Pages

Thursday, July 30, 2020

wine and conversation


by nick nelson





it was a lovely evening.

four old friends, omar khayyam, confucius, margaret fuller, and hannah arendt, got together for some wine and conversation.

omar khayyam poured the wine, and after the compliments on his excellent taste, the conversation started.

I undetstand, confucius began, that you, hannah, plan on attending the conference in vienna in may, on “whither the left?” i, personally, want nothing more to do with the so-called left.

oh, please, margaret fuller quickly interposed. let’s not talk politics.

i understand, omar khayyam said, that the new government in spain is talking tentatively about limiting the role of the church in the spanish schools. a hopeful sign, is it not?

good god, if i may use the expression, hannah arendt cried, let us stay off the subject of religion!

i heard, said omar, only heard, mind you , that the two new nominees for the academie francaise are scheming rascals who would roast their grandmothers on a spit to get their books published in america.

oh, let us stay off personalities and vulgar gossip, hannah arendt admonished omar.


i do not suppose, said confucius, that you want to hear the rumors about the cultural minister of the republic of b————, and the young women employed on his staff.

i most certainly do not, margaret fuller replied.

hear, hear, added hannah arendt.

having established the bounds of acceptable discourse, the four friends talked long into the night, and consumed no small quantity of omar’s wine.

it was all very civilized.

how long ago it seems!




No comments: