Here are Dennis and Ishie reading “William Faulkner and Joan Williams, the Romance of Two Writers” on a rainy winter solstice day in front of the fire. Ishmael wasn’t much impressed and fell asleep, as did I, later, when I came to read by the fire.

Christmas promises to be nice and quiet. Perhaps a movie and dinner with friends. American Hustle, I think, and Chinese. A Jewish friend asked yesterday, “Are you Jewish? Because that’s how we spent all my Christmases growing up.”