Paul Bauer > Recent Status Updates

"Power, time, gravity, love. The forces that really kick ass are all invisible."

Thoroughly researched and very well written, Tong Wars captures a largely forgotten chapter in US history. A splendid book!

It's been years since I read Tuchman's Distant Mirror and I'd forgotten what a terrific--and funny writer--she is.

"Just can't dig the natives on this planet." Wm S. Burroughs

I knew De Quincey was fascinated by opium and murder but had no idea his depravity was far worse: He was a bibliophile. "I could not but smile internally at the fair prospect I had of congregating a library which no man had read but myself." Morrison describes rock bottom: "He was entirely indisposed to 'spend upon a tailor', what he had 'destined for a bookseller.'"

St. Laurence (Lorenzo) is often shown being roasted on a gridiron. Legend has him saying, "See, I am done enough on one side, now turn me over and cook the other."

"WHEN ARE YOU COMING BACK AND WHY PLEASE ANSWER." telegram, Ring Lardner to F. Scott Fitzgerald

"She was a moonshiner's daughter but he loved her still."

"Onomatomania (n.) Vexation at having difficulty in finding the right word." A useful word that I'll never remember.

I was surprised to read that the Nazi book burning (20K books) included not just Thomas Mann and Jack London but . . . Helen Keller! The Nazis burned Helen Keller?!

I'm impressed at how much of the technology Clarke predicted. His batting avg sank a bit w/ social advances of the last few decades.

Most of the British entries are 19th century. Does the UK not have a Paul Theroux?

Vollmann spent the first anniversary of 9/11 chewing qat w/ Yeminis.