The Stockyards Across Space and Time - Marvin was a wonderful host and guide. Although we moved to the northeastern reaches of the metroplex more than a year ago, exploring the west side of DFW was something that needed an occasion. Marvin made it a great occasion by itself. For a few hours, we walked and talked about the emergence of Fort Worth as an independent economic engine in the region, then a potent political force in the development of the area, then as a kind of microcosm for Americana in the long first half of the twentieth century. His sensitivity to both our own intellectual interests, attention to local idiosyncrasies and focus on our enjoyment of the tour was excellent. Even where some of the usual challenges of paperwork and other couples "no-showing" the booking should have been vexatious, he was a consummate host and never made us feel any sort of stress in a situation where flux and change was necessarily frequent. If you have the chance to spend an afternoon with a polyglot like Marvin on a food tour of the Fort Worth Stockyards, do so.