I once, in print, referred to Harold Bloom as George Steiner without the sense of humor, which was, as Senator Claghorn used to say, "A joke, I say, that's a joke, son," because more humorless than Steiner human beings do not come.

Sehr schön, sehr bösartig, sehr treffend und auch in dem, was er übers Unterrichten schreibt, sehr sympathisch: Joseph Epsteins Abrechnung mit George Steiner.

And I should like to add that I don't think I learned a thing from my students, except that, as one student evaluation informed me, I tend to jingle the change in my pocket.

[via arts and letters daily]