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| 03 July 2008 |
| Poetry Break |
While putting together selections of stories and poetry for my Senior AP class, I happened upon the following two poems by Edwin Arlington Robinson. I've always rather admired Robinson for his sense of the ironic, but the first of these two poems, "New England," really hits home. This is the atmosphere I grew up in--where "reserve" is the nicest word one can apply to the kind off coolness that New England society breeds. As for the second poem, well, it's about the Flying Dutchman--that's just inherently cool.
Edwin Arlington Robinson - "New England"
Here where the wind is always north-north-east
And children learn to walk on frozen toes,
Wonder begets an envy of all those
Who boil elsewhere with such a lyric yeast
Of love that you will hear them at a feast
Where demons would appeal for some repose,
Still clamoring where the chalice overflows
And crying wildest who have drunk the least.
Passion is here a soilure of the wits,
We're told, and Love a cross for them to bear;
Joy shivers in the corner where she knits
And Conscience always has the rocking-chair,
Cheerful as when she tortured into fits
The first cat that was ever killed by Care.
Edwin Arlington Robinson - "The Flying Dutchman"
UNYIELDING in the pride of his defiance,
Afloat with none to serve or to command,
Lord of himself at last, and all by Science,
He seeks the Vanished Land.
Alone, by the one light of his one thought,
He steers to find the shore from which we came,
Fearless of in what coil he may be caught
On seas that have no name.
Into the night he sails; and after night
There is a dawning, though there be no sun;
Wherefore, with nothing but himself in sight,
Unsighted, he sails on.
At last there is a lifting of the cloud
Between the flood before him and the sky;
And then--though he may curse the Power aloud
That has no power to die--
He steers himself away from what is haunted
By the old ghost of what has been before,--
Abandoning, as always, and undaunted,
One fog-walled island more. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 11:04 AM
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| 02 July 2008 |
| WALL-E Redux |
Since I was actually physically incapable of saying much about the film, I point you toward James Lileks' incredibly astute, spot-on review:
The Bleat
In addition, he is today responding to the "fallout," email responses to his review from people who are far too caught up in their own politics to enjoy one of the finest films in, well, ever. He says:
Look: it’s a pro-human movie. Really. That’s the point of it all, wrapped up in metaphor and parable and satire. If it is impossible to even lampoon consumer culture as a force that invites a loose, agreeable, consensual form of collectivism – one that distracts people from more pressing matters occasionally - then we’re getting entirely too touchy. Besides, all the conservative critiques of contemporary culture can be found in the movie, if you look for them – the culture of the humans in the future is infantile, sensational, oral, banal. People who bitch about network TV ought to love this, because the culture 700 years hence is the logical end result of the idiot stew pumped out by the networks.
What kashi and I have been talking about for several days now is that the issues this film raises (which are only bloody tangential to its main point anyway) are moral issues, not political ones. The environmental stuff in the film is the set-up for the story, not the point of the story. You want to create a situation with a lonely robot as the last creature on the planet after humanity makes a mass exodus? Well, turning the planet into a garbage heap's a darn good way. Consumerism? Look, we've been materialistic since the nineteenth century at least. Melville criticises it Moby Dick. That great conservative of the twentieth century, T.S. Eliot, criticised it relentlessly. And suddenly now it's the "out" thing for a conservative to do? Right. Anyone who knows me or has heard me rant about that pathetic and lame excuse for a novel Ishmael that our school had as summer reading a couple years ago knows that I am no fan of the environmentalist agenda. That said, we are supposed to be stewards of the earth. Thus we are to use its bounty to the best of our abilities and needs, but not trash the place in the process. Eliot's Waste Land was mostly spiritual and cultural, but it was physical, too. The land did not not breed life anymore. And Prufrock's "yellow fog" was not a mere trick of the light, my friends. Can you guess what that might have been? Artists have nearly always been politically motivated in some way, especially in the twentieth century. If I couldn't separate a message in a work of art from the work itself, I'd never watch another film or listen to music again. I mean, Green Day has some of the most atrociously liberal (heck, anarchic for that matter) lyrics, but at the same time they make good music (well, now they do--they've grown a lot in the last decade). Point being, there is a difference between what the work of art is, and what the artist may or may not be trying to say. Learn to tell the difference.
So, yeah, people just need to get off their dead horses and learn to enjoy something that is beautiful--a story that is about individuals (robot and human) making a connection with each other and learning to act for themselves instead of just waiting around for everything to come to them. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 7:37 AM
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| 01 July 2008 |
| Visual Stimuli |
Now that I'm back on something more akin to a vacation-like schedule, I figured it was about time to get on with catching-up.
To begin with, the biggest addiction ever: Battlestar Galactica. I remember the original series from my youth as fun and exciting, but it's got nothing on the new series. I'd been hesitant to watch it at all because the ads I'd seen really did not do it justice. But when one of kashi's co-workers lent her the first season, we decided to give it a shot, and were pretty much hooked right away. First of all--very little pseudo-science. Much like the excellent Firefly, Galactica goes for a more gritty, realistic approach in telling good stories about textured, interesting characters. And there's some darn good action, as well, which never hurts. We've made it through the first three seasons, and will now, alas, have to wait for the current season to hit dvd so we can find out what happens. Definitely a worthwhile show (and since it comes from the Sci-Fi Channel, something of a miracle, given their track record). Also, it gave us the usage (as I mentioned previously somewhere) of the neologism "frak." We thought it silly and cheesy at first (which it is), but it quickly became addictive. It's nice having an inoffensive, non-curse word substitute for curse words--especially since it is silly, which reduces the anger factor which seems to be one of the major problems with cursing in the first place. For me, anyway.
Okay, end digression.
We did not get to see many movies during the year, but the ones we did were mostly excellent, with one exception.
I Am Legend
Though radically different from the novel in several ways (which annoys the purists to no end), the new film version of the Richard Matheson novel (and the only version to keep the novel's title) is pure excellence. kashi and I screened it before I took my Horror Lit class to view it, and though the suspense was a bit much for kashi, I absolutely adored it, and found that subsequent viewing improved it. To begin with, it tells a beautiful, affecting story while using good elements of horror and never once straying into the destructive land of most zombie movies and abominations like Saw. Brilliant economy of storytelling throughout, but especially in the opening with an immediate cut from the setup to the after effects--no time at all is wasted in showing the fallout of man's overwhelming pride in believing he can fix everything, because it's unnecessary. The process of apocalypse is unnecessary if the results are clear enough--and the hauntingly barren New York streets and skyline are quite clear. Will Smith continues to prove that he can be a powerful performer, mostly because he's so darn human, and so very earnest in his portrayal of characters. One of the things I didn't care for in the novel (though it wasn't a big issue) and I suspect the naysayers about the movie did approve of was the rather dispassionate qualities of the character, and the narrative for that matter. It's a stoic, bleak world, and an even more bleak ending. What I liked about this film was that it managed to be tragic yet still hopeful. Life will out, this movie says. We can be saved, if we have faith. I suppose that view isn't modern enough for the purists. And the novel is very modern (though let me be clear--it is an excellent novel, just not brimming with hope for humanity). On the other hand, there's an alternate ending to the film which is in fact too hopeful--very Hollywood, very cheesy, very lame. The filmmakers chose well in not using this ending. In the end, the film gives me hope that good horror can still be made.
Enchanted
The opening sequence of this film (and several other smaller bits throughout) was the first major production using traditional, hand-drawn animation in some years, and thus we were obligated to see it (having an animator as a wife comes with certain rules, and since those rules involve watching movies, one can hardly complain about one's lot in life). First, the animation (which was done by James Baxter, who's done amazing work for both Disney and Dreamworks) is absolutely gorgeous. To all the harbingers of the demise of 2D animation out there: this is proof of just how absolutely wrong you are. And then the live-action portion of the movie is both delightful and infinitely rewatchable. One of my favourite aspects is that the current girlfriend of the male protagonist (who, of course, must be displaced by our herione according to romance plot rules) is not an unlikable harpy who gets her comeuppance in the end. She is, in fact, a decent and strong woman in her own right, and merely not the person for our hero. Much of the film is an homage to the classic Disney tropes, and so in that may be considered cliché, but otherwise it avoids the usual egregious clichés it might have fallen into. A great film all around.
Beowülf
And then, we have a wretched, wretched mistake. I think I can even avoid going on and on complaining how this movie is not like the poem, that it strays from the story too far. Well, I could go on and on, but that aspect is so obvious, it doesn't need mentioning. And as can be seen above, I'm not so much of a purist that I don't understand some changes need to be made in adapting a work. The problem for me is the choices they made in adapting, the story they chose to tell, which is flawed and horrible and wrong. Our culture needs more heroes today. It does not need to see the hero demythologised as a thoughtless, lying brute who is a slave to his hormones. We do not need to be led to believe that humans are terrible people who can't actually commit truly heroic actions and that monsters may not really be all that monstrous, but merely misunderstood victims. Even all of this aside, the movie simply was wretched to look at. Robert Zemeckis again proves he's fallen a far way off from the brilliance he demonstrated with Back to the Future by giving us lousy, wooden, zombie-like performances through mo-cap, which should be used for little else besides video game production unless you've got a team of highly skilled animators to flesh out the motion and make it flow. The dragon was very well done, I admit, but then that was pure animation, not a reliance on mo-cap. Ultimately, this was a throroughly disappointing piece of dreck created by people who don't seem to believe in much beyond the baser, more primal instincts of humanity.
And there you have it. The visual year as far as my experience covered it.
Next chance I get to expound upon anything at length will likely be a discourse on why William Faulkner is the greatest author after Shakespeare. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 8:17 AM
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| Colloquium Essay |
So, today brought the colloquium to an end, and we were assigned something a bit different for our morning writing. Yesterday, they gave us a heads-up so we could be thinking about it in advance and bring our ideas ready to write, since they wanted volunteers to share with the whole group. The assignment was thus: choose any of the poems from the collection and connect it with any of the stories we've treated, pulling in short references to as many of the other works as we can.
Last night, then, I jotted some notes, and today wrote a ton on "The Lovesong of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot and "Patriotism" by Yukio Mishima (see below). I pulled a bit in from what I've written on the story in the last few days (you may note a couple of lines from the post below), but most of the following was written this morning. I'm pretty darned pleased with it, though I ran out of time, so the end is rushed, and missing more references I'd intended to include to other stories. But I was also the first to volunteer to read (my UD profs would've been shocked, I'm sure, but at least now I can tell my students that I do practice what I preach!), and everyone seemed impressed. So, you tell me. Here it is:
Personal Action in "Prufrock" and "Patriotism"
A Study in Opposites
"Do I dare eat a peach?" (122) Question of the ages, or a mark of sheer pathetic failure? The inaction of J. Alfred Prufrock stands as a mark of the inadequacy of modern man, yet the complete commitment of Lieutenant Shinji Takeyama and his wife Reiko in Mishima's "Patriotism" demonstrates that humanity may not be lost in the contemporary world.
Our relationships, either personal or social, are defined by the choices we make, and our willingness to act upon those choices, as well as the beliefs we hold. The essential problem of Prufrock is that he cannot act because he cannot even manage to make a choice, to commit to anything. Because he cannot bring himself to even speak to women, but rather allows himself to be reduced to a mere insect, "pinned and wriggling on the wall" (58) by what they might be thinking about him, and out of fear that should he speak, should he engage them, or, God forbid, pose that "overwhelming question" (10), a romantic involvement might ensue and he then might be vulnerable to rejection and failure—because he cannot do this, his life of "indecisions" (32) and "revisions" (33) crush, cripple, and ultimately "drown" him (131). Prufrock is the ultimate slacker. "There will be time, there will be time" (26). Why do anything in the now, when we can put it off for later? Surely later will be just as effective as now. Surely nothing will prevent these actions if we just delay a bit longer. And a bit longer. And a bit longer. And yet, when we look at Prufrock's world, we see what his inaction has created. It is a world "etherised," insensate, with "half-deserted streets," "one night cheap hotels," and "sawdust restaurants," of superficial people and blankets of pollution (2-7). Prufrock's is a static world where right relationships cannot develop. And he is this world's spokesman.
On the other hand, Shinji and Reiko, is "Patriotism," treat their marriage with the sacred devotion it requires. There is no question for them, no doubt. From the opening of the story, and throughout, we know that Shinji is honourable, that he holds the structure and honour of the Empire as the highest ideal, that his death is not an act of weakness, but one of loyalty to something greater than himself. Further, we know the measure of Reiko, whose loyalty to her husband is also without fault. She is, as is the lieutenant, a subject only by choice—because it is right, it is good, it is most just to submit to this highest ideal. Shinji sees a potential breakdown of the honour of the system in which he lives; if he, an Imperial soldier, attacks other Imperials, then he degrades not only himself, but the Empire as well. Suicide, distasteful as it may be to us in the West, is the only way he can remain honourable. Given this choice, he does not hesitate, does not shrink from this action. What must it take to commit to such an action? And what strength, what love must be required to witness this act, and them commit the same? Are we today ready to choose such a course if it be required? Prufrock certainly isn't. But shouldn't every one of us ask ourselves these questions in our own relationships—our own commitments? Not in the way of suicide, of course, but for devotion to something outside of ourselves. The suicide in the story is no trifling matter. It is done for the highest ideal and, in the case of the wife, for love. Though the act, the manner of demonstrating the commitment, is different, is this not what Christians are called to do? Are we not asked to defend the Faith in word and deed, with our lives if necessary? Though suicide does not square with our beliefs, the commitment behind it does—it is a giving up of ourselves for others, or for some concept that is above us, that is an ultimate good. Throughout the story, Shinji and Reiko's thoughts are not of themselves, but of each other. The narrator notes that their passion was not merely of the physical variety, but also that "their hearts were sober and serious" (146). The couple understands the necessity of commitment, and they act upon that understanding. "The lieutenant was resolved" and "there was no room for vacillation" (147). The ritual suicide is, then merely a reflection of the devotion these two lovers exhibit in every part of their lives. As Shinji is devoted to honour, he is also fully committed to his relationship with his wife, and she to him. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Prufrock, who is more concerned with his baldness than committing and acting. Prufrock cannot ask that "overwhelming question" because he cannot fathom devotion to something outside himself.
Nor, it should be noted, can Aylmer in "The Birthmark" by Hawthorne. While Aylmer's devotion to knowledge, to science can be admired, it must be remembered that this devotion comes at the expense of his wife. Because he cannot accept Georgiana's flaw, his inhumanity—a cold, unfeeling rationalism that cannot grasp what true beauty is—destroys what he ought to have loved. In Georgiana, we have elements of both spirit and earth. Aylmer, as representative of the mind, completes her in the bond of marriage. However, Aylmer's inhuman action, his unwillingness to love even the flaw of his wife, breaks her connection (and the connection inherent in the marriage) to the divine. Ultimately, his inability to commit fully, and accept her fully, is a rejection of the sacred bond of marriage. In them, then, we see a negative image of Shinji and Reiko. Both Reiko and Georgiana show unerring devotion to their husbands, but Aylmer fails where Shinji succeeds, in devoting himself to something outside himself.
Thus, in closing, we have a choice—to reject choice and action, like Prufrock, or to commit ourselves fully to others and to the Good, to give ourselves over to something greater than we are. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 3:25 PM
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| 22 June 2008 |
| Patriotism |
Unfortunately, I've been unable to locate an online version of the short story "Patriotism" by Mishima Yukio, but if you can locate a copy in a library or an anthology somewhere, please read this wonderful story. It's one of the stories we've had to read in the colloquium I've been attending, and I found it to be one of the most powerful, beautiful, moving stories I've read in a long time.
It's by no means an easy read, as it involves a very descriptive presentation of seppuku, but I think it's an absolutely necessary read in these slacker days where a commitment involves a vague attempt to decide what fast food restaurant to eat at, or if one is really serious about committing, what form of contraception to use (and never, alas, a consideration of morality in said hypothetical decision). Sure, it involves cultural aspects that don't fit with a Western mindset (and one could argue that they don't much apply to the modern Japanese, either), but ultimately, I think the idea of commitment to an ideal higher than ourselves, the concept that some things really are worth dying for (or at the very least worth defending and standing up for) is infinitely applicable to our culture these days.
I put this out there primarily because I was greatly moved by the story. It's wonderfully appropriate to the Senior AP class I'll be teaching this year on Sovereignty and Stewardship, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what the students make of it. But also, as things fell out in the colloquium, the story has been a point of severe anger on my part these last couple days. Not, it should be clarified, because of the story itself, but because of the lecturer who presented it. The lecturer made certain at the outset to state that we cannot of course judge a culture as radically different from ours as the traditional Japanese using our own cultural standards. Sounds good, right? For truly, it's really hard to understand ritual suicide from a western perspective which sees suicide not only as sinful but as a sign of weakness. Alas, as she proceeded, she went right in and did just that--cast judgement upon the story and the characters and even to some extent the author from a western perspective.
I don't normally get riled by bad interpretations (well, okay, that may not be 100% true...), but this one felt like there was an axe what needed grinding, and at the same time it was offensive to tradition, a rather beautiful and easily misunderstood tradition at that. The position was one that did not understand what honour truly is (from any cultural perspective, I might add). And I think what really clinched it for me was that no real discussion time was allowed over this, and thus no chance to counter the lecturer's inane and hostile reading of the story. (This is, in fact, one of the biggest failings of the colloquium--too mush time devoted to the lectures and not nearly enough to teachers coming together to discuss these stories. What can I say? I love Socrates.)
Each day we begin with a 30-minute writing session on pre-chosen selections from the day's stories. Since I was denied the opportunity to share mine that day, I'm posting them here. Should you be able to read the story, I hope you might look back on these musings, and perhaps even email me your own reflections, of any disagreements. For anyone else, with the exception of a few brief references to the story, these reflections are mostly idea-driven, and should be accessible to anyone. (By the way, I reveal really nothing here in the way of spoilers, as the ending of the story is revealed in the opening paragraph, which is the selection we were to write upon.)
Devotion. Pure and simple, and rendered gorgeously. Devotion to ideals beyond oneself, to a sense of justice and commitment, to love and right action. The opening of "Patriotism" is profoundly powerful and beautiful in the stark simplicity with which the author paints these acts of devotion. It is interesting that the entire story is here contained--that ultimately we do not need the detail and description given in the remainder of the story to fill in the how and the why (though this unfolding itself is beautiful and moving). Here, in this short paragraph, we know all. We know that Shinji is honourable, that he holds the structure and honour of the Empire as the highest ideal, that his death is not an act of weakness, but one of loyalty. He is no mutineer. Further, we know the measure of Reiko, whose loyalty to her husband is also without fault. She is, as is the lieutenant, a subject only by choice--because it is right, it is good, it is most just to submit to this highest ideal. And here, I think, is where we really hit the point of the story--choice. In the face of injustice, what do we choose? Can something that in the west we look upon as weakness (as in "Oh, he couldn't handle it so he offed himself") actually be noble? And what must it take to commit to such a course of action? And what strength, what love must be required to witness this act, and then commit the same? Are we ready to choose such a course of action if it is required--and is this not the same choice the martyr must make? And shouldn't every one of us ask ourselves this question before we commit to marriage?
This last question, I admit, came into my mind off a conversation my wife and I once had. Somewhat humourous, but at the same time deadly serious. We were talking about vampires, and she said to me, "If I ever become a vampire...." She did not need to finish the statement nor ask the question. I knew what she was getting at (as the married will do) and cut in with, "In a heartbeat. I'll drive a stake through your cold, undead heart, my love." And she was glad of it. Because that's the response, if you're truly commited to love, and the necessary salvation of the souls of those you love.
So, um, yeah. There you go. If you can, read this story. It's worth it, and it contains something we're in sore need of these days. In me own 'umble opinion, of course.
Note: Our local library has the 5th ed. of Norton's anthology of short fiction, which has the story in it. I imagine, it should be available in most libraries.
UPDATE
A friend sent me a link to the story online! Thanks Rufel! So, go. Read. Enjoy. "Patriotism" |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 6:42 PM
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| 08 June 2008 |
| Brief Interlude in the Whole Catching Up Business |
So, my Horror Lit class, as the first (and they would argue best), decided they really wanted their own t-shirts. I could do nothing officially, of course, because then it would need to go through proper channels, get admin approval, and the shirts still couldn't be worn at school because of dress code regulations. But I did allow a sort of contest amongst them, and the winner was set up on Cafepress so that those who wanted a shirt could get one for themselves.
All this is, of course, backstory to explain the following image, which represents the whole of the Horror Lit class of the 2007-08 school year. Personally, I love it.
(Click for a much bigger version.)
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Jelly Pinched Wolf 7:13 PM
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| 'Nother Quiz |
Cannot tell you how thrilled I am to be so closely associated with Plato!
Your Score: The Idealist You scored 10 Materialism and 30 Phenomenology!
Plato's Republic makes you feel fuzzy inside. You can rapturously quote from the Kant you agree with (and ignore the Kant you don't). You're the Idealist.
Idealism got its start with Plato, and confusingly enough, Platonic idealism and Platonic realism are the same thing. The material world disgusts you as an imperfect shadow of what is Ideal, the eternal perfect forms of objects that exist somewhere beyond our sensory experiences. Any specific tree, for example, is merely a representation of the idea of treeness in Platonism.
Still with me? Hello?
Thinkers you may agree with: Plato, Zeno of Elea, Plotinus
Thinkers that may challenge you: David Hume, John Locke, Aristotle
Again, Courtesy of Happy Catholic |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 6:50 PM
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| 05 June 2008 |
| Musical Interludes |
It was a good (and somewhat odd) year for music. I'll deal with the odd later. For now, the good.
Thanks to my wife and a co-worker of hers, I've discovered several bands who are most wonderful. First and foremost is Eisley. They are a brilliant young band from Tyler, Texas who have a unique blend of bizarre, yet catchy lyrics and folksy-popish music (though their recent album Combinations is much more of the rockin' variety, and they do it well). I was even more happy to find out that one of their songs, "Invasion," is based on Invasion of the Body Snatchers, which I had the pleasure of teaching in my Horror Lit class this year. Plus, it's just an awesome song--one of their best. We actually got to see them in concert here in Dallas a couple weeks ago at the House of Blues. Terrific concert, which led to our discovery of another truly wonderful band--The Myriad. Both opening acts were really good (which in and of itself is something of a miracle). The other band, Vedera, was definitely more of a me band than a kashi band, but we both really liked The Myriad. They're sort of like a neo-prog rock with a splash of alternative thrown in. They've got a bit on You Tube, should you be interested, and we both highly recommend them. Their new album, "With Arrows, With Poise," is thoroughly addictive.
Another new band (to us, anyway) is Thrice. They're apparently a screaming, screeching metal band most of the time, but have within the last year put out two concept albums (all of a piece), called The Alchemy Index, which is based on the four elements of fire, water, air, and earth. "Fire" has a fair amount of their screechiness, but the other three are of a wide variety of musical styles and textures, with rich lyrics and sounds. "Come All You Weary," on the "Earth" album is about one of the best songs I've heard in a long while. These albums led me to seek out lead singer Dustin Kensrue's solo album, "Please Come Home," which has a bit of a down-homey feel to it and is also quite wonderful.
I've only recently discovered (based on an Amazon.com recommendation) A Fine Frenzy which is really just a young artist by the name of Alison Sudol. Not kashi's cup of tea, partially because her singing can be a bit raw at times (which my somewhat tin ear really has no problem with at all), but I'm really hooked.
Finally, I am pleased to announce that after more than ten years, Portishead, that wonderfully enigmatic band from Bristol (they're named for the nearby town of Portishead) has put out a new album. I (and many others) had begun to wonder if it would ever happen, but now it's here. I cannot recommend it for everyone. I think you have to be terribly warped to truly enjoy their music in general, but this one's rough going unless you're particularly warped. Previously, they'd been credited with helping to create (or at least define) the trip-hop genre. Never ones to be labelled, however, they've forged a new sound, which the media (at least for the nonce) is calling "torture chamber pop." It's rather apt, actually. There's something terrifically painful, dark, and mournful about this album. It's like a trip through some nightmarish landscape that is somehow beautifully haunting at the same time. It's somewhat hard to describe, really, but I suspect one either loves it or is driven insane by it. I don't know that this description sells it, but I myself have quickly grown to adore it.
And then (as promised), there's the odd. Me. Singing. Never thought it'd happen, but there you have. I'm not good, but I'm learning. Back in November, I finally decided to throw my voice into our parish choir. We're small, and notoriously short on male voices. I found myself increasingly distractible in the congregation, and thus, all factors combined, decided to see what I could do in the choir. It's grown on me a lot, and I'm learning more all the time. I was actually somewhat surprised to find out I'm a bass. But it has given me a new appreciation for those with serious talent, 'cause it ain't easy.
Right. So there's the school year in music. Next: Likely film and television, though we'll see what my mood decides. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 8:41 PM
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| Quizness |
Rather amusing results, considering my novel....
Which Norse God Are You?
created with QuizFarm.com |
| You scored as Odin You are Odin. You are the leader of the Norse Gods. You are the wisest and always fight evil. You sacrificed your eye for knowledge, as well as hanging for 9 days with a spear in your side. You are the God of Philosophy and Poetry. You will lead the Gods into Ragnarok (the end of the world)
Odin |
| 70% | Loki |
| 53% | Freyja |
| 50% | Tyr |
| 43% | Baldr |
| 40% | Thor |
| 38% |
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Via Happy Catholic |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 1:17 PM
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| 03 June 2008 |
| Of Monks and Men |
As promised, a review of A Canticle for Leibowitz.
I chose to teach this book to my AP kids on something of a whim. I knew it by reputation as a classic sci-fi work, I adamantly refused to teach the work one of the other AP teachers was doing--the abysmal-sounding Riddley Walker (in its defense, it's also well-thought of, but to me smacks of the gritty, realistic, recycled-urine form of sci-fi, which I just cannot get behind)--and it sounded like a perfect follow-up to Eliot's The Waste Land.
The choice turned out to be a good one. It's not big on characterisation (though Brother Francis is really sympathetic in his naïveté), mostly because it's comprised of three vignettes spread across several thousands of years. What it does give us is a glimpse into humanity's failings and her beauty. It looks at us honestly, and notes our ridiculous qualities and our amazing capacity for enduring. It's serious, without being overburdened by gravitas. And actually there's some rather wry humour in it, as well. It's also a fairly easy read, which was a boon for my students who'd just come out of Faulkner and Eliot, and were preparing for the AP exam. They needed a book whose depth was somewhat more straightforward. Anyway, a worthwhile read. And for those who want intellectual discussions, it raises some great moral issues which are quite relevant to today's world.
So, now that the year's over, I have summer reading to look forward to! For once, I'm not taking education classes this summer, so I'll have much more time for reading and writing, and can hardly wait to get started (alas, I'm having to finish up the narrative for my school's accreditation self-eval, so I've got at least one more day to wait, dagblast it). Of course, there's the inevitable school-required summer reading (Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich) and I need to re-read some works for the new AP class I'm teaching (see the previous post), but I've also got a sizable list of long-awaited books ahead of me.
So, in no particular order (except the first, which will be first because I've waited far too long for it already):
White Knight - Jim Butcher
The Unvanquished - William Faulkner
The Grand Tour - Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Three Men in a Boat - Jerome K. Jerome
To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis
The Chronicles of Chrestomancy - Diana Wynne Jones
Olympos - Dan Simmons
Bag of Bones - Stephen King
There may be more, but I'm also attending a nine-day colloquium on short stories, which will require a fair amount of reading, so I don't want to plan for too much and then be disappointed. Especially as slowly as I tend to read.
All right, that's it for today. Next up: Music. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 7:16 PM
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| 02 June 2008 |
| And Thus, Like That, It Was Summer, And He Didst Post |
I'm really and truly amazed anyone at all has visited this thing recently. Ah, well, that gives me hope that I'll not be posting merely into the aether this summer.
So, it be summer and thus it's time to play catch-up. As usual, there're so many things I've no idea where to begin. Assessment first, I guess. Third year of teaching--definitely when you hit a certain stride. I'm not saying it's a breeze, nor am I saying there was no stress, nor again am I saying I exactly slept as much as a human ought for the last month. What I am saying is that this year was frakking awesome (and I'll get to my Battlestar Galactica addiction later). I owe a lot of the success actually to the kids themselves. I was blessed this year by some of the most wonderful students ever. My regular Juniors had some terrifc discussions (especially in regards to The Sound and the Fury which hurt their brains, yet got them thinking in a way many never had, and might not ever have otherwise). My AP kids were strangely determined for me to lecture at them all year, which I refused to do. Funny how the best and the brightest are the least desirous of doing the hard thinking themselves.... But they were a good class--and at least I learned a great deal. Now, I just need to see if they actually made it through the AP exam or flopped horrifically.
The real gems, though, were my Horror Lit kids and my Sophomore Honours class. It's so strange to have students who are actually sad to be leaving at the end of the year. I don't doubt they were tired of school and in need of a break, but they actually enjoyed the learning, and are missing it even now (I know, because they still post to the class forum their lamentations--okay it's not that bad, but still, there's a kind of love there). Individually, I had the pleasure of teaching some ridiculously bright minds. These students absolutely blew me away time and again. And they liked thinking and learning. What could be more satisfying than that?
Though I fully intend to enjoy the heck out of this summer, I'm actually looking forward to next year already. Horror Lit and Soph Honours again, but the rest is very different. This'll be the first year I've not had Juniors. Instead, I'll get to teach Senior AP, which, if my syllabus ever gets approved (come on already, College Board!) will be très, très exciting. I'm doing this whole Sovereignty and Stewardship thing, which ought to generate some great discussions. Book list is as follows:
Beowülf - Heaney translation
Richard II - Shakespeare
Emma - Austen
Fathers and Sons - Turgenev
Great Expectations - Dickens
Saint Joan - Shaw
Murder in the Cathedral - Eliot
Lots of good short works as well, including snippets of Dante's de Monarchia and Macchiavelli. Should be fun.
Wow, lots more to cover, but I'm getting tired, so I think I'll save it for Part Two.
Next Up: A review of the wonderful A Canticle for Leibowitz and my summer reading plans. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 8:32 PM
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| 28 December 2007 |
| Adieu |
Today we had to say goodbye to an old friend. It’s hard. I’ve only known our cat Lily for about 7 years, but kashi’s had her since she was a kitten—nearly 19 years now. Lily’s been declining for a while, first a bit arthritic, then a little senile. Yesterday, we found out she was in an advanced state of kidney failure, and basically treatment would merely serve to prolong her agony. So we decided to say goodbye to her. And it’s hard.
Kashi tells me Lily was a mighty huntress in her day, and I believe it. I’ve decided to remember her not as the ailing, pained creature she was at the end, but rather the often cantankerous ball of fluff who liked most to bask in the sun on the balcony of our old place, upside down, curled like a shrimp, warming her old bones, and smiling peacefully. Yeah, that’s our Lily.
Rest in peace, ol’ gal.
 |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 1:05 PM
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| 26 December 2007 |
| Marketing Silliness |
So, I have far too many things going on in life to bother paying attention to anything political these days. I don't know who these people are, nor do I really care. Therefore, take the following not as support or condemnation of a particular political view, but rather as a ridiculing of the idiocy of marketing departments everywhere.
I see the following image on a billboard on the drive home everyday, and it really bothers me. I know what they're going for, of course, but this is not what it look like to me. I mean, did the marketers not realise the man's head is not pointy like an 'A' but rather ovoid like an 'O'? Because, and correct me if I'm way off base here, what it seems to me they're trying to advertise is the desperate need to get out there and harvest:
Cut the crop, indeed. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 9:25 AM
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| 14 October 2007 |
| This 'n' That |
As expected, the blog has been pretty durned low on my list of things to attend to as this year has progressed. For once, though, this has had less to do with exceeding busyness (though I've had plenty of those moments) and more to do with simply having more important and interesting things to do than to blather on about me own self.
But, now that first quarter's come to a close, and I have a few moments, I thought I'd play a bit of catch-up. So, things what need to be said:
Having grown tired of quite so long a drive to the school, and not wishing to cause further hemorrhaging to our finances (since our current apartment decided to raise the rent again upon renewal), kashi and I have decided to move. For the first time since coming to Texas for college, I will not be living in either Irving or Dallas County. No more yuppy-fied neighbourhood. No more lousy Kroger that never stocks properly and always keeps rotting broccoli on the shelves. And best of all, not more blasted gated community with pathetically limited parking! Woot! So, at the end of this month, we shall be a bit further west, and (at least we hope) much happier.
Yesterday, we celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary. Nothing schmancy, but it was a terrifically fun evening nevertheless. I tried a new beer at Trinity Hall in Dallas, and I must say, 'twas love at first sip. It's called Storm King, by Victory Brewing Co. 'Tis as dark as the darkest regions of Tartarus, rich, strong, bitter with a hint of sweetness, and distinctly coffee-flavoured. So very tasty!
Otherwise, I can't say there's been much more of interest. School is going along fine (100% pass rate for first quarter! I am amazed!). Sales on my collection amount almost exclusively to family, alas, but oh, well. At least I can say I'm in some form of print. Generally, life is pretty good. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 12:20 PM
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| 11 August 2007 |
| American Film Class |
So, as I mentioned a bit back, I'm getting to teach an American film class this year. It is, alas, only a semester long, so I won't get to do as much as I'd hoped, but nevertheless, I've got time for some great films, and I pretty much have free-range over the choices. And yet, choosing from the vast collection of incredible films out there was no easy chore. Especially since I decided early on to avoid some of the more common choices of such films--like Citizen Kane and 2001 (a film which in recent years I've found somewhat unwatchable since almost nothing happens in the interminable movie).
Though I'll not get to every one of the film I'm listing on my syllabus, I think I've come up with a good range of examples for various genres, themes, and techniques.
The list is as follows:
Freaks (1932)
Modern Times (1936) – clips
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
Casablanca (1942)
Rope (1948)
Sabrina (1954)
Touch of Evil (1958)
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
The Manchurian Candidate(1962)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
The Godfather (1972) – clips
Chinatown (1974)
Rooster Cogburn (1975)
Alien (1979)
Deathtrap (1982)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Noises Off! (1992)
The Usual Suspects (1995)
Sudden Manhattan (1997)
Iron Giant (1999)
Unbreakable (2000)
Memento (2000)
Serenity (2005) – clips |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 2:31 PM
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|
| Stardust |
Went to see Stardust earlier today. Excellently done, and by far one of the most happifying movies I've seen in a longtime. According to kashi, it differs from Neil Gaiman's book on a fair bit (it's been too long since I've read it, and I'm afraid the details have rather faded), but nonetheless it's exciting, charming, often beautiful, and terribly fun. The actors are particularly splendid, as well, with Charlie Cox's Tristan being perfectly dorky, yet charming, and Robert DeNiro nigh stealing the whole show as Captain Shakespeare. And did I mention the airship? Très wicked.
Definitely worth seeing. I honestly cannot think of a single complaint against it. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 2:13 PM
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| Thai Chicken Pizza Recipe |
This past week, I came up with the following recipe (partially compiled from other existing recipes which I've adjusted, partially made up by me), and thought I'd share with those who're interested. kashi and I really enjoyed it, so it seems like a successful recipe ought be shared with all.
Enjoy!
Thai Chicken Pizza
Sauce:
• 5 tablespoons peanut butter
• 4 tablespoons hot water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (if you like it really spicy, add more to taste)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
In a small bowl combine peanut butter and water; mix until a smooth paste forms. Stir in soy sauce, then brown sugar, cayenne and lemon juice. Mix by hand until well combined and smooth. If too thin, add more peanut butter (heated slightly in microwave) as needed.
Dough:
(Can use pre-made, or any other recipe you prefer. This recipe is for a simple, flat-crust style.)
• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pkg. quick-rising dry yeast
• 1 tsp. sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ cup very warm water (125º - 130º F)
• 1 T vegetable oil
1. Preheat oven to 400º. Slightly grease pizza pan (I use a touch of olive oil); set aside. Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add water and oil; stir until mixture forms a ball.
2. Place dough on a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, 3-4 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
3. Roll out and/or toss to desired circumference. Stretch onto greased pan.
Toppings:
• bean sprouts
• chicken
• mozzarella or jack cheese
• mushrooms (if desired)
Putting it all together:
1. Grill up the chicken separately, either on an actual grill if available, in a pan with olive oil and butter, or under a broiler. (I marinated mine with a couple teaspoons of the peanut sauce first, then pan grilled it.) Then, cut the grilled chicken into small, bite-sized pieces.
2. Spread the sauce over the dough.
3. Top with bean sprouts, chicken, any other veggies or toppings you may prefer. Top off with shredded cheese.
4. Bake until dough is a good golden brown and cheese is just beginning to brown.
Note: About halfway through baking, I brushed the crust edge lightly with olive oil. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 9:01 AM
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| 20 July 2007 |
| New (ish) Blog |
It's taken me nigh on half the month to notice (I'm just not the blog watcher I used to be, I guess), but Meredith over at Basia Me, Catholica Sum has hung up her hat. But, not to fear, she's started a new blog with a focus on poetry. This just warms my heart--we need more intelligent people out there talking out poetry. Real poetry, that is--not the gush your feelings in bland language with no sense of the traditions of rhythm and metre kind that passes for verse these days.
Anyway, because her focus has changed, I'm moving her to The Stacks, but don't think this means the new site is any less worth going to. After all, two of my best friends are in The Stacks--'tis not a bad place to be, even if the name might imply otherwise.
I'll keep Basia Me linked a bit longer for archive viewing purposes, but the new site, happily titled For Keats' Sake!, is here. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 6:28 AM
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| 19 July 2007 |
| Sorcery and Cecilia |
Before my class started two weeks ago, I managed to do rather a bit of reading during my summer break (especially for the somewhat slow reader that I am). I managed to burn through the last three (or was it four?) Dresden novels, and am merely waiting for White Knight to be released in paperback sometime this year so I can read it. I read the summer reading selection for our school, which I had been dreading, but was particularly surprised by. It's called The Kite Runner, and is one of those books that's on all the critics' lists and would be considered a terribly "important" book. As it turns out, it's also a really good tale. The narrator's hard to like for much of it (though that's the point) and there are some really harsh scenes in it, but I confess to having found it quite moving and a very good read. I also re-read The Scarlet Letter, since I'll be teaching it this year, and am again staggered by the beauty and complexity of Hawthorne's prose. Just a gorgeous book.
The last book I read before taking up Moby Dick (which I get to teach in my AP class) and beginning my summer education class is one I particularly wish to share with those remaining readers I have. It's called Sorcery and Cecilia or The Enchanted Chocolate Pot, and was written by Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer. First, a warning: Should you check out Amazon's page for this book, avoid any review mentioning Harry Potter. As with so many books these days, Sorcery suffers the "comparison-with-some-other-great-work-of-fantasy" issue with unimaginative readers. They'll say, "It's just like Tolkien, but with robots!" or "It's just like Harry Potter except darker!" Blech. I'm so tired of hearing this, especially when it's not really applicable. For example, people keep comparing Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell to Harry Potter, and I can only imagine that these people haven't actually read Strange & Norrell. It has more in common with the writings of both Patrick O'Brian and Jane Austen than Rowling. Not to mention that the book took Clarke over ten years to write (and boy howdy did that make me feel better about my own novel), which means she started it three years before Rowling published Sorcerer's Stone. But oh, how people love to play the "She must have been influenced by" game just because two books happen to be about magic. As the characters in Sorcery might say, it is the outside of enough. Sigh.
Okay, mini-rant over.
If one were to compare Sorcery with other works, Austen would be the best bet. Wrede and Stevermer have written a Regency novel of magic, humour, and romance, and done it epistolary style. It started as a game between the two authors in which they wrote letters to each other in character. The characters, cousins Cecy and Kate, relate their adventures in society via their correspondence, and the result is lively, engaging, and often hilarious. There are now two sequels to the book, The Grand Tour and The Mislaid Magician or Ten Years After. I greatly look forward to reading these, and highly recommend to anyone the first. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 8:08 PM
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| Voyage to Ruin Update |
| As a follow-up to my previous mention of Voyage to Ruin which was recently published by H.L. Trombley and for which my wife kashi supplied the interiour illustrations, the book is now available on Amazon.com. Unfortunately, they have not seen fit to discount it, so if anyone wished to buy it but was waiting for a cheaper option, I'm sorry to say it's not yet there. They may be waiting to see if it's moving enough volume to be worthwhile--I don't know. Anyway, if anyone was waiting, best to just go ahead and order from Lulu. The book is really worth it, and as a not inconsiderable side note, you'll be supporting kashi's art career, which is a noble thing indeed. Least, I think so. |
Jelly Pinched Wolf 1:23 PM
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