Welcome, Signor Alighieri.

Dark, those woods, aren’t they? Full of predators, too. If you’ll step inside this cave….

I’ll be your guide. Here, you’ll encounter philosophy, as little politics as can be managed, baseball, a bit of cricket (well, the soundtrack is by Messrs Hannon and Walsh, after all, The Duckworth Lewis Method, and Mr. Hannon is the frontman of The Divine Comedy); culture, or the lack thereof; writing tips and book reviews; some criticism; and a right smart of history.

Oh – and check your hope at the door.