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Foote Diary: January 2nd, 1985
Cold; 30 degrees at 7:30, with newspaper prediction of snow. Isaiah here, re-erecting and stabilizing a section of fence that fell down over New Year’s holiday. Read Shakespeare’s Tempest a good choice for the first book of the year. Finished it by noon- a joy miracle of language.
Thawed and cooked a half pound packet of chicken livers for Booker, with sautéed onion. He was downright delighted. Midday phone call from Gwyn and Hug’s- in Venice, they took a tram from Paris last night, a sleeping car; reached Milan this morning, changed trains, and were in Venice by noon- propped up in a luxury hotel. Gwyn says shes crazy about it already.
Began Tacitus’ Agricola; will finish it tomorrow, then go on to Germania, of which I’ve read before, despite my fondness for Tacitus all these past years.
Saul a bad, violent movie, “Scarface,” with Al Pacino…..? the old 30’s version with E.Q. Robinson and George Raft.
Asleep by midnight.