- I and Pangur Ban my cat,
- 'Tis a like task we are at:
- Hunting mice is his delight,
- Hunting words I set all night.
- 'Gainst the wall he sets his eye,
- Full and fierce and sharp and sly;
- 'Gainst the wall of knowledge I
- All my little wisdom try.
- So in peace our task we ply,
- Pangur Ban, my cat, and I;
- In our arts we find our bliss,
- I have mine and he has his.
I found this poem in Testament by John Romer. It was written by an Irish monk laboring in one of Charlemagne's scriptoriums to relight the flame of knowledge in the Dark Ages. This version was translated by W.H.Auden.
As it happens, I have four cats (one is currently out on loan), and none of them show any capacity for being fierce or sly, nor did either of the other two who have been and gone. Those medieval cats must have been cut from different cloth.
This site's been around since 1995, and this is the fifth rework. The previous one was the most extensive, in that some of the site's earlier content had been removed. The present one is intended to update it a little in terms of the HTML and CSS I use to make it look presentable.
I've been writing book reviews for a number of years. I read a lot - fiction and non-fiction alike. Occasionally I get an itch, and I write about that. My commentary runs from travelogues to political rants. I write stories and poetry, as well, and there are a few samples of that here.
Even after moving a bunch of material off, this site is still plenty big. You might use the site map to find something that you are looking for. I note any additions to the site on my news page.
Me? Gosh. If you really want to know, I have written up some information about me. I'm currently working at the University of Utah. My contact information should make it easy for you to write me by snail mail or email.