Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Grendel Review
Whoo hoo! Julie Taymor's production of Grendel opened after numerous delays. Here's a review by someone who actually knows the story. Yes, I plan to try to get tickets when both it and we are finally in New York! And here's some behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage from the L.A. opening.
A New Home!
Hurrah -- thanks to our network of friends, we finally signed a lease for a place in North Albany. You can see pictures of it here, thanks to Dan and Kaitlin, who actually checked out the house for us. It's small, but it is a house and not an apartment, which we were loathe to return to occupying. The landlords seem nice, the area quiet. There are just all kinds of auspicious signs.
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Dan and to Robert, both of whom did yeoman work on our behalf.
Now there's just the whole packing, movers and traveling part...
We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Dan and to Robert, both of whom did yeoman work on our behalf.
Now there's just the whole packing, movers and traveling part...
Friday, June 09, 2006
Confessions of a Pack-Rat & Canterbury Closure
Okay, I knew it was bad when I cleaned out the files for shredding and there were still (paid!) bills from a couple years ago; then I started finding stuff from when I lived on Notre Dame -- in Cambridge! Have to clean out the files more often.
All right -- to belatedly finish up the account of Canterbury:
Morning proved to be just lovely. After feeling so ill, it was great to feel so much better. We made a walking tour of Canterbury (in part because several of the students complained about their lack of funds). We started out with the city walls, around since the Roman times, but most recently rebuilt for the Hundred Years' War (fourteenth century). We had a lot of fun too at the Norman castle (ruins from the twelfth century) and a couple of students had presentations to give. Then we walked along to St. Mildred's, the oldest church within the city walls; part of the Anglo-Saxon structure is still visible. It's got a lovely cemetery attached to it as well. We were lucky enough to have one of the staff members give us an impromptu tour while the organist practiced, pointing out historical bits and letting us into the chapel where the gentry would have sat, warming themselves by their private fire while the rest of the parishoners shivered.
Next we walked up to Grey Friars, the last remaining portion of a monastery founded by followers of St. Francis during his lifetime. Unfortunately, it's only open a couple of hours every day -- and not the hour we were there, although we could see much outside the fence of the bulding that stretches over the river Stour. I don't think the students were too upset -- they had much more fun watching the city workers pull debris out of the river and then help feed the ducks by hand. By then it was lunch time. I recommended some of the free museums and some of the not so free ones, and everyone headed off to lunch. Well, a few of us headed to the Chaucer Bookshop. By that point Sandi wasn't feeling well and went off to the hotel, while I went to the Roman Museum, where I ran into a bunch of our folks. The museum is a little cheesy, but some interesting artifacts from the Roman era.
After that, I ventured outside the city walls to see the ruins of St. Augustine's Abbey and the beautiful St. Martin's, the oldest parish church in England, where Queen bertha lies. Wonderful cemetery -- even had a dead bird (which I duly photographed -- don't forget, you can see all the pictures here). Afterward I did a litte shopping too, picking up a raspberry Kangol beret for a mere $5 at the Oxfam shop -- but no books. Then it was dinner at the Falstaff Hotel -- very good! if not Falstaffian -- and then the piece de resistance, The Canterbury Tales performed by the RSC. The students were very excited to attend the performance -- they even got lucky later because our coach was late, we go to chat with the actress playing the Wife of Bath as she waited for her cab. The performance was superbly presented, if a little odd at times. The hybridity of the opening, retaining a lot of the Middle English but giving it a modern pronunciation, probably helped the audience understand the historical aspects of the language, but was quite jarring to my ears. Who knew the Reeve's Tale would come off more funny than the Miller's Tale when dramatized (which just goes to show how literary it is despite the "misdirected kiss")?
One surprise: the inclusion of the Prioress' Tale. This anti-Semitic tale is in keeping with medieval propaganda against Jews, who had been expelled from England in 1290. However, performing it before a modern audience unaware of this tradition seems bizarre if not downright offensive, particularly when you put the actors playing the Jews in dark cowls and long beaked masks as they are led to murder by a bombastic Satan. One can argue that the Prioress, already lampooned in her portrait in the General Prologue, merely tells a tale that adds to that unflattering portrait, but the production doesn't bear out that argument. There was the slightest comment from the Chaucer character that her story was nonsense -- it was not enough to erase the vivid images that preceded it. If they wanted to do one of the religious tales, why not the Second Nun's? Sigh.
Back to the hotel, where my roomies insisted I take the private room for the night, then early morning coach ride to Gatwick, with less traffic than we feared, onto the plane and the seemingly endless flight back. Argh -- then back where I began this odyssey...and have finally found closure for the tale. Unlike Chaucer -- he didn't have time to complete the Canterbury Tales before his death in 1400. But he left an amazing legacy nonetheless, which will continue to draw pilgrims to the city for many years to come (as will Marlowe and Riddley Walker!).
All right -- to belatedly finish up the account of Canterbury:
Morning proved to be just lovely. After feeling so ill, it was great to feel so much better. We made a walking tour of Canterbury (in part because several of the students complained about their lack of funds). We started out with the city walls, around since the Roman times, but most recently rebuilt for the Hundred Years' War (fourteenth century). We had a lot of fun too at the Norman castle (ruins from the twelfth century) and a couple of students had presentations to give. Then we walked along to St. Mildred's, the oldest church within the city walls; part of the Anglo-Saxon structure is still visible. It's got a lovely cemetery attached to it as well. We were lucky enough to have one of the staff members give us an impromptu tour while the organist practiced, pointing out historical bits and letting us into the chapel where the gentry would have sat, warming themselves by their private fire while the rest of the parishoners shivered.
Next we walked up to Grey Friars, the last remaining portion of a monastery founded by followers of St. Francis during his lifetime. Unfortunately, it's only open a couple of hours every day -- and not the hour we were there, although we could see much outside the fence of the bulding that stretches over the river Stour. I don't think the students were too upset -- they had much more fun watching the city workers pull debris out of the river and then help feed the ducks by hand. By then it was lunch time. I recommended some of the free museums and some of the not so free ones, and everyone headed off to lunch. Well, a few of us headed to the Chaucer Bookshop. By that point Sandi wasn't feeling well and went off to the hotel, while I went to the Roman Museum, where I ran into a bunch of our folks. The museum is a little cheesy, but some interesting artifacts from the Roman era.
After that, I ventured outside the city walls to see the ruins of St. Augustine's Abbey and the beautiful St. Martin's, the oldest parish church in England, where Queen bertha lies. Wonderful cemetery -- even had a dead bird (which I duly photographed -- don't forget, you can see all the pictures here). Afterward I did a litte shopping too, picking up a raspberry Kangol beret for a mere $5 at the Oxfam shop -- but no books. Then it was dinner at the Falstaff Hotel -- very good! if not Falstaffian -- and then the piece de resistance, The Canterbury Tales performed by the RSC. The students were very excited to attend the performance -- they even got lucky later because our coach was late, we go to chat with the actress playing the Wife of Bath as she waited for her cab. The performance was superbly presented, if a little odd at times. The hybridity of the opening, retaining a lot of the Middle English but giving it a modern pronunciation, probably helped the audience understand the historical aspects of the language, but was quite jarring to my ears. Who knew the Reeve's Tale would come off more funny than the Miller's Tale when dramatized (which just goes to show how literary it is despite the "misdirected kiss")?
One surprise: the inclusion of the Prioress' Tale. This anti-Semitic tale is in keeping with medieval propaganda against Jews, who had been expelled from England in 1290. However, performing it before a modern audience unaware of this tradition seems bizarre if not downright offensive, particularly when you put the actors playing the Jews in dark cowls and long beaked masks as they are led to murder by a bombastic Satan. One can argue that the Prioress, already lampooned in her portrait in the General Prologue, merely tells a tale that adds to that unflattering portrait, but the production doesn't bear out that argument. There was the slightest comment from the Chaucer character that her story was nonsense -- it was not enough to erase the vivid images that preceded it. If they wanted to do one of the religious tales, why not the Second Nun's? Sigh.
Back to the hotel, where my roomies insisted I take the private room for the night, then early morning coach ride to Gatwick, with less traffic than we feared, onto the plane and the seemingly endless flight back. Argh -- then back where I began this odyssey...and have finally found closure for the tale. Unlike Chaucer -- he didn't have time to complete the Canterbury Tales before his death in 1400. But he left an amazing legacy nonetheless, which will continue to draw pilgrims to the city for many years to come (as will Marlowe and Riddley Walker!).
Monday, June 05, 2006
Sunday, June 04, 2006
This is not a Post
All right -- I wrote up a long post and it disappeared, so nothing today. Too annoyed.
Gene is better, Maggie is not.
Gene is better, Maggie is not.
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Peeps at London [4]
[Yesterday proved eventful, what with Gene on the radio in NY, Maggie requiring an emergency trip to the vet -- on medication, but still hanging in there -- then a belated birthday dinner for Pat at Houston landmark, Spanish Village.]
Sunday before Canterbury proved to be an exceedingly damp day. I ran around town picking up things I had promised to people and somehow not got around to buying, so I went everywhere from Gosh to the Tate Britain and got thoroughly soaked doing it (that will become important later). But I got my errrands done, read The Lieutenant of Inishmore and dried off enough to help lead a bunch of students to dinner at the Porterhouse in Covent Garden. Great beers! Terrific service -- even the latecomers (who had run off to places like Glastonbury (thanks for the water David!), Stonehenge and (my fave) Avebury) got their dinnera. The food was excellent and spirits were high. And yes, dared by the students I did do a tequila shot, which they made sure to immortalize in photos. We ended the evening late despite our early departure in the morning, singing and reciting poetry like a bunch of English professors or something.
Our Canterbury trip had a delayed start, as our drivers needed to take a mandated break before driving us. Oh well. We had a few students delivering presentations to entertain us and of course, the beautiful countryside to delight the eyes. We got to a blustery Canterbury and dropped our bags at the very American Holiday Inn Express and headed out to the city. People fanned out for lunch, and the first thing I ran across after lunch was the clock tower once part of the church where Marlowe was baptized. Ah! living history -- I can touch the very bricks that the greatest Elizabethan playwright touched, too. Then we met folks at the cathedral -- one of the main aims of our trip. What a cold wind was blowing! I was really feeling its chill for some reason (should have been dawning on me at that point, but it wasn't). Student gave presentations both inside and outside the cathedral. Many were quite in awe of the structure which offers an imposing figure over the city. We saw the site of Becket's martyrdom and, most important to me, the fifteenth century wall painting of the life of St. Eustace which plays a crucial role in Riddley Walker. But after walking aroudn the cathedral a while, I was starting to feel dizzy and sat down for a while. Sandi and I went to Debenham's cafe for a pot of tea and pain au chocolate, which made me feel a bit better. If I could just get warm...but by dinner time, I was feeling less than wonderful. Which was a pity -- we had our last full group dinner and the students produced a mock proclamation for Jim as, among other things. "The Earl of the Headcount" thanking him for organizing such a wonderful trip. Then Sandi gave a nice speecha bout how much she was going to miss me and the students joined in and a number stood and applauded. I think it was just a conspiracy to make me cry.
Fortunately by that point I was so dazed with fever it all seemed unreal. I rode back to the hotel in a taxi with a few other students who were caling ti an early night and skipping the "ghost tour" (which as it turned out, was a wise decision -- no Benny Hill for me!). I took a hot shower (alas, no bath in the American hotel) and went to bed, finally realizing I ached all over because I was shivering so much. My roommies came in later and were somewhat alarmed at my shivering. Thankfully, they got blankets from housekeeping and piled them on me. About 4am my fever broke and by the next morning, I was almost myself again.
But that will take another post to finish --
Sunday before Canterbury proved to be an exceedingly damp day. I ran around town picking up things I had promised to people and somehow not got around to buying, so I went everywhere from Gosh to the Tate Britain and got thoroughly soaked doing it (that will become important later). But I got my errrands done, read The Lieutenant of Inishmore and dried off enough to help lead a bunch of students to dinner at the Porterhouse in Covent Garden. Great beers! Terrific service -- even the latecomers (who had run off to places like Glastonbury (thanks for the water David!), Stonehenge and (my fave) Avebury) got their dinnera. The food was excellent and spirits were high. And yes, dared by the students I did do a tequila shot, which they made sure to immortalize in photos. We ended the evening late despite our early departure in the morning, singing and reciting poetry like a bunch of English professors or something.
Our Canterbury trip had a delayed start, as our drivers needed to take a mandated break before driving us. Oh well. We had a few students delivering presentations to entertain us and of course, the beautiful countryside to delight the eyes. We got to a blustery Canterbury and dropped our bags at the very American Holiday Inn Express and headed out to the city. People fanned out for lunch, and the first thing I ran across after lunch was the clock tower once part of the church where Marlowe was baptized. Ah! living history -- I can touch the very bricks that the greatest Elizabethan playwright touched, too. Then we met folks at the cathedral -- one of the main aims of our trip. What a cold wind was blowing! I was really feeling its chill for some reason (should have been dawning on me at that point, but it wasn't). Student gave presentations both inside and outside the cathedral. Many were quite in awe of the structure which offers an imposing figure over the city. We saw the site of Becket's martyrdom and, most important to me, the fifteenth century wall painting of the life of St. Eustace which plays a crucial role in Riddley Walker. But after walking aroudn the cathedral a while, I was starting to feel dizzy and sat down for a while. Sandi and I went to Debenham's cafe for a pot of tea and pain au chocolate, which made me feel a bit better. If I could just get warm...but by dinner time, I was feeling less than wonderful. Which was a pity -- we had our last full group dinner and the students produced a mock proclamation for Jim as, among other things. "The Earl of the Headcount" thanking him for organizing such a wonderful trip. Then Sandi gave a nice speecha bout how much she was going to miss me and the students joined in and a number stood and applauded. I think it was just a conspiracy to make me cry.
Fortunately by that point I was so dazed with fever it all seemed unreal. I rode back to the hotel in a taxi with a few other students who were caling ti an early night and skipping the "ghost tour" (which as it turned out, was a wise decision -- no Benny Hill for me!). I took a hot shower (alas, no bath in the American hotel) and went to bed, finally realizing I ached all over because I was shivering so much. My roommies came in later and were somewhat alarmed at my shivering. Thankfully, they got blankets from housekeeping and piled them on me. About 4am my fever broke and by the next morning, I was almost myself again.
But that will take another post to finish --
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Peeps at London [3]
[Continuing the saga -- Gene having a bit of relapse, sleeping; meeting with studentes tonight at the Red Lion, an approximation of pub life in the midst of Houston, while English weather continues...]
While a number of the students went to the Globe to see Coriolanus, others went off to their half price theatre adventures (we heard there was quite an enthusiastic response to Chicago which the cast much appreciated). Sandi, Jim and I stopped off for an Indian feast before Embers at the Duke of York. While chatting over dinner, I couldn't help noticing the pub across the street, The Greenman and French Horn. I finally located the titular character up above the doorway. That was no Greenman! That was Peter Pan with a hunting horn. Well, of course, as we find out later in the program, the Duke of York was where Pan premiered all those years ago. That's London for you -- a moment in history that still lives on. In that very theatre, on that very stage, all those years ago.
And yes, Jeremy Irons was wonderful in the play -- as was Patrick Malahide, who had by far the harder part, actively listening to Irons as he harangued him over wrongs done years before. Incredible lighting -- the gentle tones of late day, early morning an night were imagintively rendered, and the actors projected without microphones, the bane of Broadway. It's that incredible magic of words, gestures and movement that makes theatre the liveliest art. Afterward we went up to the Greenman and French Horn for a drink (shortly followed by most of the ushers from the theatre). We squeezed into a window seat and invented stories for the passers by, and enjoyed the luxury of London theatre-going.
It's a terrible addiction! It had Sandi and I running desperately to the Barbican the next day (after finding the Circle line out of service--d'oh!) to see the Cheek by Jowl production of Middleton and Rowley's The Changeling. A transformed Barbican greeted us in a stunning and inventive performance of the Jacobean play using the whole of the auditorium, with wild moments of giddy humor supplanted by violent acts of murder and sex. It was great! Worth the run to the theatre -- and the one afterward! We hadn't realized the play ran so long, so we had a bit of a jog to get to the Anchor that night for the first of our group dinners prior to seeing Titus Andronicus at the Globe. Where Peyps watched London burn during the Great Fire, the Anchor has lost a bit of its charm -- perhaps it didn't help to have a rather large group of people, many of whom were late, and all due to get to the Globe on time for curtain.
Well, dinner was redeemed the next night -- but more of that later...
While a number of the students went to the Globe to see Coriolanus, others went off to their half price theatre adventures (we heard there was quite an enthusiastic response to Chicago which the cast much appreciated). Sandi, Jim and I stopped off for an Indian feast before Embers at the Duke of York. While chatting over dinner, I couldn't help noticing the pub across the street, The Greenman and French Horn. I finally located the titular character up above the doorway. That was no Greenman! That was Peter Pan with a hunting horn. Well, of course, as we find out later in the program, the Duke of York was where Pan premiered all those years ago. That's London for you -- a moment in history that still lives on. In that very theatre, on that very stage, all those years ago.
And yes, Jeremy Irons was wonderful in the play -- as was Patrick Malahide, who had by far the harder part, actively listening to Irons as he harangued him over wrongs done years before. Incredible lighting -- the gentle tones of late day, early morning an night were imagintively rendered, and the actors projected without microphones, the bane of Broadway. It's that incredible magic of words, gestures and movement that makes theatre the liveliest art. Afterward we went up to the Greenman and French Horn for a drink (shortly followed by most of the ushers from the theatre). We squeezed into a window seat and invented stories for the passers by, and enjoyed the luxury of London theatre-going.
It's a terrible addiction! It had Sandi and I running desperately to the Barbican the next day (after finding the Circle line out of service--d'oh!) to see the Cheek by Jowl production of Middleton and Rowley's The Changeling. A transformed Barbican greeted us in a stunning and inventive performance of the Jacobean play using the whole of the auditorium, with wild moments of giddy humor supplanted by violent acts of murder and sex. It was great! Worth the run to the theatre -- and the one afterward! We hadn't realized the play ran so long, so we had a bit of a jog to get to the Anchor that night for the first of our group dinners prior to seeing Titus Andronicus at the Globe. Where Peyps watched London burn during the Great Fire, the Anchor has lost a bit of its charm -- perhaps it didn't help to have a rather large group of people, many of whom were late, and all due to get to the Globe on time for curtain.
Well, dinner was redeemed the next night -- but more of that later...
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Peeps at London [2]
[Yes, Gene is doing much better! And I have reduced our vinyl collection by more than half]
You can find an unsorted collection of pictures here. I'll make an effort to sort things out later (really), but they start with pictures from the cruise.
After the cruise, a group of us headed toward the British Library. We met at the pub across the street to have lunch. There the students experienced pub service -- which is to say they were not happy and the service was not snappy. I was sipping a cream ale and it was raining outside, so I didn't feel in a hurry. Eventually we made it over to the Library to show the students some of the treasure, including of course the one and only (and slightly singed) Beowulf manuscript (everyone waited while I brushed a tear away), the First Folio (without which we wouldn't have most of Shakespeare's works--everyone waited while Merrilee brushed a tear away) and various other beauties the room holds from illuminated books to Beatles lyrics. We dropped the students off back at the hotel, and I set off to play hookey and have dinner with Brad and Liz and Sophie (stopping of course at the Book and Comics Exchange in Notting Hill Gate, where I bought ONE book, only one!).
The next morning it was off to the half price booth to see what was available: I got tickets for Smaller with Dawn French and Alison Moyet (directed by Kathy Burke). Since most of the students were off to Greenwich, Sandi and I went to Regent's Park which was simply gorgeous -- especially the secret garden. Lots of little ducklings around! I went out for sushi and then went to the theatre -- I swear that was Jo Brand in front of me at the counter! People had described the play as "about big women." Interesting -- while it starred big women, it was not about the subject at all. A rather dismissive assessment: what it was about was caretaking of the elderly and the strains it produces on both sides -- or rather on all sides, including those who choose not to do it. It was funny and moving.
The next day we decided to run the students by the half price booth on our way to the Museum of London, so they could see how easy it was. A number of the students decided to go to plays too and got really excited. Sandi and I got tickets to see Jeremy Irons in Embers. Several students gave presentations at the Museum; then it was off to the British Museum, where we had waaaay too much to see and do in one afternoon.
More to come...
You can find an unsorted collection of pictures here. I'll make an effort to sort things out later (really), but they start with pictures from the cruise.
After the cruise, a group of us headed toward the British Library. We met at the pub across the street to have lunch. There the students experienced pub service -- which is to say they were not happy and the service was not snappy. I was sipping a cream ale and it was raining outside, so I didn't feel in a hurry. Eventually we made it over to the Library to show the students some of the treasure, including of course the one and only (and slightly singed) Beowulf manuscript (everyone waited while I brushed a tear away), the First Folio (without which we wouldn't have most of Shakespeare's works--everyone waited while Merrilee brushed a tear away) and various other beauties the room holds from illuminated books to Beatles lyrics. We dropped the students off back at the hotel, and I set off to play hookey and have dinner with Brad and Liz and Sophie (stopping of course at the Book and Comics Exchange in Notting Hill Gate, where I bought ONE book, only one!).
The next morning it was off to the half price booth to see what was available: I got tickets for Smaller with Dawn French and Alison Moyet (directed by Kathy Burke). Since most of the students were off to Greenwich, Sandi and I went to Regent's Park which was simply gorgeous -- especially the secret garden. Lots of little ducklings around! I went out for sushi and then went to the theatre -- I swear that was Jo Brand in front of me at the counter! People had described the play as "about big women." Interesting -- while it starred big women, it was not about the subject at all. A rather dismissive assessment: what it was about was caretaking of the elderly and the strains it produces on both sides -- or rather on all sides, including those who choose not to do it. It was funny and moving.
The next day we decided to run the students by the half price booth on our way to the Museum of London, so they could see how easy it was. A number of the students decided to go to plays too and got really excited. Sandi and I got tickets to see Jeremy Irons in Embers. Several students gave presentations at the Museum; then it was off to the British Museum, where we had waaaay too much to see and do in one afternoon.
More to come...
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Peeps at London [1]
We set out from the ever bleak confines of Intercontinental (after our ritual spit at Halliburton), the students rarin' to go (only a few apprehensive) and excited about the trip. I took the initiative to maintain order in the bar, just to be sure the students were getting adequate sustenance (thanks for the martini, Pat!). I managed to switch to an aisle seat and even better, managed to sleep most of the way to London. Didn't miss much as we were flying on Continental (feh). We arrived in Gatwick with a minimum of fuss and got our folks together for the two coaches. Then we began the interminable trip up to the city. No, it wasn't the traffic (although, yes, London rush hour is horrendous). No, the problem was our "guide" (we needed a guide?) who spent most of the trip speculating on real estate prices, complaining about her mortgage, berating the driver for not being able to afford a house (giving Sandi's students in Social Classes good fodder for discussion), and offering misinformation ("this is where Sherlock Holmes lived"). By the time we were driving south through Holland Park (an admittedly creative route to Bloomsbury) we were ready to club her.
We arrived at the spartan accomodations of the Royal National to discover that, with one exception, our rooms were ready, which was a nice surprise. We dropped off our luggage and went in search of lunch. Already suffering from a cold, I led a group to Thai Spice, figuring some green curry would help clear my sinuses (a few students frightened by the idea of the same, went to a pub). After that, it was time for the hop-on hop-off bus tour (our ploy to keep the students moving until late enough to get them over jet lag). Our job was to help students get a feel for the city and oriented to their surroundings, but after a nine hour flight, two and half hour bus ride, the last thing I wanted was to be sitting on another bus. I made it one circuit, then offered to lead a group through the National Gallery. A few others were eager to get off the bus (others continued half dozing in the back of the tour bus) and we ran through the rain into the NG. Curiously enough, a couple other faculty members independently decided to do the same thing. After some enjoyable wandering through the galleries, a few went back to the hotel, while a small group of us set forth to find dinner. We ended up at a nice pub in the Leicester Square area, where a number of us got our first taste of real fish and chips. We found that later another group had gone to the crypts in St. Martin's, another highly recommended experience.
Most students seemed over their jet lag by the next morning. We had a nother touristy event ahead for the morning, one which I admit, I had not looked forward to doing: the Thames River cruise. To my surprise, it was a terrific experience. Even given our grey day, it was just wonderful sailing down to Greenwich and back. Since the students were going to Greenwich later in the week, we all stayed on the boat and sailed back on our own private cruise. I actually took pictures! (to be uploaded soon).
We arrived at the spartan accomodations of the Royal National to discover that, with one exception, our rooms were ready, which was a nice surprise. We dropped off our luggage and went in search of lunch. Already suffering from a cold, I led a group to Thai Spice, figuring some green curry would help clear my sinuses (a few students frightened by the idea of the same, went to a pub). After that, it was time for the hop-on hop-off bus tour (our ploy to keep the students moving until late enough to get them over jet lag). Our job was to help students get a feel for the city and oriented to their surroundings, but after a nine hour flight, two and half hour bus ride, the last thing I wanted was to be sitting on another bus. I made it one circuit, then offered to lead a group through the National Gallery. A few others were eager to get off the bus (others continued half dozing in the back of the tour bus) and we ran through the rain into the NG. Curiously enough, a couple other faculty members independently decided to do the same thing. After some enjoyable wandering through the galleries, a few went back to the hotel, while a small group of us set forth to find dinner. We ended up at a nice pub in the Leicester Square area, where a number of us got our first taste of real fish and chips. We found that later another group had gone to the crypts in St. Martin's, another highly recommended experience.
Most students seemed over their jet lag by the next morning. We had a nother touristy event ahead for the morning, one which I admit, I had not looked forward to doing: the Thames River cruise. To my surprise, it was a terrific experience. Even given our grey day, it was just wonderful sailing down to Greenwich and back. Since the students were going to Greenwich later in the week, we all stayed on the boat and sailed back on our own private cruise. I actually took pictures! (to be uploaded soon).
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Saturday, May 20, 2006
London List
Sorry --- rental internet, so here's a list:
Long flight, slept a lot!, coach ride from hell, spartan hotel, tired students on the hop-on/hop-off, National Gallery, better day two, British Library, pub lunch, cool weather, a bit of rain, Museum of London, British Museum, dinner with Brad and Liz, phone call with Roger (no time for lunch!), Dawn French and Alison Moyet on stage Wednesday, Jeremy Irons last night, Merrilee's Southern Comfort and too much late night talking, students aclimating, the Changeling (Barbican) and Titus Andronicus (Globe) today -- off to Canterbury Monday...
More later, of COURSE.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Off to London
...with a cold in my chest. Ugh. Thanks a bunch to whoever passed it along. I think it's on its way out, but you never know. All the coughing is giving me a headache. At least sleeping upright on the plane will not be as likely to wake me at four in the morning as the coughing has done the last couple days.
Well, I never did get the Kalamazoo recap up. I don't know how much access I'll have to computers this trip, so I don't know whether I'll be posting regularly (keep that in mind before you decide to forward that 6M video file!). But I did actually remember to pack the camera (or rather, Gene did). The fun of being back in London will no doubt perk me back up. I'm looking forward to seeing folks and museums and the good ol' British Library.
In the meantime, puzzle over the story of the city in the sky.
Well, I never did get the Kalamazoo recap up. I don't know how much access I'll have to computers this trip, so I don't know whether I'll be posting regularly (keep that in mind before you decide to forward that 6M video file!). But I did actually remember to pack the camera (or rather, Gene did). The fun of being back in London will no doubt perk me back up. I'm looking forward to seeing folks and museums and the good ol' British Library.
In the meantime, puzzle over the story of the city in the sky.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Happy Birthday, Mr. Barrie!
It is J. M. Barrie's birthday, the father of Peter Pan. Just for today, at least, say you do believe in fairies.
(Yes, clearly I have not had enough time to write up Kalamazoo -- let's see if I get to it before taking off for Britain on Monday...)
(Yes, clearly I have not had enough time to write up Kalamazoo -- let's see if I get to it before taking off for Britain on Monday...)
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Who knew?
Independent scholar Terry Jones (yes, THAT Terry Jones) was at the Congress signing his Chaucer book. Argh!!! I missed it!
Publication: Review of Stark's Meet the Beatles
In the latest issue of the Journal of Popular Culture you will find my (mostly favorable) review of Steven D. Stark's Meet the Beatles: A Cultural History of the Band that Shook Youth, Gender and the World. As always, the journal is full of fun and interesting scholarship on everything from food to films.
How many adults fit in a Hyundai Sonata?
Well, at least six! We piled all the folks from our Thursday night panel into my rental car after the wine hour, went off to the Roadhouse and then returned for our panel. Despite our worries, we were still able to fit in the car after dinner. The panel went well -- more later (on a short break at the moment and responding to panicked students' emails), as did the trip back to the home town on Friday.
Details to follow --
Details to follow --
Thursday, May 04, 2006
New Publication: Sandman Papers
Gene alerted me that the new collection of essays on Sandman had come out (and more importantly, that my freebie copies had arrived). We saw editor Joe Sanders at ICFA in March, so we knew it would be out soon. I haven't seen it yet, but it looks terrific in the pictures. No doubt Fantagraphics will sell a bunch of copies. The essay I have in the collection started as a PCA paper several years back. It looks at the artwork in the story arc The Kindly Ones
, now collected in a single trade paperback.
, now collected in a single trade paperback.At the 'Zoo
I'm writing this from fabulous Kalamazoo MI, about an hour from my home town. The big medieval congress is underway -- in fact, I've already given my paper on the medieval films Anchoress and Sorceress. I drove over yesterday from Detroit with my friend Faye Ringel from the Coast Guard Academy. We had a lovely dinner and then I dropped her at the hotel, assuming I would go over to the conference, check in and just relax. Of course, I ran into some UConn folks before I even got to check in and was persuaded to join them at Waldo's for some beer. I had a chance to catch up with people (inculding Chris Fee, whom I haven't seen for years). Everybody, of course, demanded to know why Gene wasn't with me -- maybe next year?
Funny thing -- this morning as Faye and I walked over the bridge on the pond, we not only saw the usual swans, carp and ducks, but a little turtle swam up to the surface. Before it had a chance to impart any revelations however, one of the swans tried to take a bite out of it and it quickly disappeared. Ah well!
Panels this afternoon, meeting up with folks from the evening panel at the wine hour. We'll head off for dinner then come back to discuss using medieval literature in fiction writing, which should be fun. I even brought a couple of copies of Pelzmanteljust in case.
More to come!
Funny thing -- this morning as Faye and I walked over the bridge on the pond, we not only saw the usual swans, carp and ducks, but a little turtle swam up to the surface. Before it had a chance to impart any revelations however, one of the swans tried to take a bite out of it and it quickly disappeared. Ah well!
Panels this afternoon, meeting up with folks from the evening panel at the wine hour. We'll head off for dinner then come back to discuss using medieval literature in fiction writing, which should be fun. I even brought a couple of copies of Pelzmantel
just in case.More to come!
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Monday, May 01, 2006
Hauskaa Vappua!
In Finland they are swimming the harbor and throwing student caps. Here I am enjoying the last day of the semester and getting last minute things done before Kalamazoo.
I'm also practicing on my kantele because I will be playing with the medieval group Collegium Mysterium (directed by my friend and colleague Yvonne Kendall). Here's how Kipper helps me practice:
I'm also practicing on my kantele because I will be playing with the medieval group Collegium Mysterium (directed by my friend and colleague Yvonne Kendall). Here's how Kipper helps me practice:
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