"God has placed no limit to intellect." (Bacon)

.....One day years ago, while I was teaching a class, in the middle of doing Hamlet's soliloquy in Elizabethan English, in walks a young lady, whom I presume had transferred from another class.  I haven't lost touch with her since.  From the moment I first saw her, I sensed that she was something special; and she was then, and she is now.  I received the following email from her and I will publish it for two reasons. 1) I'm continuing to do what Mark Twain suggested; namely print whatever comes to mind in a day of your life and damn the consequences, and 2) This girl's feelings are indicative of having a teacher who may have more of an impact on a student's life than a parent has.  It happens all the time.  It happened at North Shore H.S. with Phil Bergovoy whose influence with many students of his is incalculable. It happened with Bob Blitz and Al Haulenbeck and Bruce Mooney, and with countless others all over the country.  Don't underestimate the value of a good teacher,  and I don't mean in $s. Without tenure, students will be in danger, for any board member or administrator could fire a good teacher to be replaced by a friend or relation. Tenure is the price a school has to pay in order to insure the classroom presence of the good teacher.

.....Doc I have never seen a DVD of any of your shows, and would LOVE to have a copy of one of your favorites. I will never forget how you brought Shakespeare, as well as many of my favorite poets to life for me (Auden... Pound... Eliot... Oh, there's still never been a poem to surpass "Prufrock," in my humble opinion!).  That first day I walked into your classroom --- in the temporary building off of what, if I recall correctly, was the "J" wing -- you were in the middle of reciting some Shakespearian tidbit (long since forgotten) in that perfect Elizabethan tongue. I was your captive from thence forward!

I may have forgotten what play you were reciting from, but I'll tell you this: Although you never required us to memorize anything, I was so inspired by that class (I was a sophomore at the time), that during those few weeks, I (knowing absolutely nothing of Shakespeare prior and being pretty much a slacker in all other subjects) committed to memory the famous soliloquies from Hamlet and MacBeth, respectively, "To Be or Not to Be," and "Tomorrow, and Tomorrrow and Tomorrow." All you, Doc.

Oh, and long after those days, William Faulkner became one of my favorite authors. My first reading of the" tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury" (this was years after I left high school, but before I began college) brought me back to that classroom once again.

If I never get to say it enough, know that you have been one of the greatest inspirations in my life.

Love, X.

.....I thank you, X, and "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" is at the top of my list as well

"I would that my tongue could utter the thoughts that arise in me." (Tennyson)

.....I just got hold of a copy of Mark Twain's autobiography from our library. It has been on the best seller list for awhile. But I was stunned to see that this volume had over 700 pages, which I suppose is OK, for Twain had a long life--but the text is in Times Roman font of about 9 pts.--which is very, very small and just about unreadable for me. And this is only the first volume! There are three volumes altogether. When did this guy have time to write "Huckleberry Finn" and "Tom Sawyer"? But I found that Mark Twain wrote his autobiography in about the same way I am writing my blog; that is, in no particular order and only when some subject or idea popped into his head. As he put it in June 1906 he had finally found the "right way to do an Autobiography" was to "start at no particular time of your life; wander at your free will all over your life; talk about the thing which interests you for the moment; drop it the moment its interest threatens to pale, and turn your talk upon the new and more interesting thing that has intruded into your mind at the meantime."  Now, if this isn't a pretty good image of a blog, I wouldn't know what is. I call mine a "journal", but it is really a kind of autobiography.

.....So, now that I have found something that I have in common with Mr. Clemens, there is something that we do not have in common. He opted not to publish his autobiography until 100 years after his death--which is now. And his reason is quite logical; "...A book which is not published for a century gives the writer a freedom which he could secure in no other way." This made him free to express unconventional and controversial thoughts about religion, politics, and "the damned human race" without fear of hurting anyones feelings or of ostracism. "None of us likes to be hated, none of us likes to be shunned," he wrote. I, of course, have expressed my opinions and thoughts as has he, but I have ruffled some feathers and bent others out of shape, no doubt. Perhaps I should have waited 100 years before publishing my blog?  Well, I can't wait that long. I feel free enough at the moment to say what I feel. I don't have too many years left, so I need not carry the burden of hurting someone's feelings. That includes Sarah Palin and John Boehner, Becker and Huffington...and who knows; perhaps a reader or two--but hopefully not a friend.


.....But I cannot write too freely with this blog open for anyone to read at any time.  I would have to create an entirely new web address for a new blog and not advertise it. But then, if I do that I would draw the ire of my current readers who would be deprived about not having a blog of mine to read at breakfast in the morning. However, if I publish the new hidden blog 100 years after my death, they could read it then. Thanks, Mark.

"The friends thou hast...grapple them to thy soul with hoops of steel" (Shakespeare

.....Just received permission from Ruthie to publish her response to RH+'s letter.  Since it is quite interesting in learning how an Englishwoman goes about having some fun.  I, for one, did not know that besides her literary talent, she also plays an instrument.

Dear Cuz Rhoda

Thanks for your lovely long email, and for your kind concern for my health.  I'm very pleased to report that at the moment it's improving, and the clouds are lifting.  I only hope it stays that way!

Golly gosh!  You do sound an energetic lady!!  You get so much done in the course of your normal life that I just want to creep away and hide in shame. 

Yes, I did know about the gated senior community in which you live.  For some reason, it was my mother (Mrs Bertha Sokoloff) who told me about it.  How she got to know, I'm not sure, but I expect that one of the Baron's kids told her all about it at the famous Washington Marcovici Reunion.  You might have heard about this great event that took place over a decade ago: Joel and my first cousin Peter Martin discovered the family link and set up the meeting for us all.  There I met the famous four offspring of the Baron, and your predecessor, Thelma, to whom I am related, and heard so much about the Baron that interested me that I was moved to write to him and ask him to be my penpal.  That's how it all started: probably you know most of that already.   It is absolutely the case that the Baron and I have never actually met, and likely as not never will meet.  But we have forged a strong friendship, as you know.

Yes, you do sound as though you lead a very energetic life.  I have no talent or inclination whatsoever for home improvements and interior decor, and I very much envy people who can hack it.   The view from your home to the lake sounds marvellous, however.

As for this marvellous organisation of which you are President - what can I say?  Your work is exalted and very necessary, and all credit to you for doing it.  I just potter along in a more humble way.  I was doing some voluntary work for mentally ill people for a while - conversation and singing songs with them and playing the piano.  I can put in extemporary chords for all sorts of music, mainly by ear.  People say it's clever, but it's really only practice!

Since I started this email, I've received your next email, which was about the Lady Grey tea.  So glad you are enjoying it!  And it's been wonderful to be able to spread the word.

Anyway - back to activities. Last night I felt well enough to go to a folk music session in a pub, and it is good to be back on the scene even though I'm not fully recovered.  Again, I'm on keyboards, and others play guitars, violins, mandolins, and all manner  of instruments.  And we all sing along. Great fun!  Where there is no keyboard, I take my concertina and play chords on that.  To take a keyboard anywhere takes a whole team of roadies, but a concertina you can just throw over your shoulder and get to where the action is on the bus.

We have very good public transport in the city where I live, so it is like a different world from the US where you really need to be able to drive.  I can drive, but my current medication precludes me from doing it, so I don't run a car and I use public transport a lot.  And here in England, it's free of charge for senior citizens.  Free transport - can't be bad!!

I'm so glad you don't have to cook any more!  I still have to do quite a lot: my husband and my youngest son Manny (who lives with us) seem to need quite a lot of feeding, and don't seem to be able to feed themselves.  At Xmas I roasted a turkey, and at New Year, a goose.  Roast goose is yummy: have you ever eaten it?  I wouldn't say roasting a goose is difficult: it's just a bit nerve-wracking as it's very expensive, so it's more of a heartbreak if things go wrong. (Which hasn't happened for many years, you'll be glad to hear!)

Well, tomorrow there is a folk music session at a different pub, and if I feel OK I'll go.  They have a real piano there, so no need to bother with either an electric keyboard or a concertina. 

The big fave activity to which I really would love to resume is writing - poetry and prose.  But, when I'm not well, there is no inspiration and there is no power for execution of the work.  But here's hoping that in time they will return.

With many thanks for your kind correspondence:  stay well!

Cousin Ruth