It was, in fact, Noam Chomsky‘s birthday yesterday as well. The Language Log has a nice bit about the history of the birthday song, which could go out to Chomsky, Cather, AND Waits if we feel like squishing all those names into one verse.
And happy birth to Genius Loci, a collection of works by the people of Knox County for the people of Knox County. Even if you’re not from Gambier, the portraits of small-town life are simple, authentic, and delicately handled. A highlight: Lauren C. Osberg’s “Begin To Relate.”