I speak a little about why I love Samuel Johnson and read a short passage from Boswell’s ‘Life’ describing Johnson's achievement in writing The Lives of the Poets. On another occasion I'll read you a passage from that work!
Thank you so much for this. I was curious about the portrait on your shelf and I thought I had seen it somewhere. I have done a tiny bit of study on the history of the English language and I believe that is where I was introduced to Johnson. I love your spells. What do you think about taking us for a walk beyond your door, beyond that window? Let us see the English countryside. Take us for a walk around where you work in the school, in the church. Let us see. God bless and reward you for your blessing to us.
Very entertaining - I can imagine you in the middle of a circle like Johnson's expatiating at large about the poets. But Johnson's life is much more read about than his poetry is read; maybe you could comment on that.
its true, but its equally true that when you read Boswell you are in fact getting very large amounts of verbatim Johnson, from the books as well as the conversation!
...what strikes me a bit unexpectedly-from your brief reading- was the capacity of Johnson to critique himself as a writer! his inner observer was truly "on" and this speaks to all sorts of other capacities he would then be prone to have, to be aware of things, foibles and glories, in other folks too... an ability to see others - well and clearly- and with understanding...and this for me, eliminates any wish to see Johnson as a sort of blowhard or egoist...
