Quote of the Week

The Anglo-Saxon is losing his grip here; in municipal politics, in urban morals, and in literary fashions he has forfeited his ancient sway. He did not care to breed as abundantly as his rivals; he thought his quality would suffice to maintain his power and prestige; but time has defeated him, and left him the losing end. The homogeneity of stock that produced the New England era in our cultural history is gone; it will be many decades before the later immigrants will equal the style and substance of Emerson, or the grace and dignity of a New England home. A rough interlude of barbaric modes and dialects must intervene while the rising stocks find their voice and poise; but in the end a new race will emerge, perhaps a new language, certainly a new literature. The passionate and artistic Mediterranean types that now mingle with the staid and prosaic Puritans will bring to our future just those elements of character and feeling that we need; a hundred of other people will pour their vitality into the stream; and we shall have a race as rich in its resources as the continent given it to rule, a race possessed of that complexity in unity which a nation must have if it is to inherit and perpetuate the civilization of the world.
--Will Durant, The Pleasures of Philosophy: A Survey of Human Life and Destiny

Book of the Week

Writer Christopher Buckley -- son of the late William F. Buckley -- is no longer writing novels about contemporary political issues -- perhaps because it is increasingly hard for a humorist like Buckley to outdo the humor of real life politics. Instead, he has taken to writing historical novels -- or, if you prefer, novels of alternative history that read like conventional historical novels -- the latest of which is The Judge Hunter.

Like most good novels, The Judge Hunter is too good to spoil so I won't say too much about it. Suffice it to say that the bulk of the story takes place in colonial America during the 1660s and contains a lot of dark humor. As you might guess, little of the plot concerns itself with contemporary political issues though there is one rather obvious Donald Trump reference. Granted, many of the points it makes about colonial America aren't exactly new but to Mr. Buckley's credit, they don't seem stale either.

I also liked Mr. Buckley's previous foray into alternative history -- The Relic Master -- and I look forward to his next novel as well.

Quote of the Week

But what is really meant is Anglo-American culture as the heir to some grand European tradition. Anglo-American culture? That would have been a good laugh to José Enrique Rodó. The influential fin-de-siècle Uruguayan essayist, soul brother in spite of himself to today’s gringo neo-cons doing righteous battle for the values of the West, argued in his Ariel that Latin-American culture was the heir to the grand European tradition and that the natural enemies of these values were the Anglo Americans. Rodó’s argument had history on its side: Latins, after all are descended from Rome; the Anglos, as everyone knows, were barbarians. Chauvinistic nonsense? You betcha.
--Enrique Fernandez, “P.C. Rider,” The Village Voice, June 18, 1991, vol. 36, no 25

¡Feliz Día de los Reyes!

Happy Day of the Kings! Or as they say in other countries, Happy Three Kings Day!

This day is the twelfth day of Christmas, also known as Twelfth Night or the Feast of the Epiphany in some countries. According to tradition, this day marks the anniversary of the visit of the three kings -- aka the three wise men -- to the birthplace of the Baby Jesus. In Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries, these three kings also come this night bearing gifts for the good little boys and girls of the Hispanic world. Why this tradition has not replaced Santa in the eyes of all those Anglo-Americans who are always proclaiming that "Jesus is the reason for the season" is one of those mysteries even the saints themselves cannot solve. Personally, I blame that silly War on Christmas...