This tribute is several months overdue, but I was saddened to learn that Colin Fletcher, one of my heroes, passed away in June. Fletcher was the greatest and most eloquent author ever to write on the subject of camping and hiking, and although I've never backpacked in my life, Fletcher occupied a prominent place in my pantheon of writers on literary merits alone. (As one measure of my respect, several years ago, I wrote the original version of Fletcher's wholly inadequate entry on Wikipedia.)

If I were forced to reduce my library to only ten books, the third edition of The Complete Walker, which has been one of my favorite books since childhood, would have to be one of them. It's been a constant companion for more than fifteen years, a source of wisdom and entertainment, a book that nourished my dreams. I'm grateful to Fletcher in ways that I can barely express, and I can only hope that his spirit lives on.

Thanks to Gawker for this rather remarkable Craigslist ad, which is already making the rounds at Harvard. (You can see a screenshot of the original posting here.)

Harvard senior seeking female companion - 22
Date: 2007-09-17, 3:37PM EDT

My final club has a reunion this fall, and my relationship of two years ended disastrously earlier this summer. I have an invitation for myself plus one, and am willing to show you a great time. It is a private party, in an extremely classy setting. There is no real way to describe how ornate the club is, but I guarantee that it will be the most upscale experience of your life. Think back to your high school prom, take away the terrible music, and multiply the experience by ten.

You must be white, 5'6"-5'9", young, blonde, attractive, and intelligent. You must be in school, preferably Tufts or Wellesley but BU and BC are acceptable (definitely not MIT).

You should be able to hold a conversation, know when to be quiet, and polite in all your behavior. I have seen unruly guests embarrass members before, and I hope this won't be a problem. This event is black-tie, and I am willing to procure an evening gown for you.

I hate to sound so harsh, but I have expectations to live up to. No Asian, overweight, or unattractive women please. Ages 18-22 only.

I had always assumed that final clubs had more discreet ways of handling this sort of thing. Isn't that why they pay $40,000 in annual dues?

After years of effort, Almea emerged victorious at the 27th annual Seton Village Pie Baking Contest, held yesterday at my old neighborhood in Santa Fe. (I've blogged about the contest before.) While I'm not going to give away all of her secrets of success, the winning pie was a vegetable curry pie. We're already planning for next year - suggestions are always welcome.

From today's New York Times corrections: "A report on Oct. 24, 1988, about the marriage of Amy Levine and David Abrams, misstated where the bride received her undergraduate degree. She graduated from Brown University, not Boston University. Amy Abrams only recently called attention to the error."

I'm sad that I'll never have a chance to see Pavarotti, but on May 18, 2008, if all goes well, I'm going to see Domingo. (And maybe, someday, I'll see the other guy!)

Madeline L'Engle died yesterday at 88.

In a way, she was more responsible than any other author for making me realize that I wanted to become a writer.

I owe her more than I can say.