Yesterday I had lunch in Coral Gables with my friend David. David is also a writer, and his house is filled with books, literally; they rise in impressive piles on his living room floor. It helps (or doesn't, depending on one's taste in interior design) that he works in a bookstore.
David lives within walking distance of the University of Miami and often uses the library. Nevertheless, he had only heard vague rumblings about problems with the athletic program. I filled him in on all the sordid details of the investigation, which didn't surprise him.
"Whenever I've heard one of the players interviewed," he said, "they don't sound as if they can read."
After lunch we walked to Publix, where David bought his weekly lottery tickets. On the way out he quoted a line about betting from Flann O'Brien's At Swim-Two-Birds.