"'But one has to make some sort of choice,' said Harriet. 'And between one desire and another, how is one to know which things are really of overmastering importance?'
'We can only know that,' said Miss de Vine, 'when they have overmastered us.'"
--Dorothy Sayers, Gaudy Night
One of my favorite books. No one writes like Dorothy Sayers anymore.
ReplyDeleteAh, a Dorothy Sayers quote is a great way to start the day. I am re-reading Five Red Herrings for the umpteenth time right now. Ahhhhhh.
ReplyDeleteOh! I have wanted to read this book for ages!
ReplyDeleteAnna,
ReplyDeleteMy uncle, John Southgate Hoyt, was a professor of ornithology at Cornell in the 30's/40's. His wife, Sally, also worked extensively with the ornithology dept. He died when quite young, and Sally remained in Ithaca and working at Cornell until she remarried later in her life to Walter Spofford who taught Biology there. They then moved to Portal, AZ, where there is a small community of avid ornithologists, naturalists, writers, artists, etc. There is a wildlife research station there that would be a wonderful thing for Felix to visit. Portal is a unique place, right at the foot of the Chiracuaha Mtns. which cover 5 (I think) different vegetation zones. It's an amazing place and would make a great family trip! Let me know if you want more info.
Ridgely Hoyt-Whitaker
Bellingham, WA
rhoyt@bham.wednet.edu
Oh! Oh! I love Dorothy Sayers so passionately.
ReplyDeleteI love Dorothy Sayers. And Gaudy Night is the best because it puts a "finished" stamp on that incredibly suspenseful romance. Ahhh. . . it was nice to take a deep breath at the end of that book.
ReplyDeleteAnna, I just finished reading a book that made me think a lot of Felix. It's called "Scratching the Woodchuck," and it's by David Kline, an Amish farmer who does an excellent job writing about the nature he encounters. He also has an earlier book called "Great Possessions" that I haven't read yet. Anyway...just thought I'd pass along this info to you in case it would be of interest!
ReplyDeleteTo Ridgely Hoyt-Whitaker,
ReplyDeleteA correction to your post, my father, Walter R, Spofford, never taught at Cornell. He was a professor of Neuroanatomy at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse, NY until his retirement.
Peggy Spofford, Sialver city, NM