My Favorite Things Vermont
1. Calypso song about a Vermont native: "Guests of Rudy Vallee", and of course Vallee was a central figure behind the popularization of calypso in the United States.
2. Philosopher: John Dewey. I can’t actually stand to read him, but if you recast everything he said, you can come up with some profound positions.
3. Undeserving Nobel Laureate: Pearl Buck.
4. Man with an iron rail through his brain: Phineas Gage.
5. Composer: Carl Ruggles – his 16-minute Sun Treader is one of the most underappreciated pieces of great American music.
That’s all I can think of right now. I’m headed up to Middlebury for a day and a bit, as guest of David Colander.