s red circle is all lit up cuz he’s just received a call. The bright circle of red goes around and around and around until he starts talking. Let’s listen in.
Hi yeah. Can’t do it until end of next week after the membership meeting. Now? I’m on the Washington metro to the airport. … Did you get a chance to read that report? Can you believe that stuff? We need to draft a response. Get Betty on it.
He is texting while talking.