Musings from the Atomic City: Hoisted With My Own Fairy Petard

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Hoisted With My Own Fairy Petard

Conversation in the car yesterday with my four-year old daughter, Sasha:

Daddy: Sasha, what are you reading?
Sasha: A book about Fairies.
Daddy: Oh really, do you like it?
Sasha: Oh yes, I really like Fairies.

...pause...

Sasha: Daddy, are Fairies real?
Daddy: No honey, Fairies are made up.
Sasha: I think Fairies are real.
Daddy: No, they're not.
Sasha: Well you told us the Tooth Fairy is real. Isn't she a Fairy?
Daddy: Ummmm.

1 comment:

ChrisSeptember 18, 2009 at 7:04 AM
Gotcha, lucky for me all of Donna's kids were well beyond that point when I met them. Good luck with that one.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

What I'm Reading Right Now

My Life in France by Julia Child & Alex Prud'homme
A memoir pulled from Julia Child's correspondence while living in France after WWII. (currently on p. 296, Julia is working in Provence to finish Vol. 2 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking)

109 East Palace: Robert Oppenheimer and the Secret City of Los Alamos by Jennet Conant
Story about setting up the lab that built the atomic bomb. Has fascinating insights into the personal challenges the families of the bombmakers faced as well as into the fascinating scientists. (currently at location 3716 of the Kindle iPhone version, discussing the takeover by the Army of the Bandelier Lodge for housing scientists)

Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character) by Richard P. Feynman
Anecdotes from the life of Richard Feynman, a truly gifted physicist who worked on the Manhattan Project. At first, it was annoying, but the writing seems to be getting better as I move through the book. (currently on p. 167, Feynman's story of being unfit for the draft for "psychological" reasons)

Other Reads I Recommend

Polk: The Man Who Transformed the Presidency and America by Walter R. Borneman
This is a fascinating book about a President I didn't know much about. Many of the decisions and actions made in his presidency affect us today. This should be a must read for any serious student of American history.

Mencken: The American Iconoclast by Marion Elizabeth Rodgers
H.L. Mencken is the most influential American you've probably never heard of. As someone who was very concerned with our rights, I wonder what he would write if he were still alive today. His fight against prohibition and his coverage of the Scopes Monkey Trial alone make this a worthwhile read.

1632 by Eric Flint
One of my vices is a liking for alternative history novels. This is an amusing book about a West Virginia town that is somehow transported to 17th century Europe. It's not particularly well-written, but I enjoyed the subject matter.

Julie & Julia by Julie Powell
I'm a Julia Child aficianado because of my love for good food, wine, and France, so I read whatever I can by her or about her. This is a decent book, although the anti-Republican diatribes by the politically ignorant Powell are annoying (I learned long ago when reading A Prayer for Owen Meany to just skip over that kind of tripe and not let it interfere with my enjoyment of the rest of the book).

The Rebel Angels by Robertson Davies
Davies is perhaps my favorite fiction writer. He's a Canadian and this book, the first in a trilogy about happenings at a Toronto university, is fascinating. I believe what makes Davies a master is his development of characters from the murderous rogue monk Parlabane to the "turd-slicer" and of course the profane, Bebby Jesus-worshipping gypsy uncle. Warning: this book will make you realize how unknowledgeable you really are and will give you a long list of things to learn about.

Musings from the Atomic City

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Hoisted With My Own Fairy Petard

1 comment:

What I'm Reading Right Now

Other Reads I Recommend

Followers

Blog Archive

About Me