Letters to the Editor

I WAS delighted that Loyd Grossman sees the obelisk as ‘the mark of every great city’ (‘), but it may also be the mark of a minor country house. I obtained ours not from the sands of Egypt, but from that other repository of wonders—eBay. Lacking the requisite number of Nubian slaves, I did need to borrow a forklift, then dig a hole for the footings. However, unlike the Roman sluggards’ efforts, this edifice was built in a day. The hollow base is ideal for stashing