But Erica Mann Jong is, alas, just as patriarchal as Erica Jong. When Thomas Mann's daughter, Erika, was alive, the confusion of names bothered me. My parents had met and admired Thomas Mann. They loved his daughter's name and wished creativity upon me. Erica means white flower in German, and queen in old Scandinavian, but to them, it meant writer.

optimistic locking

"That was a pretty bit of muslin hanging on your arm—who was she?” asked the fascinating student.

His philosophy is basically ecumenist.