Apropos is operated by only one person--even though he, too, is only a node within a network of senders and receivers--Rutger H. Cornets de Groot.

Translating, writing, and the Cornets de Groot name are inextricably entwined. Hugo Grotius, celebrated forefather, is known for his escape in a bookcase from the Prince of Holland. It remains to be a beguiling metaphor for authorship: the word as vehicle to a free world. Of course, it should not be forgotten to climb out of the bookcase when in safety.

Hugo's great-grandson, Adrian David Cornets de Groot, was the first to set down a formal set of grammar rules for the Javanese language. Adrian's great-grandson, Piet, was a language prodigy fluent in 10 languages. Piet's son, Rudy Cornets de Groot, published 15 volumes of highly-acclaimed novels and essays on Dutch literature, and was a teacher of Dutch. Please visit his legacy here.

Noblesse oblige. Rudy's son, Rutger, currently publishes articles on literature and film in various Dutch news and literary magazines, including Tirade, Raster, and Yang. A selection of his essays can be accessed by clicking here.

"We say in vain, 'He has grown, he has changed'; he is also the same" - Blaise Pascal.