one of the most enjoyable classes i had at university was a course on chaucer.  my classmates were smart & funny.  the professor was erudite & crafty.  the text was that big red riverside edition of the complete works of chaucer.  a great book.  indeed the professor [i'm sorry if i have forgotten his name, we are talking 20 years ago now, so my apologies to you professor, you were a wonderful teacher] read us the poems, gave us their history, explained that one does not have to literally translate the word 'yclept' because one just needs to grasp its feeling in much the same way we feel the word 'cool' to mean good or well or okay or great or special.

in other words, accept chaucer on his terms & read him historically.  he was not a 21st C sort of dude.  still, chaucer was a humanist, & earthy, & very funny.  so imagine my delight to learn that chaucer tweets.  his account is chaucer doth tweet.  who says social media is used only for evil.  for on this platform the earthy, loving humanist poet writes for the denizens of the 21st C.

i love this recent tweet from the great poet

Be kynde
Be weirde
Read olde stuff and newe stuff
Make art  

how do you top that?  that is so well said it should become a tattoo on all of us who live by & in art.

& so for this father's day let me wish all parents, mothers & fathers, & children, & grandparents, & grand babies, & families of all shapes, sizes & persuasions, peace, love & kindness.

we are here only once, & for such a short time.  best to be kind to each other.  i think chaucer has tweeted about just that thing.