“A few days of living with K.”

In the schoolroom/gymnasium that doubles or triples as living quarters for K., who works as the school’s janitor, and Frieda:


Franz Kafka, The Castle, trans. Mark Harman (New York: Schocken, 1998).

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If the book fits

[Photograph by Rachel.]

Items in a series

Honesty. Integrity. Quality. Trust. Premium Onions.

[As seen on a bag of, yes, onions. I suppose that if onions are your everything, this series makes sense.]

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Stating the obvious

A “very stable genius” would not be tweeting in the pre-dawn. How do I know that? Because I’m, like, really smart.

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From the Saturday Stumper

From today’s Newsday Saturday Stumper, not a tricky clue, but one I learned from. It’s 46-Across, eleven letters: “Word from the French for ‘stir up.’” No spoilers; the answer is in the comments.

Today’s puzzle, by Lester Ruff, is at least semi-tough. Either these puzzles are getting easier, or I’m getting better, or both.

NPR, sheesh

From Weekend Edition Saturday, spoken not someone in the story but by the reporter: “Me and people my age are redefining what it means to travel by car.”

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[I object not only to the object pronoun but to putting me first. But at least the reporter didn’t say “me and my friends.”]

Andrew Sullivan on a year of insanity

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“Not irrevocably damaged”: that’s the kind of resolution I’m hoping for.

Poor K., poor Frieda

K., who has come to the Castle to work as a surveyor, is now working as the school janitor. K. and Frieda and K.’s two assistants are living in the schoolroom. Frieda has shown that she can make any room comfortable to live in, but there’s little she can do here.


Franz Kafka, The Castle, trans. Mark Harman (New York: Schocken, 1998).

Yes, the schoolroom doubles as a gymnasium. When K. and Frieda, sleeping late, are surprised by the arrival of schoolchildren and the schoolmistress, they throw their blankets over the parallel bars and pommel horse to make themselves a changing room.

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“Do you read?”

Joe Scarborough asked Donald Trump a question: “Do you read?”