Irony of the day (so far): On p. 4 of the New York Times, an article on how American appetite for avocados is depleting the forests of Mexico; on p. 2 of the Food section of the same paper: a recipe for avocado salad.

My book "Love: A History in Five Fantasies" is now out in Russian translation. Unfortunately, I can't make heads or tails of it, but it's really gratifying even so.

It's hard to send out seasons' greetings cards with the word PEACE on them (in so many cases pre-printed) in the light of the present news, and hard not to see how weak that wish and imperative is in the face of the momentum for war.

Just finished Mann's Dr Faustus, which ends with a lament for Germany which, like Mann's hero, consigned its soul to the Devil. Would not Mann today end with a lament for all nations, all too complacent in the face of human suffering? May 2024 bring sanity.

For everyone interested in where emotions studies are today, do Zoom in to this conference einsteinforum.de/tagung/a-matte… at the beginning of February. Registration is now open. See you there!

My interview with Nidal Taibi about love in general and my book "Love. Histoire d'un sentiment" in particular has just been published in levif.be/societe/. I am pleased, but unfortunately, I think you need a subscription to read it!

I realized that I could post the interview with Nidal Taibi about love on my Academia.edu page. So please access it there if you like.

The DSpace platform where the History of Emotions lectures are hosted has been improved. Users can now stream the videos (rather than having to download and play locally) and subtitles can be toggled on and off. The lectures are here: mars.gmu.edu/collections/49…

Do come to the Newberry Library Symposium on Social and Moral (and I would add Emotional) Communities, April 18-19, 2024 newberry.org/calendar/socia…

Une précision : il ne s'agira pas d'évoquer la réception de /La nouvelle histoire du Moyen Âge/. Mais plutôt de cerner comment la réception des théories "guerraldiennes" éclaire la dynamique actuelle de la médiévistique. L'objectif est de décaler le débat, à mon petit niveau ;)

If you live in or around Chicago, do join me on April 18-19 for the conference on Social and Moral Communities. newberry.org/calendar/socia… No surprise: I will talk about Emotional Communities.

I just finished my book on the history of the feelings of old age. How do I feel? Relieved, amazed ... and hoping that I did justice to the topic. The emotions of the elderly are as varied as the elderly themselves. Then imagine multiplying that by eras!

"Africa and Byzantium," once at the Met, is now at the Cleveland Museum of Art, a fantastic place in its own right. I just returned from the museum with visions of Ethiopian saints dancing in my head, reminding me (probably not incidentally) of Romanesque Catalan church art.

This beautiful image from a loutrophoros (Apulia) BM 1900.0519.1 shows Hecuba and Polymestor. Please help me with the iconography. What is Hecuba holding in her right hand? Is P pointing to his eyes because he is already blind? What is he holding in his left hand? Thank you!

I invite anyone who will be in or near Avignon on July 8 afternoon (14h30) to hear my talk on the anger of Hecuba (and others) at the Cloître St-Louis, 20 rue du Portail Boquier. See festival-avignon.com/en/edition-202…

Imagine for a moment the excitement if Biden were to withdraw from the next election. All eyes would be on the Democrats. Any candidate they chose would be the subject of countless reports, articles, headlines. No one but Proud Boys would give a second thought to Trump.

In our terrible world of war and famine, my book on love has been translated into Arabic. Does it matter? I don't know, but I'm very happy about it anyway.

Do watch, if you can, my presentation on Friday, Aug 9, 11:00-13:00 Mexican time on the experiences that influenced and inspired me to become an historian of emotions and my trajectory thereafter.

My presentation yesterday, "Animating Narratives," is on YouTube now if it interests you! youtube.com/live/_f64HEB-V…

I cannot praise enough the brilliant interviewer Montserrat Iglesias Festival de las Ideas, with the equally marvelous Aida as simultaneous interpreter. And tonight an interview with the equally incredible Javier Moscoso. This Festival is one of the Wonders of the World!