I did something dumb (well, dumber than normal) yesterday: I left my wallet on the Amtrak.
I have never, ever left my wallet anywhere before. But through some seat switching and the fact that I was SO GLAD to finally get off the Amtrak, I didn't even think about where I'd put it, I just LEFT. The last few Amtrak trips I've taken have been kind of a bummer, due to weather/cold rails/inadequate engines--from Chicago to Rochester, we were 2 1/2 hours late, from Buffalo to Albany we were 4 hours late (have you ever sat on the tracks for 2 hours outside Schenectady with a broken engine and thermostat? Don't, is my advice), and yesterday, from Albany to Buffalo, we were 2 hours late. But my Amtrak love was in some sense restored when I got a call this morning from Dave, from the Buffalo Exchange Station.
I had not yet noticed my wallet was missing, because when I got home last night I went to bed without looking in my bag, but Dave called and told me they had it in Buffalo. It was turned in to the conductor. All my cards were still there, but all my cash and change had been taken. It could have been much worse, but for a slightly financially delinquent grad student, the loss of $26 is not great. Mostly, I just felt like a moron.
Happily my wallet was in Buffalo, but I live 1 1/2 hours away, so another problem presented itself. Dave, who by this point in our conversation was calling me "hon" (a moniker which I'm not normally that fond of, but when you lose your wallet, it's nice), said that he didn't want me to have to make the trip up unless I had to. He said that he would call the bus company that makes the run between Buffalo and Jamestown, to see if the driver would be willing to pick up the wallet for me on his way to Jamestown, and then I wouldn't have to go. This was a great idea! Dave is awesome.
He called me back and said that the bus company wasn't answering their phone. (Hon, I think these guys decided to take the holiday early.) He went outside to see if they would stop (they only stop at the train station if someone asks them to, before going on the bus station), but they didn't stop, so he wasn't sure what we could do. My dad came up with plan B--go to the bus station in Jamestown, make sad faces at the bus driver, and try to get him to get my wallet so I wouldn't have to spend 5 hours in transit + bus fare. So that is precisely what I did. Except I didn't have to make sad faces, because the bus driver immediately agreed to "transport" my wallet for me, and even offered to drop it off to me at home. (I said I would just meet him when he got back.) Then I called Dave for the 76th time today, and he was delighted, and put my wallet in an envelope, and gave it to Dan, the bus driver, and now I have it.
I will write letters to Amtrak and Coach USA to say thanks (and to promote these two, who were both so sweet), and I gave Dan some mixed nuts, courtesy of my grandmother, who always has some at hand for last minute presents. I don't know if thank you notes are adequate, but it's the best way I know to, well, gives thanks.
All of this self-inflicted goofiness is actually a pretty apt closer for 2010, and a good opener for 2011. It's a reminder. To remember than people are generally kind and I should trust that they will be, but that sometimes that kindness will be tinged with something else (like, turning in a wallet, but taking all the money first). To remember to keep a closer eye on things, to appreciate what I have, to never take myself or my family or my friends for granted, ever. To deal with travel delays with patience and understanding. To someday have pride in my job, to be willing to help people, even with minor issues. To listen to peoples stories more. To be kind. To trust my instincts. To trust others.
Be safe tonight, everyone, and I wish you all good things for the new year! And to close, here's something from ol' F Scott himself.
"It eluded us then, but that's no matter---tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther... And one fine morning---So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." --The Great Gatsby, final sentence
--I remember reading this passage for the first time in my 10th grade English class, and for some reason I loved it then, and I love it now.
Friday, 31 December 2010
Friday, 17 December 2010
"Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends. "
I feel like I'm living in a Christmas Story, because 1. I live in Indiana, 2. it is snowing, and 3. people around me quote it constantly as, indeed, so do I.
Here is the square in downtown Bloomington, in all its Christmas-y splendor. I've never seen trees wrapped so well! And it's not just the square that's bedecked. I had a haircut this morning and I go to a place which is in a Victorian house and already full of quirky wall colors and fun decorations (the foils they use for coloring are leopard print, for example), but they really went to town for Christmas. My hairdresser said they close for a day to fully decorate, and it shows--the stairs up to the second floor were completely turned into a Christmas village with houses and fake snow, mini-trees were on all the cabinets, ornaments hung from every doorway and ceiling, and gold ribbon was everywhere. I was in the small mall downtown yesterday, and it's the same thing there! The best was long strings of lights hanging from the ceiling--I had to duck to pass under them--and the ceiling is mirrored so it looked really cool.
It's been a very hard week for non-academic reasons, and I will be so glad to be home. As always, though, it had really nice moments, due to the fabulous people in my life. On Wednesday, to celebrate surviving our first semester, a bunch of us went to Grazie, the Italian restaurant on the square, and got to admire all those Christmas lights. What did I have? A campari and soda (the people in one of the mystery series I like drink those all the time), some Malbec, and gnocchi in a very tasty Gorgonzola sauce with a lot of spinach. All told, it cost about my entire weeks food budget, but no matter. Grazie is a really cool place--our server was great and the decor is classy but comfy. I'll definitely be back. Having sampled other people's dinners, the food seems to be uniformly tasty, too. After that we went to a dance party where there was ABBA records (I love ABBA and I don't care who knows it) and silliness and it snowed and snowed.
One of the many reasons why I like this time of year is because I am a creature of ritual and tradition. It doesn't have to do with the religious aspects at all, really--it's more the fact that so many people experience it, and Christmas is such a good and convenient time to be happy and thankful. I've got a lot of Northern blood, but sometimes even for me the winters get too cold and dark and claustrophobic, and I need friends and family then, more than ever. And if there are cookies involved, so much the better!
So because I'm a grad student and really good at quoting other people, here are some of my favorite Christmas things. Most you probably know, but some maybe not. Enjoy.
"You - you said - what'd you say a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken down that they... Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you'll ever be."
--George Bailey, It's a Wonderful Life
[Jimmy Stewart is so cool. I wanted to be a senator after watching Mr Smith Goes to Washington as an impressionable youngster.]
"Whence comes this rush of wings afar,
Following straight the Noël star?
Birds from the woods in wondrous flight,
Bethlehem seek this holy night."
--"Whence Comes this Rush of Wings," which I think was originally a French carol
[if you don't know this carol, I would suggest looking it up. My grandmother has a sweet Christmas carol book from the Met, so it's got all these cool paintings in it too, and my sister and I have lately become enamored of this carol. It's got a lovely little dissonant bit at the end, and the bird imagery is neat.]
My mouth's bleedin' Bert! My mouth's bleedin!
"There was a line for Santa and a line for the women's bathroom, and one woman, after asking me a dozen questions already, asked, 'Which is the line for the women's bathroom?' I shouted that I thought it was the line with all the women in it.
She said, 'I'm going to have you fired.'
I had two people say that to me today, 'I'm going to have you fired.' Go ahead, be my guest. I'm wearing a green velvet costume; it doesn't get any worse than this. Who do these people think they are?
'I'm going to have you fired!' And I wanted to lean over and say, 'I'm going to have you killed.'"
--David Sedaris, "The Santaland Diaries," from Barrel Fever
[Not overly jolly, I suppose, but so true in so many awful ways. David Sedaris reading this is even more win, so do check that out here. It's not the whole story, but it'll give you a taster. For more Sedaris Christmas Wonderfulness, here is the text to "Six to Eight Black Men," which is the first essay of his I ever heard. It's great.]
Ms Sheilds, in Ralphie's dream: "Oh! The theme I've been waiting for all my life. Listen to this sentence: 'A Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time'. Poetry. Sheer poetry, Ralph! An A+!"
--A Christmas Story
[One of those movies that my family could probably quote in its entirety, as could so many other people.]
Oh, there goes Mr. Humbug
There goes Mr. Grim
If they gave a prize for being mean
The winner would be him
Old Scrooge, he loves his money
'Cause he thinks it gives him power
If he became a flavour you can bet he would be sour
Aside, vegetable: Yuck!
Vegetable seller: Even the vegetables don't like him!
--"Scrooge," from the Muppet Christmas Carol
[Again, my family could legitimately quote this entire movie. I also think every line from it is hilarious, and the songs are really very good, if you like Muppets. I especially love "Thankful Heart." Michael Caine will always be Scrooge to me.]
Kermit as Bob Cratchit. Genius, my friends.
"Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixen
Eisenhower Kennedy Johnson Nixon
Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixen
Carter Reagan Bush and Clinton"
--Bob Dylan, "Must be Santa"
[I bought Dylan's Christmas CD, Christmas In the Heart, last year when it came out and I'm still not sure why, as Dylan singing "Little Drummer Boy" makes the ears bleed. I think he had the proceeds go to charity, which is a nice deal, and "Must be Santa" is such good fun! The music video is GREAT. Any time I can see Dylan smoking a cigar while saying "ho ho ho," vaguely gesticulating in lieu of dancing, and wearing a myriad of hats, is time well spent.]
Flick? Flick who?
Rudolph: But you fell off the edge of the cliff.
Yukon Cornelius: Didn't I ever tell you about Bumbles? Bumbles bounce.
--Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
[This movie transports me back to being 6 years old. And Hermey wants to be a dentist!]
Handel's Messiah. All of it.
[I only listen to it at Christmas, and I don't know why, because some of those arias should be heard year round.]
What are you favorite Christmas things, pop culture-y or otherwise? (I could write an entire post about lingonberries, rice pudding, korv, Janson's Temptation, glogg, pickled herring, pepperkaker and Bondost, but I don't want to make you all hungry!)
And whether you celebrate Christmas (religiously or not), Chanukah, Kwanza, Festivus, St Stephen's Day, the Winter Solstice, Boxing Day, or nothing in particular, I hope that you and yours are happy and healthy. Safe travels, and see you in 2011!!
Here is the square in downtown Bloomington, in all its Christmas-y splendor. I've never seen trees wrapped so well! And it's not just the square that's bedecked. I had a haircut this morning and I go to a place which is in a Victorian house and already full of quirky wall colors and fun decorations (the foils they use for coloring are leopard print, for example), but they really went to town for Christmas. My hairdresser said they close for a day to fully decorate, and it shows--the stairs up to the second floor were completely turned into a Christmas village with houses and fake snow, mini-trees were on all the cabinets, ornaments hung from every doorway and ceiling, and gold ribbon was everywhere. I was in the small mall downtown yesterday, and it's the same thing there! The best was long strings of lights hanging from the ceiling--I had to duck to pass under them--and the ceiling is mirrored so it looked really cool.It's been a very hard week for non-academic reasons, and I will be so glad to be home. As always, though, it had really nice moments, due to the fabulous people in my life. On Wednesday, to celebrate surviving our first semester, a bunch of us went to Grazie, the Italian restaurant on the square, and got to admire all those Christmas lights. What did I have? A campari and soda (the people in one of the mystery series I like drink those all the time), some Malbec, and gnocchi in a very tasty Gorgonzola sauce with a lot of spinach. All told, it cost about my entire weeks food budget, but no matter. Grazie is a really cool place--our server was great and the decor is classy but comfy. I'll definitely be back. Having sampled other people's dinners, the food seems to be uniformly tasty, too. After that we went to a dance party where there was ABBA records (I love ABBA and I don't care who knows it) and silliness and it snowed and snowed.
Which brings me to the title of this post, quoted from It's a Wonderful Life, a movie which I am ambiguous about. I spend so much of it being depressed, and then the ending is such a mushfest. When everyone brings the money so George doesn't have to go to jail and Harry Bailey says, "A toast to my big brother George: The richest man in town," I cry EVERYTIME. I honestly teared up just typing it. Which shows that I am a total sap, but also that Christmas movies, carols, and books are embedded in so many of my memories that I can't fathom a world in which I wasn't watching The Muppets Christmas Carol with my family on Christmas Eve, because that is what we DO.
One of the many reasons why I like this time of year is because I am a creature of ritual and tradition. It doesn't have to do with the religious aspects at all, really--it's more the fact that so many people experience it, and Christmas is such a good and convenient time to be happy and thankful. I've got a lot of Northern blood, but sometimes even for me the winters get too cold and dark and claustrophobic, and I need friends and family then, more than ever. And if there are cookies involved, so much the better!
So because I'm a grad student and really good at quoting other people, here are some of my favorite Christmas things. Most you probably know, but some maybe not. Enjoy.
"You - you said - what'd you say a minute ago? They had to wait and save their money before they even ought to think of a decent home. Wait? Wait for what? Until their children grow up and leave them? Until they're so old and broken down that they... Do you know how long it takes a working man to save five thousand dollars? Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you'll ever be."
--George Bailey, It's a Wonderful Life
[Jimmy Stewart is so cool. I wanted to be a senator after watching Mr Smith Goes to Washington as an impressionable youngster.]
"Whence comes this rush of wings afar,
Following straight the Noël star?
Birds from the woods in wondrous flight,
Bethlehem seek this holy night."
--"Whence Comes this Rush of Wings," which I think was originally a French carol
[if you don't know this carol, I would suggest looking it up. My grandmother has a sweet Christmas carol book from the Met, so it's got all these cool paintings in it too, and my sister and I have lately become enamored of this carol. It's got a lovely little dissonant bit at the end, and the bird imagery is neat.]
My mouth's bleedin' Bert! My mouth's bleedin!"There was a line for Santa and a line for the women's bathroom, and one woman, after asking me a dozen questions already, asked, 'Which is the line for the women's bathroom?' I shouted that I thought it was the line with all the women in it.
She said, 'I'm going to have you fired.'
I had two people say that to me today, 'I'm going to have you fired.' Go ahead, be my guest. I'm wearing a green velvet costume; it doesn't get any worse than this. Who do these people think they are?
'I'm going to have you fired!' And I wanted to lean over and say, 'I'm going to have you killed.'"
--David Sedaris, "The Santaland Diaries," from Barrel Fever
[Not overly jolly, I suppose, but so true in so many awful ways. David Sedaris reading this is even more win, so do check that out here. It's not the whole story, but it'll give you a taster. For more Sedaris Christmas Wonderfulness, here is the text to "Six to Eight Black Men," which is the first essay of his I ever heard. It's great.]
Ms Sheilds, in Ralphie's dream: "Oh! The theme I've been waiting for all my life. Listen to this sentence: 'A Red Ryder BB gun with a compass in the stock, and this thing which tells time'. Poetry. Sheer poetry, Ralph! An A+!"
--A Christmas Story
[One of those movies that my family could probably quote in its entirety, as could so many other people.]
Oh, there goes Mr. Humbug
There goes Mr. Grim
If they gave a prize for being mean
The winner would be him
Old Scrooge, he loves his money
'Cause he thinks it gives him power
If he became a flavour you can bet he would be sour
Aside, vegetable: Yuck!
Vegetable seller: Even the vegetables don't like him!
--"Scrooge," from the Muppet Christmas Carol
[Again, my family could legitimately quote this entire movie. I also think every line from it is hilarious, and the songs are really very good, if you like Muppets. I especially love "Thankful Heart." Michael Caine will always be Scrooge to me.]
Kermit as Bob Cratchit. Genius, my friends. "Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixen
Eisenhower Kennedy Johnson Nixon
Dasher Dancer Prancer Vixen
Carter Reagan Bush and Clinton"
--Bob Dylan, "Must be Santa"
[I bought Dylan's Christmas CD, Christmas In the Heart, last year when it came out and I'm still not sure why, as Dylan singing "Little Drummer Boy" makes the ears bleed. I think he had the proceeds go to charity, which is a nice deal, and "Must be Santa" is such good fun! The music video is GREAT. Any time I can see Dylan smoking a cigar while saying "ho ho ho," vaguely gesticulating in lieu of dancing, and wearing a myriad of hats, is time well spent.]
Flick? Flick who?Rudolph: But you fell off the edge of the cliff.
Yukon Cornelius: Didn't I ever tell you about Bumbles? Bumbles bounce.
--Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
[This movie transports me back to being 6 years old. And Hermey wants to be a dentist!]
Handel's Messiah. All of it.
[I only listen to it at Christmas, and I don't know why, because some of those arias should be heard year round.]
What are you favorite Christmas things, pop culture-y or otherwise? (I could write an entire post about lingonberries, rice pudding, korv, Janson's Temptation, glogg, pickled herring, pepperkaker and Bondost, but I don't want to make you all hungry!)
And whether you celebrate Christmas (religiously or not), Chanukah, Kwanza, Festivus, St Stephen's Day, the Winter Solstice, Boxing Day, or nothing in particular, I hope that you and yours are happy and healthy. Safe travels, and see you in 2011!!
Thursday, 9 December 2010
Finals Week (Oh, the Excitement)
I always feel like kind of a waste of space during finals week. I'm busy, as is everyone else, but I'm never as busy as professors, who have to grade everything. I feel like it's not really more work than I normally have, it just counts more, but I also don't have class, so I have more time to do it. When I was in undergrad, this time was spent by sitting around with my friends and watching TV and making massive trips to the dining hall to stock up on fries/apples/energy drinks. Now, though, there is no dining hall, I live by myself, and although I have certainly been "wasting" time with friends, it's been a lot more of sitting by myself with my computer. I also don't have sit-down finals this semester, so I don't have to study for slide tests, which is pretty nice.
Finals just seem less scary and/or less important now. I think this stems from working retail and interning last year, and seeing how busy this season really is for some people. Some of my coworkers would work 2 weeks straight for the extra holiday pay. As Christmas got closer, I was only getting 15 minute breaks at the register because it was so busy. Standing for 9 hours and being polite to EVERYONE? Slightly harder than writing papers, at least for me (although, you do get paid!). I've also finally realized that everything will work out fine, that I can turn in something not quite perfect, and it's not the end of the world. A healthy attitude, although I'm not sure how great a grad student it makes me! My internet gave out a few nights ago, and rather than tweaking out about not finishing an image set, I just took a bubble bath and started an Elizabeth Peters book and went to bed, knowing that I have good time management and would have plenty of time to finish what I had to do. And I did.
So, what I have left: an Italian presentation tonight, a whole bunch of bibliographies, a paper on my "research methodology" (would you want to read that?? I certainly would not), and a scary paper for my seminar that I am sort of in denial about as it is due next Wednesday. In preparation for this paper, here is what my living room floor looks like:
A chart of seventeenth century self-portrait types, color coded by country, grouped by motivation behind the portrait (facial studies, stressing intellect of artist, status, in the act of painting, etc.) Which is all well and good, except I still have no thesis (or at least, not a thesis that I am comfortable with) and this paper is worth 70% of my grade. GAH.
Other than that, though, I need to do all my holiday shopping (which I really enjoy) and I have a few fun things planned during the rest of finals time, so things could be much worse. So far, the best cures for stress--listening to La Vie en Rose, loudly and on repeat while you waltz about your apartment, snagging free cookies from the museum, giggling a lot with friends either in person or on the phone, reading Adrienne Rich's "Claiming an Education" to remind myself why I am here, and thinking of all the fun family and friend times that await me in about a week and a half. Bring it on, finals!
Finals just seem less scary and/or less important now. I think this stems from working retail and interning last year, and seeing how busy this season really is for some people. Some of my coworkers would work 2 weeks straight for the extra holiday pay. As Christmas got closer, I was only getting 15 minute breaks at the register because it was so busy. Standing for 9 hours and being polite to EVERYONE? Slightly harder than writing papers, at least for me (although, you do get paid!). I've also finally realized that everything will work out fine, that I can turn in something not quite perfect, and it's not the end of the world. A healthy attitude, although I'm not sure how great a grad student it makes me! My internet gave out a few nights ago, and rather than tweaking out about not finishing an image set, I just took a bubble bath and started an Elizabeth Peters book and went to bed, knowing that I have good time management and would have plenty of time to finish what I had to do. And I did.
So, what I have left: an Italian presentation tonight, a whole bunch of bibliographies, a paper on my "research methodology" (would you want to read that?? I certainly would not), and a scary paper for my seminar that I am sort of in denial about as it is due next Wednesday. In preparation for this paper, here is what my living room floor looks like:
A chart of seventeenth century self-portrait types, color coded by country, grouped by motivation behind the portrait (facial studies, stressing intellect of artist, status, in the act of painting, etc.) Which is all well and good, except I still have no thesis (or at least, not a thesis that I am comfortable with) and this paper is worth 70% of my grade. GAH.Other than that, though, I need to do all my holiday shopping (which I really enjoy) and I have a few fun things planned during the rest of finals time, so things could be much worse. So far, the best cures for stress--listening to La Vie en Rose, loudly and on repeat while you waltz about your apartment, snagging free cookies from the museum, giggling a lot with friends either in person or on the phone, reading Adrienne Rich's "Claiming an Education" to remind myself why I am here, and thinking of all the fun family and friend times that await me in about a week and a half. Bring it on, finals!
Monday, 6 December 2010
How the Rare Books Library Blew My Mind
The highlight of what has been an increasingly academically frustrating week was a tour that my Research Sources class went on of the rare books library, which is handily right across the square from the art building. I was expecting just some background of the collection, how we get access to the books, how to use the card catalog (they still have one!), etc. But it was actually something much more wonderful.
I've used the rare book library on two occasions now, the first for a 1608 copy of Cesare Ripa's Iconologia, and the second to view a page from a fifteenth century Iranian manuscript for a response paper. Both times I totally dorked out, while still being totally incredulous that I can touch things that I've not only studied but that are contemporary to so much of the art that I'm interested in. Thanks to his inventory, we know Velazquez owned that same edition of Ripa. I mean, totally cool.
Like I said, though, I'm still incredulous about this process:
Librarian: Ok, here is your book. Just leave it in the foam viewing stand when you're done.
Me: Just to clarify--I can touch the pages, right?
Librarian, giving me an odd look: Well, of course you can.
Me: I mean, because it's 400 years old. I feel like I should wear gloves, or something.
Librarian: It's survived this long, hasn't it? And you only need to wear gloves if your hands are especially oily or dirty.
Me: They're not.
Librarian: Alright then.
So I knew that the library was really excellent, but happily instead of just talking about what all they have, the director showed us. We stowed all our bags in the lockers (no pens around the books, fair enough) and proceeded to one of the back kind of conference rooms. This one looked like a library in a southwestern ranch, with a beamed ceiling, Native American and western art, rows of bookshelves and stone fireplaces, flanking a huge wooden table. We sat around the wooden table, with one of my classmates saying it looked like we were in a murder mystery similar to Clue, where we had all been gathered in the library to be told that Colonel Mustard had been killed there with a candlestick.
The library director came in with a cart, and he was the sweetest man EVER and clearly in love with his job and the books, and he proceeded to show us some things. It went something like this:
Director: This is one of the Nuremberg chronicles, which for those of you who don't know, tells the story of the world, up until 1493, when this book was published. So we can see the different maps here, and the images of "strange people" from countries where the vast majority of its readers would never go.
Classmate: We looked at that image of the man shaving with his feet in class yesterday!!
Director: Isn't that one great?? My favorite part though is that these images are hand colored for the first 30 pages of the chronicle, but then that stops, because the patron ran out of money. Oh, and this map of Venice, which folds out of the book, so you get the full effect of the canals. [He proceeds to fold it out. It's about 4 feet long, and gorgeously detailed.] Like many books of the time, the sheets in this are vellum [calfskin], which is why it stayed in such good shape. Go ahead and feel this sheet.
Another classmate: Wait...we can touch it?
Director: You certainly can! See, this is the hair side of the calf, so you can feel the slightly raised bumps from the follicles, while the other side is smooth.
Us, as we feel the vellum: Oh, ick! But cool!
Director: I know. I'm a vegetarian, but what can you do.
Director: And here is one of three complete copies of Dürer's Apocalypse in the United States. Dating from 1498, it basically tells the story of the Book of Revelations with pictures. Here's a great one, with a seven headed snake. Look at the thinness of those lines. I don't know how anyone could carve that small.
Us, hovering over it: Ahhh!
Director: And here is, of course, the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"..
Us: Ahh! Ahhh!
Director: And if you've ever wanted to say you've touched a Dürer, now is your chance!
[we touch the Dürer with reverence]
Director: Here is a binding from a contemporary binder, for a book on Islamic designs. There is a five year waiting list to have him do a binding, and it takes him about 3 months to complete one binding. He reads the book first to get a sense of it, and then makes a binding to incorporate what the book is about. He's in his 70's now and works in a small log cabin in Canada, which sounds like a myth but is actually true. The weather conditions are such that he can only do gold embossing during 3 months of the year.
Us: That is the most gorgeous book we've ever seen!
[I'm not sure how to describe the binding on this book--hand tooled in leather with gold embossing on red, blue, and yellow flowers, with some dome motifs and geometric designs. It was perfect.]
Director: Here's a copy of Hamlet, where the binding is made up of tiny pieces of leather, so it kind of looks like an impressionist painting, right? [we nod] Back away from the book, and see if you can see anything. [we move about 6 feet back]
Us: Ahh! [Once you step away from this book, much like an impressionist painting, the little specs of colors turn into an image. In this case, to the right side of the binding was Hamlet's head, wearing a crown, and on the left was Elsinore.
Director: Here is a moralizing book for children from the 18th century, with a binding designed with cats.
Us: Ahhh! [the book is about 4 inches square]
Director: Well, we have about 5 minutes left.
Us: Nooo!
Director: Do you have any questions for me?
Classmate: What is that big book on the cart that we didn't get to?
Director: Ah, that is a copy of Ulysses, bound with illustrations as a special edition for people who were willing to pay more for it. The person they picked to do the illustrations was Matisse--
Us: AH!
Director: --but the publishers didn't really like Matisse's illustrations for it, so they had him include all his original sketches for the finished drawing, and then they included them in a series before each illustration, so you can see the genesis of his work. The publishers thought people would be less annoyed about the illustrations if there were extras added. Oh, and we can see at the back that this book was signed by both Matisse and Joyce.
Us: AHH!!!
We all left the library going, "Dürer! Wha, gah! Touched it! That cat book was adorable! I want to meet the guy who does binding! I didn't even know people still DID binding professionally anymore! Ah, gah, Matisse!"
Good way to spend a Friday morning.
I've used the rare book library on two occasions now, the first for a 1608 copy of Cesare Ripa's Iconologia, and the second to view a page from a fifteenth century Iranian manuscript for a response paper. Both times I totally dorked out, while still being totally incredulous that I can touch things that I've not only studied but that are contemporary to so much of the art that I'm interested in. Thanks to his inventory, we know Velazquez owned that same edition of Ripa. I mean, totally cool.
Like I said, though, I'm still incredulous about this process:
Librarian: Ok, here is your book. Just leave it in the foam viewing stand when you're done.
Me: Just to clarify--I can touch the pages, right?
Librarian, giving me an odd look: Well, of course you can.
Me: I mean, because it's 400 years old. I feel like I should wear gloves, or something.
Librarian: It's survived this long, hasn't it? And you only need to wear gloves if your hands are especially oily or dirty.
Me: They're not.
Librarian: Alright then.
So I knew that the library was really excellent, but happily instead of just talking about what all they have, the director showed us. We stowed all our bags in the lockers (no pens around the books, fair enough) and proceeded to one of the back kind of conference rooms. This one looked like a library in a southwestern ranch, with a beamed ceiling, Native American and western art, rows of bookshelves and stone fireplaces, flanking a huge wooden table. We sat around the wooden table, with one of my classmates saying it looked like we were in a murder mystery similar to Clue, where we had all been gathered in the library to be told that Colonel Mustard had been killed there with a candlestick.
The library director came in with a cart, and he was the sweetest man EVER and clearly in love with his job and the books, and he proceeded to show us some things. It went something like this:
Director: This is one of the Nuremberg chronicles, which for those of you who don't know, tells the story of the world, up until 1493, when this book was published. So we can see the different maps here, and the images of "strange people" from countries where the vast majority of its readers would never go.
Classmate: We looked at that image of the man shaving with his feet in class yesterday!!
Director: Isn't that one great?? My favorite part though is that these images are hand colored for the first 30 pages of the chronicle, but then that stops, because the patron ran out of money. Oh, and this map of Venice, which folds out of the book, so you get the full effect of the canals. [He proceeds to fold it out. It's about 4 feet long, and gorgeously detailed.] Like many books of the time, the sheets in this are vellum [calfskin], which is why it stayed in such good shape. Go ahead and feel this sheet.
Another classmate: Wait...we can touch it?
Director: You certainly can! See, this is the hair side of the calf, so you can feel the slightly raised bumps from the follicles, while the other side is smooth.
Us, as we feel the vellum: Oh, ick! But cool!
Director: I know. I'm a vegetarian, but what can you do.
Director: And here is one of three complete copies of Dürer's Apocalypse in the United States. Dating from 1498, it basically tells the story of the Book of Revelations with pictures. Here's a great one, with a seven headed snake. Look at the thinness of those lines. I don't know how anyone could carve that small.
Us, hovering over it: Ahhh!
Director: And here is, of course, the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse"..
Us: Ahh! Ahhh!
Director: And if you've ever wanted to say you've touched a Dürer, now is your chance!
[we touch the Dürer with reverence]
Director: Here is a binding from a contemporary binder, for a book on Islamic designs. There is a five year waiting list to have him do a binding, and it takes him about 3 months to complete one binding. He reads the book first to get a sense of it, and then makes a binding to incorporate what the book is about. He's in his 70's now and works in a small log cabin in Canada, which sounds like a myth but is actually true. The weather conditions are such that he can only do gold embossing during 3 months of the year.
Us: That is the most gorgeous book we've ever seen!
[I'm not sure how to describe the binding on this book--hand tooled in leather with gold embossing on red, blue, and yellow flowers, with some dome motifs and geometric designs. It was perfect.]
Director: Here's a copy of Hamlet, where the binding is made up of tiny pieces of leather, so it kind of looks like an impressionist painting, right? [we nod] Back away from the book, and see if you can see anything. [we move about 6 feet back]
Us: Ahh! [Once you step away from this book, much like an impressionist painting, the little specs of colors turn into an image. In this case, to the right side of the binding was Hamlet's head, wearing a crown, and on the left was Elsinore.
Director: Here is a moralizing book for children from the 18th century, with a binding designed with cats.
Us: Ahhh! [the book is about 4 inches square]
Director: Well, we have about 5 minutes left.
Us: Nooo!
Director: Do you have any questions for me?
Classmate: What is that big book on the cart that we didn't get to?
Director: Ah, that is a copy of Ulysses, bound with illustrations as a special edition for people who were willing to pay more for it. The person they picked to do the illustrations was Matisse--
Us: AH!
Director: --but the publishers didn't really like Matisse's illustrations for it, so they had him include all his original sketches for the finished drawing, and then they included them in a series before each illustration, so you can see the genesis of his work. The publishers thought people would be less annoyed about the illustrations if there were extras added. Oh, and we can see at the back that this book was signed by both Matisse and Joyce.
Us: AHH!!!
We all left the library going, "Dürer! Wha, gah! Touched it! That cat book was adorable! I want to meet the guy who does binding! I didn't even know people still DID binding professionally anymore! Ah, gah, Matisse!"
Good way to spend a Friday morning.
Thursday, 2 December 2010
Wish List
Every year about this time, I write my parents my Christmas Wish List. It's usually a pretty silly affair--I always put a Green Volvo right at the top, although mostly it's not too outrageous (in looking over the past few years, the most common elements were "funky jewelry," increasingly dorky art history books, and the West Wing on DVD.) Anyway, I sat down to write my list today and this is as far as I got before I stopped:
--large mixing bowls
--Chicago Manual of Style 16th Edition
--flannel sheets
BORING. The thing is, I don't need stuff. Transporting it would be a pain, and sappy as this will sound, the top of my list is to be with my family and friends, eating copious amounts of cookies and drinking copious amounts of glogg. But do I want stuff? Well, yeah. Here are some things that are just too fabulous to pass up, whether real or not.
A Colander
But not just any colander. One that is shaped liked an Angelfish. (Thanks to Amazon for the images.) One of my friends clued me into Boston Warehouse and their ADORABLE household goods, and this is one of my favorites. Another is the Peacock Duster.
Admittedly, I don't dust that often. But I
actually might, with one of these babies.
A Piano
I don't care what brand or model or size or color, it just needs to have pedals that (mostly) work and be tuned. Admittedly, if I won the lottery and had a much bigger apartment, I would want a cherry wood baby grand Steinway. My boss last year was in a concert at Steinway Hall, and I went and then wandered some of the showrooms, and ohmygosh. They have a "crown jewel collection" and they are ridiculously gorgeous. Practically too gorgeous to play, actually. (don't believe me? check it out here.) Until then, I'd be happy with a "free piano" from craigslist, as long as most of the keys were there.
Sterling Cooper Draper & Pryce T-Shirt
I haven't watched Mad Men this season (no cable + no time) but at the end of last season, Sterling and Cooper broke away from the company bearing their names and started a new ad agency with Don Draper and Lane Pryce, the English guy sent to oversee their takeover. It was a momentous episode. There was much rejoicing in our apartment during it. I like this t-shirt because Mad Men is a stellar TV show. The soundtrack is not half bad, either.
A Biopic about Caravaggio
Now, lest you scoff, not just any biopic. One where they interview actual cool art historians and don't focus on the tawdry details of Caravaggio's life (because, ya know, he also PAINTED OCCASIONALLY). The main stipulation, though: there must be plenty of reenactments of Caravaggio painting, talking to Cardinal del Monte, stalking the streets of Rome, etc. Caravaggio must be played by Johnny Depp, and he must paint with no shirt on.
Vintage Amber Earrings
I really like how amber looks--perhaps too much time spent watching Jurassic Park as small child? Maybe it just reminds me of honey/maple syrup? Anyway, amber is lovely, as is Etsy (thanks for the image, Etsy!), as is old jewelery, especially when the jewelery seems well-loved and used by the previous wearer of it.
Finger Lakes Wine of the Month Club Membership
I doubt that such a thing exists, but if it did, I would like it for 1. nostalgia's sake, 2. the fact that I genuinely like the wine produced there, and 3. I try to drink local wine, but everything produced here is really, really sweet, and I miss the awesome selection in NY.
A Mary Worth Tote Bag
I will go on the record saying that Mary Worth is the greatest, most unintentionally hilarious comic strip printed in American newspapers. For those of you who are uninitiated, she's this biddy who offers advice to people, mostly by butting into their lives. Everyone is either very good or very bad (or very dumb). There is no gray area in Mary Worth's world. She solves their problems, and at every story's end they have a pool party where no one swims, and they eat what appears to be salmon squares and drink what appears to be ketchup in glass goblets. Occasionally Mary's "gentleman friend" Dr Jeff Corey asks her to marry him and she always says no. Mary Worth is the most entertaining thing published in my hometown paper.
A Man
A nice one. If he had attractively muscular arms and was willing to vacuum, I wouldn't complain. Ideally, someone not unlike Atticus Finch, just slightly younger and maybe with a Scottish accent. He doesn't have to like opera, but he should be willing to sit it out for me. If he could fix computers that would be great, or at least know more about computers than me. Witty. Functional knowledge of cooking and current events. Appreciation for Monty Python, Star Wars, and poetry, but doesn't feel the need to quote them all the time. Perhaps has a dog, or at least is kind to dogs. Kind to people. Doesn't creep on people at bars. Non-misogynistic, non-homophobic, doesn't privilege certain religious traditions over others, etc. Clean hair. Now that I've put this out there, universe, I shall be delighted to see you what you come up with. Cheers.
A Trip to Jarrolds (at Christmas)
This is Jarrolds, a department store in Norwich, England. Every Wednesday morning, my friends and I would meet there and go to the 5th floor, where there was a cafe, and we would get scones with all the elderly British people. A cheese scone with raspberry jam and some time spent gazing at the Christmas displays in all the windows would be really wonderful.
A Piece of Cheesecake from Lord's Bakery
Lord's Bakery is located in Flatbush/East Flatbush, Brooklyn (or as my cousin's students lovingly call it, "Gaza Flatbush.") It is a magical place. The people are super nice, the cakes are stunners, the bagels are less than a dollar, and the cheesecake is the best cheesecake I've ever had. It's got this lemon-y, fresh taste to it. I miss Lord's Bakery. A LOT.
The Ability to Apparate or be able to Immediately Visit my Friends without having to Pay for Plane Tickets, Wait in Airports/Train Stations, etc.
Self explanatory, really. Maybe we should all pick a town and all move there? Of course, with that much goodness in one place, my head and heart might explode.
--large mixing bowls
--Chicago Manual of Style 16th Edition
--flannel sheets
BORING. The thing is, I don't need stuff. Transporting it would be a pain, and sappy as this will sound, the top of my list is to be with my family and friends, eating copious amounts of cookies and drinking copious amounts of glogg. But do I want stuff? Well, yeah. Here are some things that are just too fabulous to pass up, whether real or not.
A Colander
But not just any colander. One that is shaped liked an Angelfish. (Thanks to Amazon for the images.) One of my friends clued me into Boston Warehouse and their ADORABLE household goods, and this is one of my favorites. Another is the Peacock Duster.
Admittedly, I don't dust that often. But I
actually might, with one of these babies.A Piano
I don't care what brand or model or size or color, it just needs to have pedals that (mostly) work and be tuned. Admittedly, if I won the lottery and had a much bigger apartment, I would want a cherry wood baby grand Steinway. My boss last year was in a concert at Steinway Hall, and I went and then wandered some of the showrooms, and ohmygosh. They have a "crown jewel collection" and they are ridiculously gorgeous. Practically too gorgeous to play, actually. (don't believe me? check it out here.) Until then, I'd be happy with a "free piano" from craigslist, as long as most of the keys were there.
Sterling Cooper Draper & Pryce T-Shirt
I haven't watched Mad Men this season (no cable + no time) but at the end of last season, Sterling and Cooper broke away from the company bearing their names and started a new ad agency with Don Draper and Lane Pryce, the English guy sent to oversee their takeover. It was a momentous episode. There was much rejoicing in our apartment during it. I like this t-shirt because Mad Men is a stellar TV show. The soundtrack is not half bad, either.A Biopic about Caravaggio
Now, lest you scoff, not just any biopic. One where they interview actual cool art historians and don't focus on the tawdry details of Caravaggio's life (because, ya know, he also PAINTED OCCASIONALLY). The main stipulation, though: there must be plenty of reenactments of Caravaggio painting, talking to Cardinal del Monte, stalking the streets of Rome, etc. Caravaggio must be played by Johnny Depp, and he must paint with no shirt on.
Vintage Amber Earrings
I really like how amber looks--perhaps too much time spent watching Jurassic Park as small child? Maybe it just reminds me of honey/maple syrup? Anyway, amber is lovely, as is Etsy (thanks for the image, Etsy!), as is old jewelery, especially when the jewelery seems well-loved and used by the previous wearer of it.
Finger Lakes Wine of the Month Club Membership
I doubt that such a thing exists, but if it did, I would like it for 1. nostalgia's sake, 2. the fact that I genuinely like the wine produced there, and 3. I try to drink local wine, but everything produced here is really, really sweet, and I miss the awesome selection in NY.
A Mary Worth Tote Bag
I will go on the record saying that Mary Worth is the greatest, most unintentionally hilarious comic strip printed in American newspapers. For those of you who are uninitiated, she's this biddy who offers advice to people, mostly by butting into their lives. Everyone is either very good or very bad (or very dumb). There is no gray area in Mary Worth's world. She solves their problems, and at every story's end they have a pool party where no one swims, and they eat what appears to be salmon squares and drink what appears to be ketchup in glass goblets. Occasionally Mary's "gentleman friend" Dr Jeff Corey asks her to marry him and she always says no. Mary Worth is the most entertaining thing published in my hometown paper.
A Man
A nice one. If he had attractively muscular arms and was willing to vacuum, I wouldn't complain. Ideally, someone not unlike Atticus Finch, just slightly younger and maybe with a Scottish accent. He doesn't have to like opera, but he should be willing to sit it out for me. If he could fix computers that would be great, or at least know more about computers than me. Witty. Functional knowledge of cooking and current events. Appreciation for Monty Python, Star Wars, and poetry, but doesn't feel the need to quote them all the time. Perhaps has a dog, or at least is kind to dogs. Kind to people. Doesn't creep on people at bars. Non-misogynistic, non-homophobic, doesn't privilege certain religious traditions over others, etc. Clean hair. Now that I've put this out there, universe, I shall be delighted to see you what you come up with. Cheers.
A Trip to Jarrolds (at Christmas)
This is Jarrolds, a department store in Norwich, England. Every Wednesday morning, my friends and I would meet there and go to the 5th floor, where there was a cafe, and we would get scones with all the elderly British people. A cheese scone with raspberry jam and some time spent gazing at the Christmas displays in all the windows would be really wonderful.
A Piece of Cheesecake from Lord's Bakery
Lord's Bakery is located in Flatbush/East Flatbush, Brooklyn (or as my cousin's students lovingly call it, "Gaza Flatbush.") It is a magical place. The people are super nice, the cakes are stunners, the bagels are less than a dollar, and the cheesecake is the best cheesecake I've ever had. It's got this lemon-y, fresh taste to it. I miss Lord's Bakery. A LOT.
The Ability to Apparate or be able to Immediately Visit my Friends without having to Pay for Plane Tickets, Wait in Airports/Train Stations, etc.
Self explanatory, really. Maybe we should all pick a town and all move there? Of course, with that much goodness in one place, my head and heart might explode.
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