Update on Elmwood goats

An unidentified source has informed us that four does and a single buck, all Nubians, have been ordered and are on their way to Elmwood. They need time to get acclimated before breeding season, which usually starts in late August. Kids would be born in February or March and then we'd (we? I am getting caught up in this!) need to wait another 10 months before we could start milking them. Possibly Drew has ordered goats already into their milking cycles. We shall see.
Nubians are the cutest, with floppy ears, but they have very annoying voices. They sound like complaining children. Wonder if Tory Row is really up for this.

Academic Literary Fashion Dish

Miss Grimke: Did you wear the qipao under the gown at Ed Ayers' coronation?
DGF: Inauguration. Induction. Yes, of course Miss Grimke, I wear it everywhere.
Miss Grimke: Do you think Ed is the male DGF?
DGF: In terms of fashion sense I think he is a little more conservative.
Miss Grimke: What did he wear under his gown?
DGF: Jeans and a flannel shirt. He will never outgrow the Huck Finn look.
Miss Grimke: How's this for an SAT question: Ed Ayers is to Tony Horwitz as Drew Faust is to ___.
DGF: Geraldine Brooks.
Miss Grimke: You are brilliant!
DGF: Not really. I just know how your mind works.

Can't you just see her in this?

NEWS FLASH: DGF GOES WILD IN LIGHT GRAY

Yes yes loyal fans, our dear Dr. Faust was photographed in a gray suit on an outing in Korea. Look how she expresses herself with the subtle piping and eccentric cut of the lapels. No man could get away with that, so eat crow all of you who think DGF will not branch away from man-suits. I wonder if those are her mother's pearls? Their pink blush is so sweet and adds just the right feminine touch.

Now for the challenge. Jane Zhu over at qipaobyjane presented Drew with a "custom-made shirt in the traditional Chinese style of the qipao (pronounced chee’ pau), with a mandarin collar, side closure and fabric knot buttons." according to Jane's news release. When I googled Jane before seeing her newsrelease I was a little shocked at the images of sexy ladies in tight silk and thought Good Lord we'll never see Drew in something like that. But no, Jane struck just the right note, found the exact intersection of Drew and qipao. The jacket is "a warm gray Chinese silk satin, lined with soft floral Thai silk and edged in, of course, crimson." Painted on the fabric is a poem in Chinese calligraphy, couplet by Warring States Period poet and philosopher Qu Yuan (340-287 BC), "considered by many to be the father of Chinese Poetry. 路漫漫其修远兮,吾将上下而求索. It roughly translates to “\'the road (truth) is long and arduous, forward and backward shall I seek.' In other words, veritas."

“I came to the poem after much philosophical discussion and inquiring back and forth with learned fathers of friends,” said Zhu in the news release. “I knew that I wanted something very Chinese, but at the same time it had to represent Harvard, and be appropriate for a piece of clothing.”

The news release reports "Faust’s reaction was enthusiastic and warm, 'Isn’t it lovely!' she exclaimed.'I can’t wait to put it on!'”

And speaking for all of us in the fan club: We can't wait to see you in it!

Elmwood Goat Cheese

Miss Grimke: Why oh why oh why?
DGF: Do you know that 40% of the produce served in the dining hall is locally grown? Why stop with produce? I'm converting garages to dairy barns and shopping for some breeding pairs.
Miss Grimke: Breeding pairs of what, pray tell?
DGF: Goats, dear Miss Grimke. We'll be raising goats on the Elmwood lawn and supplying the dining hall with fresh cheese. Do you know you can now shop for goats on line? Makes my little-ole ex-4-H heart go pittypat.
Miss Grimke: I hate to change the subject but what about that image of you in the Sunday Times, the Crazy Drewdie?
DGF: Actually Miss G I am on that subject. That's going to be the label on the Elmwood Goat Cheese, only minus the insane part, and minus the low prices part, and well, minus all the words. We are working on the text, but frankly, it's on the back burner until we have at least some goats on hand. Don't want to put the cart before the horse!
Miss Grimke: Or the label before the cheese. I'd love to give you a hand with the marketing. Does this mean all is forgiven?
DGF: All what?
Miss Grimke: You know, the book about the book.
DGF: Oh that. Like I need more fans.
Miss Grimke: I'll try not to take that the wrong way.

Ladies of the books

I must confess an act of betrayal. On the very day DGF was hawking This Republic of Suffering at the Coop, Geraldine Brooks spoke to budding journalists at Boston Latin Academy about People of the Book. I caught Geraldine and came home so exhausted with happiness I couldn't muster the strength to attend DGF's signing. I know I know I betrayed not only DGF but all the many many loyal members of the DGF fan club. But as I told my DH when I got home from communing with GB, "I can handle only one peak author experience per day!"

I bought a copy of P of the B and watched GB autograph it. Oh what grandeur in that fabulous swirl of ink with which she inscribed my book!

Another confession. I haven't been able to read P of the B because I always eat or drink when I read and I'm afraid to sully it. I've never felt this way about books before. Pasta sauce! Wine! Tuna drool! Who cares? It's the words that are important. (To Drew's many fans in the library community: Just Kidding!)

Passover is coming, and the Book of the book is a Haggadah, for reading at the Seder. It is timely that I should now read People of the Book, perhaps with a small glass of wine set carefully to the side.

Meanwhile I've ordered This Republic of Suffering from the BPL. I'm number 33 in the queue. In contrast, were I to order PoftheB from the BPL I'd be number 80.

I wonder does DGF have on the back burner a piece of literary fiction she will share with us someday? I'll ask her next time I run into her, if she will ever speak to me again.

On the couch with Allston

Miss Grimke: Are you or are you not rethinking Allston.
DGF: I am definitely rethinking Allston. Allston is such a lovely place, but a tad shabby. Do not repeat that please. It could do with a total update, building on what's there but giving it some polish, some sheen.
Miss Grimke: To what extent do you think you can make do with what you have and to what extent do you need to throw out and start over?
DGF: Definitely the colors are right the way they are. Very colorful, very multi-cultural. You know I like that.
Miss Grimke: Yes, yes. I know that. So you want to keep what's there but punch it up a bit?
DGF: Mostly, plus we need to pull down some walls, open up the space, let in some light. The place has really good bones. We need to pull that forward. Structure, plus color, plus light. I think we'd have what we want then.
Miss Grimke: Then Harvard can move right in?
DGF: Goodness no. Then we'll see what we have once we can see what we have.
Miss Grimke: Are the neighbors amenable?
DGF: Well, you know change is difficult for everybody. Renovations are murder for everyone involved. They've been known to destroy a marriage. You have to plan carefully, you have to be ready for the disruption, you have to make sure everyone buys into the process and can see the payoff, the reward for all the mess.
Miss Grimke: You have to involve the mental health professionals.
DGF: Yes, most definitely, they are on the case.
Miss Grimke: And you have to check references. Don't just go with the first contractor who acts like he knows his stuff.
DGF: One must not shirk the due-diligence.
Miss Grimke: Speaking of Larry.
DGF: I will not trash Larry. If I've told you once I've told you a thousand times.
Miss Grimke: Yes m'am. My bad.