The Mall At The End Of Time and Poetry

ay Three of the Houseparty!

Pay a visit to the Mall at the End of Time, created by Ron Wodaski, where there's a cragon running around - along with rats-that-aren't-rats, time travellers, veterans of three different wars, a couple of cats-that-aren't-cats and a scruffy kitten named Snack - in between shops like Rake's Art Gallery ("Art for Evil's sake is the motto here. Would you like to crawl into a painting and wreak havoc? We also have a selection of come-alive sculptures (just rub the appropriate part), as well as enchanted lamps and a wide variety of cursed items suitable for instigating chaos on a moment's notice. A great place for evildoers and criminals to find that extra-special treat") and Psychic Solutions, Inc. ("The neighborhood computer store of the 21st century has evolved to suit the needs of the End of Time traveler. Did your ego get busted during a teleport? Are you feeling depressed about the end of everything? Need someone to pump up your virtual tires? Whether your id is stuck or your super-ego needs a boost, we have everything psychic. Bring in your old minds for a trade-in").

Part 53456322 of why I love English: "Said my get-up-and-go must have got up and went" (Sweet Emotion, Aerosmith). In what other language could you have such a mixed up sentence that nevertheless works perfectly as a song lyric?

Reason 76498953 for why I wish I lived in the UK: "To mark 100 years since Tolkien left the school they both attended, Tom Shippey, Professor Emeritus of English, St. Louis University, will be delivering a general lecture entitled: Tolkien: the Books, the Films, the Phenomenon. The lecture is on Tuesday 5th July 2011 at 6 pm in Big School (the main hall), King Edward's School, Edgbaston Park Road, Birmingham. Admission is free."

I've finished reading Stephen Fry's The Ode Less Travelled (it's great fun reading a book that makes me want to say yes, that's it! to every well worded opinion), which dovetailed nicely into this month's literary resolution. Apart from Fry's exposition and essays, quite a few poems are featured in their entirety in the book, some of which were new to me. I couldn't be bothered typing all the titles into my Books I'm Reading and Finished Books list; it was easier to scribble the list on paper:

Grocery List of Great Poetry

Hope you all had a great weekend!