Author Archives: Paul Crabtree

The Confederate flag remains a fiercely reviled image of the subjugation of the African American population because it rallied the supporters of slavery in the American Civil War. It recently flew at the state capitol in Raleigh, North Carolina, to celebrate the … Continue reading →

“All is true” wrote Balzac, in English, at the beginning of his 1835 novel le Pere Goriot. It is a warning that despite the dastardly characters and their actions the book is a realistic representation of Parisian life, not to be … Continue reading →

“It’s all Greek to me!” Languages pick on the foreignness of other languages to express a communication breakdown. Many pick on Chinese, probably because of its complex script and pronunciation. Some choose Hebrew, some Russian, presumably for their non-Roman alphabet … Continue reading →

Qwirkle is my new game of choice. It’s easy to understand, fun to play, there’s no board, just a bunch of colorful tile pieces that can travel anywhere. The rulebook is so small and concise that the game takes less … Continue reading →

“From the very beginning opera brought together all the arts. It involved painting, poetry, drama, dance and music, making it the most complex of art forms. It was, as Samuel Johnson later pointed out, exotic and irrational, and, as many … Continue reading →

What happens to that slice of experience left behind when the meaning of words changes? Technology has been responsible for a completely new vocabulary as well as widening the meaning of many words already in use (consider the meaning of … Continue reading →

Vegetables Matter In my Midlands youth it was regarded as uppity to serve broccoli to guests because in the language of vegetables broccoli was ‘moi’ when ‘I’ would do just fine. Similarly, it was way beyond our station to buy … Continue reading →

When the strains of the trio section of Elgar’s First Pomp and Circumstance March hit the airwaves the average Brit assumes it is time to salute the flag and start welcoming in song the once unstoppable spread of the British … Continue reading →

“The region’s cultural hub, Portland has a striking art museum housing three centuries of art and architecture and a world-class permanent collection, performing arts centers, active historical and preservation groups, an art school and a university, a symphony orchestra, numerous … Continue reading →

Once upon a time there were three little pigs. They lived contentedly with their mother, but the time came for them to leave home and seek their fortunes out in the big, wide world. Before they left, their mother told … Continue reading →