East of Eden

Caleb is a complex character, sometimes known as “he who goes against the current”. A Jewish name meaning "dog-like" in the sense of fleet-footed (as the hound overtakes the deer, which is the model of fleetness in Semitic lore). It was the middle name I chose when I altered my birth certificate. I have very little recollection about why I chose this name although I remember spending some time looking through genealogy books. And then there I was, at the Piazza Maggiore in Bologna watching the Elia Kazan film, “East of Eden”. The first role for James Dean and his character is named Cal, short for Caleb. Cal has a good ring to it even though that is the first time I have heard it so. Movie stars. That's a bit of Phillips tradition with mum being named after Judy Garland.