Sand, Malraux

I read Sand's autobiographical works, and I was wrong. It wasn't 1192 pages, there were 461 more pages in the next volume! She said something about Balzac, with a wonderful turn of phrase: "un esprit large, mais pas infini; un homme doue, mais pas sans defaut." I hope I can say that about myself some day.

Well, I moved on to Malraux, volumes 2, 4, and 5, and I have to say I'm really enjoying the essays on art. They are wonderful. He is not so much considering art in history as pondering the role of creation in humanity. I learned some interesting things -- I didn't realize Goya was so modern or so interested in sadomasochism, for example. I've only got another 800 pages or so to go....

I also read an essay on Japanese security, called Securing Japan by Richard Samuels.

I also read a magazine called The Meat Paper and an issue of The New Scientist since my last post.