The Vogons have landed
ach bollocks. I am too pleased with this to let it linger in a Crooked Timber comments thread (my other attempt to work "Kondratieff Waves" into a poem in the same thread is pretty shit though).
The academic, close to middle-age
He optimizes his life
between university, home, books, wife
summer drinks on the patio; slaves
away at his desk on Kondratieff waves
and Phillips Curves
and hopes he gets what he deserves.
I was always brought up to believe that a gentleman would not inflict his poetry on someone without also writing a review essay on Steven Levitt's Freakonomics. I'm on it.
a review essay on Steven Levitt's Freakonomics
ReplyDeleteAfter all this time it better be in iambic pentameter and have zombies in it.
I think you owe us:
ReplyDeleteA review of Londistan, by Mel P
A review of Anti-totalitarinism, by Oliver Kamm
A review of Freakonomics
Our friends on the left, by Nick C
Perhaps you did review the 1st one, I don't quite recall. I'm worried though that all of them might have brought new books out by the time you get around to reviewing the old ones.
You missed the review of "After the New Economy" by Doug Henwood, which I have also not written, and my review of "Terror and Liberalism", which I wrote but lost before posting. Berman has written two books since that one.
ReplyDeleteoh and I never promised to review the Cohen book, but I did promise to review "Celsius 7/7" by Michael Gove. Once I get a full schedule of these liabilities together, I can file for intellectual and moral bankruptcy.
ReplyDeleteThinking about it, the Cohen, Kam, Phillips, 3 Bermann's and Gove book could surely be combined into one review, as they all say much the same thing. I'm not sure if this mitigates your failings or exacerbates it.
ReplyDeleteYou are also bound by precedent to work the word "nonergodicity" into at least two of these reviews somehow.
ReplyDeleteThe trouble with nonergodicity
ReplyDeleteIs that carrot-topped Celts get publicity
For their madcap displays
Of Kondratieff waves
Which consume all our time and 'lectricity.
Asked to define nonergodicity,
ReplyDeleteChris Bertram with some eccentricity
In verse pedagogic
Says the Welsh are ergodic:
Citing Dan's Celtic ethnicity.
Cohen, Kamm, Phillips, and Berman
Together delivered a sermon
Conceived by a deranged -
Though the race has been changed -
Dictatorial imprisoned German.