Borderlands 8

I am revisiting the borderlands as I become saturated by observances on the Odyssey.

As an undergrad, I once ran from the Odyssey, circumventing Continental Lit I by registering for the pilgrimage to Chaucer’s Canterbury.

Years later, as a law student, I traced the many twists and turns through countless detours, passing statutes, opinions and key numbers like cenotaphs.

Now, cinematic backflow has washed up the story’s core nostalgia. The story of a return (nóstos) is in the pain (álgos) of the past.

The pains (álgea) actually come first—in line 4, followed by the return (nóston) in line 5. That etymology is old news.

But nostalgia is still news that stays news, dry and brittle underfoot.