* Today at microcosms: a short poem by me.

* At qarrtsiluni, Donna Vorreyer's The Monsters Receive Their Briefing on Millennium Park. I love poems about Chicago. (Jessie! it mentions Cloud Gate!)

* In the 6/6/10 NYTBR, Wells Tower's recollection of reading The Bridges of Madison Country, which reminded me of Anthony Lane's account of his own encounter with the book ("I got my copy at the airport, behind a guy who was buying Playboy's Book of Lingerie, and I think he had the better deal. He certainly looked happy with his purchase, whereas I had to ask for a paper bag.")

* Stephen George editorializing in Nashville's City Paper on the 106th Tennessee General Assembly, which he summed up as "where they actually do something, the bills only hurt the state." Regarding their anti-illegal immigration efforts:

The Southern Baptist Convention's Richard Land is now publicly advocating, on behalf of his employer, a so-called path to citizenship for immigrants without legal status, joining the Catholic Church, major Jewish and Muslim groups, and God knows how many other, smaller religious sects in calling for a rational response to immigration reform. There are 104 Nashville churches affiliated with the SBC.

The General Assembly's largely symbolic action has highlighted the increasing distance between common sense and the elected officials who should be practicing it. And, perhaps more importantly, any group that makes the traditionally stiff SBC look progressive in comparison should have its humanity checked.

* My favorite segment of my Talking Library shifts is the final half-hour, which is split between obituaries and sports. Last week I got to read about Nadal winning the French open. This Monday I read assorted World Cup notes, including Cristiano Ronaldo's response to not having scored for 16 months: "Goals are like ketchup, you keep on forcing it, then it comes all at once."