Cool Beowulf

I read from Beyond Beowulf at a “Literary Coffee House” in the Bethlehem CT Public Library along with many others. There was a retired stock broker, a school teacher, two nuns from Central Casting, some teen-age boys from a nearby prep school, and several others. At intermission and before I had read, I noticed that one of the boys had picked up a copy of BB and was looking for a way to pay for it. I made myself available. “Is this really the sequel to Beowulf,” he asked. “Yes, it is,” said I. “Cool,” said he.

I continued to mingle with the crowd and encountered another young man with my book. “Hwaet! Wē Gār-Dena in geār dagum Theod-cyninga thrym gefrūnon,” he said. “Oththe fyres feng oththe flōdes wylm Oththe gripe mēces oththe gāres fliht,” I responded.

So is Beowulf a timeless classic or not?