The Balladeer brightens at her obvious interest, and the question about what he sings isn't enough to dim his enthusiasm. Hey, he dislikes them personally, but it's educational! "I do history, too! Just American, nothing as old as the Greeks...or the Romans," he adds wryly. Because if you want to hear about the merits of Julius Caesar's assassins for five goddamn hours...he knows a guy.

"Lots of ballads are about history," he continues, "or folk stories. That kind of thing. I bet there's some about Greek myths, too!"