DIShGo

Celebration by Kool and the Gang is the song that is played ad nauseam at wedding receptions. I would be "happy" if that song is replaced with anything.

I agree that Happy's 15 minutes should be up. But arresting people for dancing? That sounds like something out of a bad Kevin Bacon movie.

It's the song that won't go away (not that I want it to). It made the news again today. Even the president of Iran weighed in on Twitter.

To Don Rockwell. He has been my friend for more than 30 years. I have yet to meet anyone remotely like him.

He is a kind and generous man with a brilliant mind. He is funny and giving. He has had to endure more tragedy in his lifetime than most people I know. He carries on, despite his challenges, and goes out of his way to make every day a little brighter for the people around him.

I wish nothing but the best for Don. I think good things are going to be happening for him soon. He deserves it.

ivory soap once. I repeated something I heard on television. I didn't even know what I was saying.

Spanked with a wooden spoon once, too.

It is incredibly galling in this scene that Paris and Troilus - the two biggest pussies in the Trojan army, are the ones arguing to continue the bloodshed, whereas the older, nobler, wiser ones are counseling against it. Paris is reaping the "honeyed" benefits of a stolen Helen - why would he not want his brothers fighting to protect his purloined muff? Troilus is the most lily-livered of the bunch, being so infatuated with Cressida that his tiny little examples of pre-pubescent doo-dads could easily be mistaken for a couple of Raisinettes. The almost farcical component in this scene is that they're being treated seriously by Priam - seemingly with equal consideration to their far superior comrades who have busted their butts fighting for ... what, exactly?

While I have found this play to be rather dull so far, your commentary has been anything but! Purloined muff and Raisinettes. You are a colorful writer, Don.

It seems odd to me that Troilus is suddenly all gung-ho to fight when throughout the play hasn't seemed to care about the war. Why do you think he is reacting this way? Is he merely saying what he thinks he is expected to say? Is he trying to appear tough to impress Cressida? Do you think Shakespeare meant for this scene to be farcical?

I really liked the fifth story, Passion.

In Christianity, the Passion (translated from Greek, to suffer), refers to the short, final period in the life of Jesus. Similarly, this story deals with the final hours in the life of Neil, the alcoholic, despondent brother of Grace's fiancé. The Biblical theme is further illustrated in the central character's name: Grace. And, when Neil's wife Mavis is being bratty during an after-dinner word game, Gretchen, her sister-in-law says, "What fun. Jesus wept."

Grace, who feels no passion for her fiancé, despite acting as if she does, is drawn to Neil. She misinterprets his intentions that afternoon, wishing his longing were for her. At some point she realizes that Neil is doomed, yet she can't tear herself away. She sees a darkness in him that she recognizes in herself. "..and in the middle of that she had come on this rock-bottom truth. This lack of hope--genuine, reasonable, and everlasting."

"She'd thought it was touch. Mouths, tongues, skin, bodies, banging bone on bone. Inflammation. Passion. But that wasn't what had been meant for them at all. That was child's play, compared to how she knew him, how far she'd seen into him, now."

This story drew me in from the start, talking about going back to visit a place you once knew and fearing you'd find in changed, or worse, not changed at all. Grace, who is supposedly falling in love with Maury, is in fact falling in love with his family, his lifestyle, his home and, particularly, his mother.

A theme I have noticed in all five stories is that one's perception of home is a shifting thing. Grace struggles with thoughts of returning to her aunt and uncle's home, caning chairs for the rest of her life. It is a place that never felt like home to her. When Maury speaks of marriage, she is delighted by the idea of traveling with him, but bristles at the idea of building a home together.

This theme is central to "Runaway" and the trio, as well. In "Runaway," Carla comes to the very sad conclusion that home for her must include Carl. Flora, the little goat, tries, unsuccessfully, to find her way home. Juliet, in the trio, realizes on her visit to see her dying mother that home for her now is with Eric in Whale Bay. For Penelope, home is far away from Juliet.

Munro's writing is exquisite in this story, with beautiful passages I read over and over again.

All the important local critics, eh? Where's Don's profile?

I agree. The local media are threatened by Don's expertise and wish they had his followers.

Have you seen all the nominees in the categories? ....

Haha. This year I was fortunate enough to see all of the films nominated for best picture except Gravity and The Wolf of Wall Street. I really had no desire to see those two.

I watched Blue Jasmine today because Cate Blanchette is favored for best actress for it. I didn't like the film, but her performance was good.

Nebraska and Philomena were two films I didn't expect to like very much and wound up enjoying a lot.

So far I think the awards have been going to the right people. Jared Leto was amazing in Dallas Buyers Club, as was Lupita Nyong'o in 12 Years a Slave. Also, they are both incredibly attractive people who gave wonderful speeches.

I really enjoyed the fifth story, Passion. I am looking forward to discussing it.

And in keeping with our Biblical theme, the next two stories are "Passion" and "Trespasses."

Peter rejected Jesus thrice.

Yes, he did! Excellent observation.

You're absolutely correct that "groupings of three" are significant here, but you missed a biggie.

Chagall is known for his Christian imagery, but not as a Christian (Chagall was Jewish). Many of his works, to me, seem to turn Christianity - and its Holy Trinity - upside down, in this case, perhaps literally.

It is not a coincidence that Juliet's best friend is named Crista, or that Crista's brother's family name is Lamb.

There was no discussion of Juliet and Eric having sex before Penelope was born - in fact, I don't remember *any* discussion of Juliet having sex in this story. Could Juliet indeed be an allegory for the Virgin Mary who lost her child (or, vice-versa)? Note that there's an explicit reference to Eric having had sex with Crista.

There's something in "Runaway," when Flora makes her mystical appearance, that reminds me of The Annunication - a foreshadowing of things to come, in which case it would not be an accident that "Runaway" was placed first in the book, immediately preceding the trilogy.

Actually, I did think of the Holy Trinity as well.

There is a description of Eric and Juliet having sex. It is when he returns home and she is waiting for him after his wife's death.

"He advances on her and she feels herself ransacked from top to bottom, flooded with relief, assaulted by happiness. How astonishing this is. How close to dismay."

I liked that passage.

I think if you grouped all three stories together, the underlying theme is rejection. Real and simply perceived. It begins with the man's suicide, apparently because Juliet rejected his friendship, and ends with Juliet being rejected by her daughter.

Rejection is a thread throughout. She feels rejected by Eric when he sleeps with Christa while she is away. She feels rejected by her parents' love of Irene. Her rejection of religion. Her father is rejected from the school where he taught, apparently for defending Juliet's honor. I think on a certain level she felt rejected by Eric because he did not marry her, although she claimed she did not.

I think Munro chose "I and the Village" as the painting in the second story for a number of reasons. Chagall is said to have painted it because it reminded him of his childhood village. It had the same significance for Juliet. The painting also is divided into thirds. Clearly groupings of three are very significant here. There are three stories about Juliet. She is involved in a love triangle with Eric and Christa. She is an only child, and she and Eric have one child.

Looking at the painting, I see her mother, the fair, sweet, fragile goat looking at her father, the man who sells vegetables and is clearly linked to the natural world depicted here. Juliet is the woman milking the goat. The man pursuing the upside down woman represents her father and Irene.

The fact that the print has been removed from the wall symbolizes the changes within her family since her departure and the arrival of Irene. Juliet feels threatened by Irene, and vice versa. "Everything here distracted her. The heat, Irene, the things that were familiar and the things that were unfamiliar. "I and the Village."

It is interesting that Sara is the one to explain that the picture was removed from the wall because of Sam's perception that it would offend Irene. This demonstrates that Sara is aware of how significant Irene is to Sam and has accepted it.

The Pontiac clearly represents Sara. The old gray mare that hasn't given up. The description of the car follows detailed depictions of Sara's declining physical state and Irene's robust youth. Sam says that he would like to trade it in for a truck, and Sara immediately insists he is joking. The relationship between Sam, Irene and Sara, and their interdependence on one another is illustrated here, as well as Juliet's discomfort with the situation.

I think Juliet was picked up at the other train station because her parents were ashamed that she was an unwed mother. Despite their unconventional ways, they were still influenced by the small town values of their village during the 1960s. I think the fact that Juliet was not picked up in her usual spot underscores her discomfort with the changes that have taken place, particularly the arrival of Irene.

Near the end of the second story, why do you think Sara said, "When it gets really bad for me--when it gets so bad--you know what I think of then? I think, all right. I think--Soon. Soon I'll see Juliet."

This is very significant, but why? The story is called "Soon." The last part is italicized.

After Sara's death, Juliet is distraught that she didn't respond to Sara when she said this. What should she have said? Why does she think "she had not protected Sara?" Protected her from what? Why did this bother Juliet so much?

The third story in the trilogy, Silence, ends on such a sad note. Juliet has resigned herself over the years to the fact that Penelope has found a deeper, more spiritual life without her. She has come to accept that this spirituality is what Penelope needs. When it is revealed to her that Penelope is living a typical suburban life, it is more than Juliet can bear.

The Silence in the story becomes not about Penelope's alienation, but Juliet's denial of her. She stops telling her boyfriends that she has a daughter. Juliet cannot accept the rejection. She enjoyed her fantasies about Penelope was living out some mystical life, much like the Greek mythological characters that she loved so much. When this turned out not to be the case, she could not handle it.

"My father used to say of someone he disliked, that he had no use for that person. Couldn't those words simply mean what they say? Penelope does not have use for me. Maybe she can't stand me. It's possible."

I think it would be so interesting to read Penelope's story. The untold story of what really happened here.

I agree with you. I found the dialogue in this scene (2.1) to be very funny. Do you not think that was Shakespeare's intention? I think it would be very entertaining to see this scene performed on stage.

As for the previous Scene (1.3), I appreciated your guide to the characters as well as your assessment of them to help me keep the soldiers straight. To be honest, the first time I read this scene, I found it boring. I have a deeper appreciation of it now, after reading it again and noting the extensive use of iambic pentameter throughout.

The most interesting part of this scene for me is Cressida's speech at the end. While she is taken with Troilus, she doesn't want to let on. She fears he is more interested in the chase and will lose his desire for her when he actually catches her.

Today, many women still believe that men will desire them more if they remain somewhat unattainable. Playing hard to get was around in Shakespeare's time and is happening today.

Is Cressida correct? Will Troilus' devotion wane when she succumbs?

I enjoyed the video about the original pronunciations. Very interesting and informative. I prefer the sound of the original pronunciations.

That is interesting about the iambic pentameter. I hadn't noticed and appreciate it now that you pointed it out.

Being a helpless romantic, I was taken with the lily-livered Troilus' description of Cressida, particularly the beauty of her hands. To go to such lengths to praise someone's hands!

While I loved the first story, Runaway, I was underwhelmed by the trilogy that followed: Chance, Soon and Silence. The three stories follow the life of a character named Juliet. In the first story, Juliet is a young scholar traveling on a train where she meets Eric, the man who fathers her daughter, Penelope. In the second story, she takes Penelope to her parents' home where her mother is dying. In Silence, the third story, Juliet faces the death of Eric and is abandoned by her beloved Penelope.

I enjoyed Munro's writing style. Some of her phrases and imagery are striking. In Chance, I liked her depiction of putting the thing that was your bright treasure in the closet. Or in Soon, when she writes, "as if misfortunes were something to accumulate, like charms on a bracelet." I loved her description of her dream about her father and Irene: "The dream was suffused with sticky horror. Not the kind of horror that jostles its shape outside your skin, but the kind that curls through the narrowest passages of your blood."

Faith, or the lack of it, is a theme that ties the stories together. Perhaps my disappointment with this trilogy lies in my dislike of Juliet. In the third story, particularly, I found it astonishing that she finally learns of her daughter's whereabouts, but does nothing about it! As a mother, I couldn't stand that!

I found this to be a beautifully written story. I particularly like Munro's depiction of the inner turmoil Carla faces, while riding the bus to Toronto and after she returns to Clark.

After seeing your question about whether Clark and Sylvia actually saw Flora, or if it was simply part of Sylvia's dream, I reread that part of the story.  I believe Flora did return and the two witnessed it. I am glad, however, that I read that part of the story again. It is somewhat chilling if you read it and assume Clark is speaking about Carla instead of the goat. Every statement he makes about Flora actually is a commentary on Carla.

I also think Clark did something to Flora. Whether is was something sinister or simply leading her away, I don't know. What he did doesn't matter nearly as much as Carla's reaction to it. Her fear, which she eventually "got used to" and her unsettling resignation that she would never try to find out, are, for me, what makes this an eerily compelling story.

The descriptions of the characters in the play you posted are different than the ones in my book. Yours are more straightforward and descriptive, but they also take a more cynical approach to the motives of Helen and Cressida.

The princes orgulous, their high blood chafed,

Have to the port of Athens sent their ships,

Fraught with the ministers and instruments

Of cruel war: sixty and nine

Of course this would be the part that stands out for you! Personally I'm drawn to the line about "tickling skittish spirits on one and other side." It's an interesting description of soldiers off to battle.