What I'm Reading

Still can't find any music articles to comment on, but I did run across an interesting quote:

Third comes the kind of madness that is possession by the Muses, which takes a tender virgin soul and awakens it to a Bacchic frenzy of songs and poetry that glorifies the achievements of the past and teaches them to future generations. If anyone comes to the gates of poetry and expects to become an adequate poet by acquiring expert knowledge of the subject without the Muses' madness, he will fail, and his self-controlled verses will be eclipsed by the poetry of men who have been driven out of their minds.

[Plato, Phaedrus, 245a]

That's from a book I have been reading:

I've read all the Platonic dialogues before in the big hardcover edition, but this book is considerably handier. I'm also reading this:

Elizabeth Anscombe is one of the most challenging 20th century philosophers (and leading student of Wittgenstein).

For a 19th century writer, Balzac manages to get into some remarkably kinky territory. A bit reminiscent of Edgar Allen Poe.

William Hazlitt is an interesting political and cultural essayist and a great antidote to the hackneyed political commentary of today.

Finally, some listening. I just listened to this the other day. Franz Schubert's last composition: