Gholas and the Eternal Golden Braid

On September 30, 2025, researchers at Oregon Health & Science University announced they had developed functional eggs from human skin cells. Immediately, I thought of Frank Herbert’s gholas. Duncan Idaho is the most-reborn man in Dune. From his first appearance on Arrakis, he is marked as archetype: Swordmaster of Ginaz, sensual, loyal, utterly alive. (JasonContinue reading “Gholas and the Eternal Golden Braid”

War on Excellence – Redux

When I read that Milan Kundera died, I looked over at my barrister bookcase with the intent to re-read his novels. His works are on my modern authors shelf, along with Jim Harrison, Umberto Eco, McCarthy, Marquez, and Vonnegut. Although Putin’s invasion of Ukraine gives extra relevance to Kundera, I lingered over Kurt Vonnegut. IContinue reading “War on Excellence – Redux”

Milan Kundera

The Unbearable Lightness of Being was released in 1988. It was a remarkable movie that inspired me to read Kundera. From the late 80s and early 90s, he was my favorite author – epitomizing questioning, intelligence, and masculine indulgence with a European flair. Obituaries from the New York Times and The Economist copied in full:Continue reading “Milan Kundera”