Overture

Idle reader,

If you know me—which, if you have made the effort of finding this website, you most probably do—you will likely be suprised to see me committing myself to the internet in this way. Digital landscapes are not my natural home; it has even been said that I shun technological connection in all its forms. I have no response to such surprise, other than to acknowledge it by assuring you that I feel it too. It would be wrong to say that anything really "inspired" me to start writing this blog. The idea came from a friend, and in comparison to his other idea—that I write a book—this seemed the more doable. 

Of course, now that I have spread my sail and embarked on this project, you can know without asking that I wish for it to be of the highest quality—betraying a subtlety of understanding and communicating an intellectual beauty as great as anyone can imagine. Sadly, I fear this will not be possible. First, this is because I am writing on an iPad, which, as a compositorial tool, is abysmal. But more prominently, I feel that, despite the confident patronage of Yale University, I am unable to produce much that it will be worth your time to read.

At this point in the courtship process, other bloggers would beg your forgiveness, even indulgence, and humbly request that you judge them not by the paucity of their style, nor by the failings of their content, but solely by the solemn piety of their dedication to the task. I, however, will make no such supplication, for, as they say, each is king in one's own home, and I have no wish to supplicate a king. I leave you therefore free to voice any complaints or frustrations with my work as loudly as you like, so long as they are not so loud that I am able to hear them. In the same spirit, I encourage you to read as much or little of this blog as you would like—and at present, I must even insist that you stop reading entirely, for I have yet to write anything else.

Ave atque vale.

—the author