Brian/cuchuflete, RIP.

Last week Brian Flesser, known in these parts as cuchuflete, let me know that he was in the ICU and not expected to last long (“Have had a good run for 79 yrs, so whatever happens is ok”); his wife Emma has given me the bitter news that his run was ended, and I wanted to share it with the Hattic community. He had been lurking here for many years but only started participating actively fairly recently; he sent me many excellent links for posting, and we exchanged friendly e-mails which on his part usually closed with Saludos or Até (“Brazilians love new slang and clipped phrases. Thus the closing of a letter, fully Até a próssima [until the next time…] is now usually nothing more than Até”). Once I asked him about his background, and he sent this: Failed phd at hopkins in Golden Age Spanish Philology. Rare book dealer, bartender/waiter for Baltimore slumlord, Wandered southern Europe playing music in cafes for food while learning Portuguese and Italian. Dropped into straight world…