R  A  L  P H
  The Review of Arts, Literature, Philosophy and the Humanities

Number 127

Late Late Winter 2004 - 2005

NEW TITLES
World War I: An Imperial History
Part I
"In man-losses per day ---
the number of men killed, on average,
between August 1914 and November 1918 ---
the French lost 900,
the Germans 1,300,
and the Russians 1,459."
Part II
"Foreign policy
is formulated by
a very small group of individuals
who contemptuously ignore popular opinion.
Governments go to war not because of
mysterious forces swirling in the air
but for purely pragmatic reasons."

The Mystery of Cloomber
"One does not
meddle with Afghani holy men,
much less run them through with the sword,
even in the heat of battle, even in the 19th Century.
No --- we reserve that right
for the 21st Century."

Foundations of Tibetan Buddhism
"We meditate
that the flow of urine from our body
is a flow of nectar.
The nectar is that of awareness
being shared with the pretas
and other beings
that are not fortunate enough
to have direct contact
with the teachings."

Of Molecules and Men
"The problem is, of course,
that Intelligent Design
is not a scientific theory;
that is, it cannot be tested."

Great Reviews of the Past
The Maimed
"It works on several levels
besides one of naked disgust.
There are the tiny details
that tear the characters apart
(and bind the novel),
symbols that come
banging together
at the very end."


BRIEF REVIEWS
Lost and Found
My Life in a Group Marriage Commune
Encounter with an Angry God
Recollections of My Life with John Peabody Harrington


LETTERS
Current
Jean Genet
Weird RALPH
My Bloody Life

Great Letters of the Past
Poetry Magazine and
Their New-Found $100,000,000
The Meaning of Life
Lolita Lark


ARTICLE
Michael Ingall
"An 'unsolicited manuscript'
sounds as appetizing as an 'unwashed leper,'
or an "uncircumcised heathen."
Still, I enclose one copy of same
(the manuscript, not the leper),
in the hope that you
will find it of enough interest
to publish it."


READINGS
Medical Paraphernalia
I. Behind the Mask
"My father was a doctor, a pediatrician.
He was the kind we all long for today.
Me, too.
When I was little, I was aware of loving him."

II. The Microscope
"I watched the mystery of life swimming by,
as I examined a gob of the goo in my underpants
with the high-power lens. So many little me's ...
or were they just tadpoles?"

III. Lilly and Me
"I always assumed that Eli Lilly was a Jewish pediatrician.
Only when I started school and learned about
Eli Whitney's cotton gin and Elihu Yale's university,
did I learn that he was no more Jewish
than Orville Redenbacher."


POETRY
Shiva Goes Surfing in Newfoundland
"I seem to recall a certain night in late September:
Waves curling with a fine precision
A turquoise light turning around again and again
And you declining my affections.
With genuine, effusive thanks."


THE OFFICIAL RALPH
Paradox-of-the-Month


GENERAL INDEX
A complete list of all books reviewed in RALPH,
arranged by title, including author, subject, and publisher,
plus a listing of all readings, articles and poems
that have appeared since 1994.


A PITHY SAMPLE
of our most notorious reviews
as collected in the hard-copy
"FOLIO"


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T H E  F A C T S
Submitting Books
The best way to get books to RALPH for review.
Submitting Reviews
Suggestions for would-be reviewers --- and payment schedule.
History
RALPH didn't spring full-blown from the brows of the gods:
     We've been around (in different guises) for over thirty years.     
The Fessenden Fund
Describing the good works of RALPH's official godparent
Copyright Notice
The Reginald A. Fessenden Educational Fund, Inc.

Lolita Lark, Editor-In-Chief
Post Office Box 16719
San Diego CA 92176

poo@cts.com


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