Author: DOuG pRATt

That Old Potter Magic

I have read “The Purloined Letter,” and like Poe’s first detective Dupin story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” its three principal characters may as well be Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Watson, and Inspector Lestrade. Which brings to mind Dennis Potter’s 80’s British TV series The Singing Detective, which is nothing like Sherlock Holmes.

Potter is perhaps better known for Pennies from Heaven, a BBC production from 1978 starring Bob Hoskins, that was later adapted into a Steve Martin movie. I can’t think of an American television series that rivaled Dennis Potter’s unique vision until David Lynch’s Twin Peaks.

Crumb’s Better Half

Drawing of Aline by Robert Crumb

The death of Christine (Perfect) McVie will get plenty of attention elsewhere. This is a place where you will read that Robert Crumb’s wife Aline has passed away.

As cartoonists, Robert and Aline were as close as it got to a “John and Yoko marriage.”

Aline Kominsky and Robert Crumb

Aline’s passing comes not long after the death of Bill Griffith’s wife Diane Noomin. Friends with Aline, Diane was also an underground cartoonist.

Zippy, by Bill Griffith, Sunday, November 20, 2022

No Mystery

“The Mystery of Marie Rogêt” is quite a disappointment after reading the celebrated “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” Marie is a tedious accounting of detective Dupin’s laborious thought process in breaking down the information that’s available about the murder. I attribute the story’s failure to Poe taking the events directly from an actual contemporary murder, rather than coming from his own imagination. I’ll move on to “The Purloined Letter,” which has a much better reputation.

Bogus SCOTUS

My retirement life is increasingly filled with YouTube and Podcasts. Is that better than being stuck on Facebook and Instagram?

Going all the way back to 2016, Radiolab has a spin-off podcast about the Supreme Court, called More Perfect. They recently reran this early installment about a decision from the time of JFK’s administration.