So who would you have over for dinner? Assuming, of course, that you could have anyone from history and that there was no language barrier. You can only have ten guests, though. That’s a rule. Here’s my list: Servilia (see “Chickpea,” below, for her biography)Benjamin FranklinFrederick the GreatCatherine the GreatVoltaireTalleyrandOscar WildeShakespeareBenvenuto CelliniAlcibiades It’s weighted toward […]

Lately I’ve had to write Kansas/Nebraska chapters. Anyone who’s actually driven through the American heartland will know what I mean by this. Kansas and Nebraska— especially Nebraska— are places the motorist must to suffer through in order to get to somewhere actually interesting. Books can have a similar geography. Sometimes, in order to go somewhere […]

The new series of HBO’s Rome is upon us, something I’ve been awaiting with great anticipation. But it brings again to mind the business of Latin names. Say you are visiting ancient Rome. A bunch of men come up to you, and one of them says: “Hi. I’m Stick. These are my friends Pretty-Boy, Piggy, […]

Kathy’s university sends her home for the period between Xmas and New Year’s Day, so that’s the time we often devote to a major Home Improvement Project. This time we decided to repaint the kitchen. Followed by the master bath, if there was time and if we were still speaking to each other. The kitchen […]