Word-hoard

Thanks to Language Hat, I've discovered a wonderful two-volume work, Reliquiæ Antiquæ. It contains short stretches of works in the borderland between Latin Old English, and Middle English. The contents are extremely various: among other things, there are morality tales, schoolboy mnemonics and satires, some dirty bits protected by a simple substitution cypher, and dictionaries for translating Latin into Old and Middle English. It's a wonderful miscellany; the schoolboy mistakes crack me up. Highly recommended

Susan Orlean talk

I just came back from a Susan Orlean lecture, and I am truly impressed. She is the complete package -- she writes brilliantly (99% of her sentences are right on), she is able to build a rapport with her subjects, and she is completely determined to get her stories. Being a staff member at the New Yorker doesn't hurt, either. And she's younger than I am and has three books. God, I guess at some point I'll cease mindlessly adulating and start being seriously jealous.

There was mention of a film called "Adaptation," which I have not seen. Apparently, there is a character based on her in the film -- played by Meryl Streep -- who apparently does some things that Ms. Orlean does not actually do. I may have to rent it,