I’m about to head to the airport here in Phoenix to fly home, but I couldn’t hit the road without telling you what a fantastic time I had here. I spent most of yesterday at Veritas Prep, a public charter school that runs on the classical model (it’s part of the Great Hearts network). It was incredibly impressive, and I’m going to write a separate entry on it when I am not in such a rush. Last night I gave a talk about Dante, and who should show up but our very own Darth Thulhu, pictured above. It meant the world to me that he drove up all the way from Tucson just to hear me talk.

I had some great meals here too, but was chagrined to find this morning that half the VFYTs I took — yesterday’s lunch of beautiful and delicious bruschetta at Postino, and last night’s glorious meal at The Mission, which included chorizo porchetta and a side of ghost chile pepper salsa — were too blurry for use. Grrr. But I did get this shot of beer and tacos at a joint called Ohso:

And here’s breakfast at my hipster, Don-Draper-committed-adultery-here hotel, the Valley Ho:

A reader of this blog with whom I’ve corresponded but never met gave me an incredible present when we first met here:

Can you imagine? How unbelievably generous. I’m so grateful. I did not know how much I liked Phoenix. I do now. Boy, do I. Look for a Great Hearts post on Monday, when I’ve had time to think about it. Off to the airport now.