Saturday Links

Dogs and monsters, a history of disappearing writing systems, William de Kooning in Italy, Tolkien's faith and writing, how to make a cello, and more.

May and Hank

Good morning! This past year, my wife and I put our two dogs down. They had a full life, but they arrived at the age when it contained more suffering than pleasure—or so it seemed to us—and so we made two trips to the vet within just a few moments.

Dogs are fascinating animals—social, intelligent, and forgiving (if you’ll permit me a little anthropomorphism)—and while we don’t plan to acquire any more dogs, May and Hank were great companions to our kids (and us). They may have even taught us a little about joy.

Dogs “are a motif” in Mark Haddon’s latest collection of short stories, Dogs and Monsters, Philip Womack writes in The Spectator: “Haddon monitors the borderlines between man and beast, divine and mortal, and what’s real and what isn’t . . . The tight prose and descriptive range are remarkable . . . There isn’t much room for redemption in this wise, immersive book: but there is always space for a bat-squeak of hope. And, with a faithful mutt by your side, you’ll (usually) be all right in the end.”