Crazy week. Still trying to catch up.

Long Day's Journey Into Night (1942), by Nobel laureate in Literature Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953). That was the third play I saw at Stratford last week. I guess it was the third time i've seen it. I liked the first time, with William Hutt and Martha Henry. But face it. Actually I don't really like the play. I'm too young! It was modern, realistic, ahead of its time even, - -then. that was then, this is now, now even 10-20 hers ago. I'd seen all that kitchen-sink dissension and living room discord - middle-class friction - you know. I'd seen it before I ever saw Long Days' Journey. But I didn't like it. I like wit, comedy and satire better, My fault. So the play is well done,this new production in Stratford. I don't want to see it again. That's all.

Next: (still catching up)...

Well, you know I like words. I also like names and I've been getting a feast of them all this spring and summer. The boys of summer, that is, the baseball players, have wonderful names. I am so Impressed with the announcers, too, who not only know their names but also how to pronounce them. Spelling might be a problem.

Usually, when I have to make up a character's name, I take a name from the Atlas, so I won't get sued. Does anyone remember what happened to Grace Metalious (1924-1964), who wrote Peyton Place (1956)? She named a character in her book after an accquaintance? co-worker? of her husband. Her steamy novel turned out to be a run-away best seller and the man sued her for libel.

So I always pick out random names from a map that I can point to as the source, not that I'll ever write a best-seller. (Too late now.)

If I used any of the baseball players' names no one would believe me, anyway.

Yangervris Solarte

Aedmys Diaz

Teoscar Hernandez

Lourdes Gurriel.Jr. (Madonna called her first child Lourdes so I thought it was a girl's name but I guess it's generic.)

Marco Estrada (What a swash-buckling hero he would be!)

I love them all. I've been thinking about them for some time and then I came across a line by J.C. (the only byline I could see) in the June 1 edition of the Times Literary Supplement:

"Only childish souls make fun of people's names." I wouldn't make fun of them. I cherish them, like words.