Archaeology News: House of Augustus, Rome

Wow!
House of Augustus opens to public
A single fragment of painted plaster, discovered in masonry-filled rooms, led the experts to unearth a series of exquisite frescoes commissioned by the man who would later become Rome’s first emperor. On Sunday following decades of painstaking restoration, the frescoes in vivid shades of blue, red and ochre went [...]

Read Full Post »

Moodus Earthquake: Not Just Noise

Earthquakes hardly ever happen in these parts. The region around the country town of Moodus has long been known for its strange noises, since the 1600’s, in fact, and much earlier among the Native Americans. Actually, its very name comes from the native term “machimoodus”, which means “land of noises.” Talk of angry [...]

Read Full Post »

Modern Lit: The Sister, by Poppy Adams

Moth Woman
***

Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Pub. Date: June 17, 2008, available for pre-order
ISBN-13: 9780307268167
304pp

.
.

Clive Stone is a lepidopterist – one of the most respected in the field. And, when she grows up, his daughter Ginny follows in his footsteps, first as his assistant, then as a renowned specialist [...]

Read Full Post »

Modern Lit: Middlesex, by Jeffrey Eugenides

20th century odyssey
It’s been a while since an ambitious, intergenerational family saga has made a big splash in the book world, and Middlesex has filled the gap. Yes, a major theme in this novel is hermaphroditism (which I doubt any parent today would handle any [...]

Read Full Post »