Rubel, just a belated word to say that's a really neat critique of De Profundis. Exactly my own reaction, but I'd have had to use a lot more words to get it across.

Rick, I'm aware of your longstanding respect for Quentin Crisp. Believe me, Oscar had all his qualities in spades, and maybe even some more. Try to read what he said in the witness box and in the dock at his trials (all of which had to be genuinely ad-libbed of course); the Soul of Man Under Socialism, and the Ballad, which even if not fine verse, shows the depth of the man, and how enormously compassionate he was. It's almomst regrettable that he was so clever - it has tended to obscure his other qualities (which is true of QC too, in terms of how he is generally perceived and remembered).

I think you're right about Stephen Fry though - I'm sure he got as near to the man as we're ever going to get.