A scene: Late afternoon at the playground. A boy, towheaded, with eyes the color of turquoise, and a man, early 30s, with pelo dorado and eyes of wolf-blue. Green jacket against green tire swing against red corduroy pants.

The man pushes the boy at regular intervals. The boy’s eyes draw a parabola on the way out, retracing the shape on the way back. The boy feels hands on his back at regular intervals, except that the pushing varies in force as the air varies in temperature.

A thought: a mundane exercise in loving.

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Joan’s asides while sitting and watching East of Eden, a film released in 1955 and starring Julie Harris and James Dean. (Julie Harris used to live in the same neighborhood, and not infrequently they’d run into each other at school.)

Of Americans’ antipathy toward Germans who’d emigrated to the United States before the war: “I had a German tenant living with me during World War II. It got so bad that she finally had to move upstate. No one would serve her.”

Of James Dean: “I don’t know, I don’t like him. I’m always aware of the person he’s trying to play.”

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Some of the best public philosophy interviews are available in 15-20 min. podcasts at Philosophy Bite’s website. David Edmonds and Nigel Warburton are providing an excellent public service.

The interviews with Edward Craig (no. 9) on the nature of philosophy, Raymond Geuss (no. 80) on real politics, and Brian Leiter (here) on the analytic/continental distinction are all good and engaging.