“Hesperos” was the Greek name for the planet Venus in its role of evening star. It forebodes the night. “Hesperian” seems to me an apt term for one who gazes at the star and contemplates what will come after it sets. From my introductory post, the reader may infer something about my own contemplations.
The Hesperian is a successor to a website (now defunct) and a blog, each named “Stromata” (ancient Greek for “miscellany”, modern Greek for “mattress”). I couldn’t keep the old moniker, because a Substack dealing with the writings of the Church Fathers has claimed it. (Stromata was a work of Clement of Alexandria, an early and somewhat eccentric theologian who taught the more than eccentric Origen.) I do, however, intend to honor the spirit of “Stromata” and to range widely. My interests extend well beyond politics, embracing inter alia history of all kinds, economics, retirement policy, Orthodox Christianity, science fiction and fantasy, wargaming, baseball, and the pseudo-controversy over the authorship of the works of Shakespeare. From time to time, I may exhume, update and edit posts from my old venues, particularly during spells of musa invita.
My intention is to publish regularly each Monday morning and irregularly throughout the rest of the week. It is also my intention not to erect a paywall, which would probably bring me little revenue and would certainly deprive me of readers who disagree with my points of view. Anyone who would like to subsidize my writing may purchase my works of fiction, which I am vain enough to imagine that some of you will enjoy.
Succinct résumé: For the past forty-some years, I have practiced law, primarily in the field of pension plans and other employee benefits. Having retired from a major law firm, I now maintain a boutique practice behind the shingle “ERISA Cavalry PLLC”. For even longer than forty years, I have been active in science fiction fandom. In 2000, I chaired the World Science Fiction Convention and in 2013 received the Forrest J Ackerman Big Heart Award for service to fandom. After many years in metropolises (New York, Chicago, D.C.), I settled a few years ago in semi-rural Spanaway, Washington, where I live with my wife, three dogs, two cats and a few thousand books and wargames.
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