Variable

Why diminished energies today? Must be the humidity.
Man, just started a novel by Angela Carter called Nights at the Circus, and it is fantastic, in just about every way. An erudite feller from the book group called her a "neo fabulist." Whatever she is considered to be by the literary communities, she is fabulous, even if she's dead and gone.
Here's a voice living on and bringing delight and admiration, at least from this little small potato fan. Opening paragraph of Carter's novel Nights at the Circus:
"'Lor' love you, sir!' Fevvers sang out in a voice that clanged like dustbin lids. 'As to my place of birth, why, I first saw light of day right here in smokey old London, didn't I! Not billed the "Cockney Venus", for nothing, sir, though they just as well 'ave called me "Helen of the High Wire", due to the unusual circumstances in which I come ashore - for I never docked via what you might call the normal channels, sir, on, dear me, no; but, just like Helen of Troy, was hatched.'"
It gets more and more marvelous as it goes on.