I have always had a soft spot for Ezra Pound. Much of his poetry strikes me as off the mark, most likely because the historical circumstances under which it was concocted are beyond my understanding, but some of it delights me more than I would expect. He thus surprises me ever anew. Anyhow, I could not but read a review of a recent biography of his early years in The Economist (“A Solitary Volcano,” October 20, 2007). True to my experience with Pound, much of the review left me cold, but then I found a quote of his that delighted me no end: “All good art is realism of one kind or another.” Actually, the quote electrified me at once. First I thought of my writing, but then I also remembered my painting. Yes, realism is my forte. Realism of one kind or another, to be exact.