Conversation, dated 2007, here relayed to preserve it from disappearance into void where old conversations go . . .

. . . simple reporting of what's seen and heard, commentary, a movie and a book recommended . . .

Seen and noted in old Oak Park, ages ago . . . Nervous man in Bread Kitchen, constantly looking around. Black jacket, pants. Talks quickly, hurriedly, on cell phone and then to woman who turns up. Both are dressed neatly and presentably. He has furled bumbershoot, case with shoulder strap. But has nervous, over-the-shoulder look of an addict or street character. 35-ish, trim, maybe 40. Wears small cap. He's white, woman is black. They are relaxed with each other.

Sunday mass, 8 a.m. . . . Fr. M. manages a hollow sound and even the hint of a catch in his voice, adopted for services, says "Jesus" with emphasis on "zuz." There's a break in his voice, even a falsetto here and there as he emphasizes wrong word, apparently for what he considers a break in the monotony. Is extremely ill-fitted for reading or reciting anything, as Scriptures or prescribed words of mass. Just never got the hang of it. He speaks softly, as if careful not to break anything. Works hard to adapt, but either never got training in public speaking or proved impervious to it.

Another mass . . . It's the Father John Show. He looks out at us with big eyes. Should keep eyes down but can't help it. Nor was it his idea to make liturgy such a personal thing between priest and congregation turned audience. We must de-personalize worship, yes! Or make candidates for priesthood, presiders over worship, get A's in Evangelical or other Protestant seminary speech class as requirement for ordination. One or the other.

He is the presider, we are told. Once celebrant, celebrating the mysteries. Before that he just said mass. He's come a long way, our priest. Ditto his fellows.

Indeed, ours is a half-Protestant Liturgy. We should send seminarians to Bible colleges for elocution classes, demanding they get A's as requirement for ordination. Ecumenism would be served by this, plus rescuing of mass-goers from skewed and corny intonations, not to mention such mortal sins of public speaking as in repeated emphasis on wrong word or part of speech, as by the priest who never ran across a preposition he didn't consider deserving of emphasis.

Facing death by guillotine in 1974 . . . His situation "will probably spare me the inconveniences of old age," said chemist Antoine Lavoisier, facing execution by guillotine in 1794. His genius was throttled by the revolution, but his previous privileged position was a necessary condition of its flowering in the first place. (TLS review)

Recommended DVD, Author, Book, March of ought-7 . . . Here recommended DVD is "Touchez pas au grisbi" (Do not touch the loot), a 1954 film with Jean Gabin and several gorgeous women, none of whom in vulgar fashion remove their clothes or leer into the camera. He's a criminal who protects swag from a huge robbery of bullion and ends in a gunfight on the road which I'd say the Cohen brothers drew on for their marvelous small-city film of Prohibition times, "Miller's Crossing."

"Do not touch" amazingly puts tension into a man brushing his teeth. The whole thing is deliciously tense from the start and blessedly refrains from being cute with a faux O. Henry ending or maudlin. It's part of the Criterion Collection, which the OP library stocks to our continuing benefit.

The author is Hugh Kingsmill, mentioned here earlier as declaring Victorian sentimentality the product of "an unnatural union of poetry and Puritanism." His two books on Samuel Johnson are to the fore for me at the moment. One, Samuel Johnson, is a straightforward bio. The other, Johnson Without Boswell, consists of passages from Mrs. Piozzi, his friend, and others who knew and wrote about him.

Happy I am to pass this on, at this later date . . .