28 April 2017:
"And I wish I could lay down beside you
When the day is done
And wake up to your face against the morning sun
But like everything I've ever known
You'll disappear someday
So I'll spend my whole life hiding my heart away
And I can't spend my whole life hiding my heart away" --Brandi Carlile, "Hiding My Heart"
I suspect that lines from this new cover album of The Story might be popping up in several posts in the coming days. It's amazing and has got me torn between listening to the covers or the originals on repeat. This morning, though, I am really feeling these lines from "Hiding My Heart." Sigh.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Thursday, April 27, 2017
"Little Garcon"
27 April 2017:
"I don't care where you go
As long as it's with me
& I don't mind just what you do
As long as it's with me, too" --Born Ruffians, "Little Garcon"
Today was just a good day: great weather, some lovely company, lots of productivity, a good, long walk down by the river. And this little song, which always makes me smile, came up as I was sitting here feeling pretty darn good.
"I don't care where you go
As long as it's with me
& I don't mind just what you do
As long as it's with me, too" --Born Ruffians, "Little Garcon"
Today was just a good day: great weather, some lovely company, lots of productivity, a good, long walk down by the river. And this little song, which always makes me smile, came up as I was sitting here feeling pretty darn good.
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Ynes Mexia
26 April 2017: “And those plants are still with us—in drawers mostly,
herbariums, old museums, the basements of botanical societies—dried and
preserved, labeled, meticulously catalogued, glued just so to white pages now
yellow with age, like she had learned to do in a classroom at the age of 52. And
each one of them—each flower she saw poking out of the dirt and said ‘That one,’
each leaf she had stop on tiptoes to take, each blade of grass she had pulled
from the hillside with her fingertips—is a moment in her life and a choice she
made.” --Nate DiMeo in this wonderful episode of The Memory Palace.
Every episode of The Memory Palace is a work of art, but this one--about someone I hadn't heard of before who, in Nate's words, didn't have a very dramatic life--is exceptional. It's a profound meditation on age, agency, choice, and the ways we can effect the world. Wonderful.
Every episode of The Memory Palace is a work of art, but this one--about someone I hadn't heard of before who, in Nate's words, didn't have a very dramatic life--is exceptional. It's a profound meditation on age, agency, choice, and the ways we can effect the world. Wonderful.
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
"Myth"
25 April 2017:
Long afterward, Oedipus, old and blinded, walked the
roads. He smelled a familiar smell. It was
the Sphinx. Oedipus said, “I want to ask one question.
Why didn’t I recognize my mother?” “You gave the
wrong answer,” said the Sphinx. “But that was what
made everything possible,” said Oedipus. “No,” she said.
“When I asked, What walks on four legs in the morning,
two at noon, and three in the evening, you answered,
Man. You didn’t say anything about woman.”
“When you say Man,” said Oedipus, “you include women
too. Everyone knows that.” She said, “That’s what
you think.”
--Muriel Rukeyser, "Myth"
Listen to the poem here.
Long afterward, Oedipus, old and blinded, walked the
roads. He smelled a familiar smell. It was
the Sphinx. Oedipus said, “I want to ask one question.
Why didn’t I recognize my mother?” “You gave the
wrong answer,” said the Sphinx. “But that was what
made everything possible,” said Oedipus. “No,” she said.
“When I asked, What walks on four legs in the morning,
two at noon, and three in the evening, you answered,
Man. You didn’t say anything about woman.”
“When you say Man,” said Oedipus, “you include women
too. Everyone knows that.” She said, “That’s what
you think.”
--Muriel Rukeyser, "Myth"
Listen to the poem here.
Monday, April 24, 2017
"Giving Up"
24 April 2017:
"What if we stop having a ball?
What if the paint chips from the wall?
What if there's always cups in the sink?
Oh what if I'm not what you think I am?
What if I fall further than you?
What if you dream of somebody new?
What if I never let you win,
And chase you with a rolling pin?
Well what if I do?
'Cause I am giving up on making passes and
I am giving up on half empty glasses and
I am giving up on greener grasses
I am giving up" --Ingrid Michaelson, "Giving Up"
I've heard this song a million times before, but never really listened to the words all that closely. Today I finally did. Lovely--a bit of hope hiding in plain sight and sort of perfect for a rainy spring day.
"What if we stop having a ball?
What if the paint chips from the wall?
What if there's always cups in the sink?
Oh what if I'm not what you think I am?
What if I fall further than you?
What if you dream of somebody new?
What if I never let you win,
And chase you with a rolling pin?
Well what if I do?
'Cause I am giving up on making passes and
I am giving up on half empty glasses and
I am giving up on greener grasses
I am giving up" --Ingrid Michaelson, "Giving Up"
I've heard this song a million times before, but never really listened to the words all that closely. Today I finally did. Lovely--a bit of hope hiding in plain sight and sort of perfect for a rainy spring day.
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Colin's First Communion
23 April 2017:
"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.'" --John 20: 19-23.
How wonderful that when Jesus first meets the disciples after the resurrection, as they are hunkered down in fear, he greets them with peace. And then he sends them out to love and forgive. Hearing these words again in church today--and seeing my nephew take his first communion--gave me a lot to think about on my drive back to WV this afternoon/evening.
"On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. Again Jesus said, 'Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.' And with that he breathed on them and said, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.'" --John 20: 19-23.
How wonderful that when Jesus first meets the disciples after the resurrection, as they are hunkered down in fear, he greets them with peace. And then he sends them out to love and forgive. Hearing these words again in church today--and seeing my nephew take his first communion--gave me a lot to think about on my drive back to WV this afternoon/evening.
Saturday, April 22, 2017
"Maps," again
22 April 2017:
"Maps show you what is simple and true
Try laying out a bird’s eye view
Not what he told you, just what you see
What do you know that’s not your dad’s mythology?"
Had to head up to NY today for a super-short visit for my nephew's first communion. Going home can be...emotionally loaded. I often find myself feeling like an angst-ridden teenager again...not a good thing. This song, which I heard as I drove down the Long Island Expressway,--in part about being an adult and trying to find out your own truth--hit the right note today.
(I've already blogged about this song before.)
"Maps show you what is simple and true
Try laying out a bird’s eye view
Not what he told you, just what you see
What do you know that’s not your dad’s mythology?"
Had to head up to NY today for a super-short visit for my nephew's first communion. Going home can be...emotionally loaded. I often find myself feeling like an angst-ridden teenager again...not a good thing. This song, which I heard as I drove down the Long Island Expressway,--in part about being an adult and trying to find out your own truth--hit the right note today.
(I've already blogged about this song before.)
Friday, April 21, 2017
Looking forward, looking back...
21 April 2017: "I called my friends and I was like, 'This article is really interesting!'" --a student in my ENGL 301 class, reflecting on her experience compiling her annotated bibliography.
The Annotated Bibliography is the big, semester-long project in ENGL 301, introducing them to citation and research. It's a bear: they complete three sets of entries, each with four sources, revise them all, and then hand in the completed version at semester's end. Most of them are easily 20 pages. Again, a bear! But they are proud of those bears.
Anyway, we had our last regular class of the semester today and were done reviewing for the exam with about 15 minutes left. So I asked them if we could talk about the class as a whole--what worked, what they liked, what they would change. Because they are awesome, they were eager to participate. I shared some of my ideas, too. And a lot of the comments were about the Annotated Bibliography. The quotation above reflects a common idea from students: they spend all semester creating these things but don't do much with them beyond that. And they kind of want to do more--they want to make their own arguments with/against/towards these critics. That's awesome.
So we talked what that kind of an assignment would look like, how it could fit into the class (something would have to go to make room for it), etc. It was a terrific discussion and I think I have some good ideas for moving forward.
The Annotated Bibliography is the big, semester-long project in ENGL 301, introducing them to citation and research. It's a bear: they complete three sets of entries, each with four sources, revise them all, and then hand in the completed version at semester's end. Most of them are easily 20 pages. Again, a bear! But they are proud of those bears.
Anyway, we had our last regular class of the semester today and were done reviewing for the exam with about 15 minutes left. So I asked them if we could talk about the class as a whole--what worked, what they liked, what they would change. Because they are awesome, they were eager to participate. I shared some of my ideas, too. And a lot of the comments were about the Annotated Bibliography. The quotation above reflects a common idea from students: they spend all semester creating these things but don't do much with them beyond that. And they kind of want to do more--they want to make their own arguments with/against/towards these critics. That's awesome.
So we talked what that kind of an assignment would look like, how it could fit into the class (something would have to go to make room for it), etc. It was a terrific discussion and I think I have some good ideas for moving forward.
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Cute little protector...
20 April 2017: "That's my baby sister." --a little boy at Panera today.
This little man spoke up when his baby sister turned around in her high chair and smiled at me. I smiled back, waved, and said, "Hi!" The boy--who couldn't have been more than 5--was "watching" his sister while his mom went to pick up their food at the counter. His adorable comment--he wanted us to know he was in charge of her and that he was proud of the fact--made us (my friend Amy and I) smile. We told him he was doing a very good job watching her and he nodded his head in agreement.
This little man spoke up when his baby sister turned around in her high chair and smiled at me. I smiled back, waved, and said, "Hi!" The boy--who couldn't have been more than 5--was "watching" his sister while his mom went to pick up their food at the counter. His adorable comment--he wanted us to know he was in charge of her and that he was proud of the fact--made us (my friend Amy and I) smile. We told him he was doing a very good job watching her and he nodded his head in agreement.
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
When you know it's working...
19 April 2017: "Yes and no. I mean, I finally feel like I know what I am doing..." --a student in my ENGL 301 class, sharing a sentiment his classmates agreed with, in response to me asking if they were sad that today was our last peer review session of the semester.
I like this response because it showed me that--at least for some of them--so much of what we have been working on this semester is clicking. It hasn't been easy (that's the "yes" part of his response--being glad it's done), but that is actually even more validating for me.
I've bragged about this group a lot this semester, but they have been a very strong class overall and I'll miss them.
I like this response because it showed me that--at least for some of them--so much of what we have been working on this semester is clicking. It hasn't been easy (that's the "yes" part of his response--being glad it's done), but that is actually even more validating for me.
I've bragged about this group a lot this semester, but they have been a very strong class overall and I'll miss them.
Tuesday, April 18, 2017
iZombie is back!
18 April 2017: "It's called being supportive. You should try it some time." --Major, on iZombie, really feeling the teenage-girl brain he ate earlier.
Look, I am not even going to pretend that what I wrote above will make a lick of sense to someone who never watched iZombie, but trust me when I tell you that this line--and the entire scene it was a part of--was terrific. Laugh out loud funny. And Major has never been a character that made me laugh before. I actually missed that this show came back, so I had to catch up on the first two episodes on demand, and I am glad I did.
Look, I am not even going to pretend that what I wrote above will make a lick of sense to someone who never watched iZombie, but trust me when I tell you that this line--and the entire scene it was a part of--was terrific. Laugh out loud funny. And Major has never been a character that made me laugh before. I actually missed that this show came back, so I had to catch up on the first two episodes on demand, and I am glad I did.
Monday, April 17, 2017
Starting to wrap up the semester...
17 April 2017: "It just felt so...empty." --a student in my ENGL 204 class, reflecting on "Sexy," by Jhumpa Lahiri and how she felt at the end of the piece.
This quotation, a kind of echo of this one from last week, stood out to me after another attempt at trying to teach this story. It's a story I love, but it is really hard to talk about with students because it is so subtle and small (not in a bad way) even as it embraces the world in its symbolic gestures. The next time I teach it, I am going to try to remember what this student said--so simple and true--and see if we can build off that emptiness with which the story leaves u.
This quotation, a kind of echo of this one from last week, stood out to me after another attempt at trying to teach this story. It's a story I love, but it is really hard to talk about with students because it is so subtle and small (not in a bad way) even as it embraces the world in its symbolic gestures. The next time I teach it, I am going to try to remember what this student said--so simple and true--and see if we can build off that emptiness with which the story leaves u.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
Easter
16 April 2017: "What's the prognosis?" --my incredibly precocious four-year-old niece today, while we were playing with her animal hospital kit. She's got quite the vocabulary and always makes me laugh.
Some Easter pictures...
Some Easter pictures...
Saturday, April 15, 2017
"The Shape I Found You In"
15 April 2017:
"You were delivered to me
We were closed as the stores on Christmas Eve
So I felt around in the dark
Building rope ladders into your heart
Climbing hand over hand to get in
That's the shape I found you in" --Girlyman, "The Shape I Found You In"
Always loved this song and smiled when it came up on shuffle today. So quietly hopeful and beautiful.
"You were delivered to me
We were closed as the stores on Christmas Eve
So I felt around in the dark
Building rope ladders into your heart
Climbing hand over hand to get in
That's the shape I found you in" --Girlyman, "The Shape I Found You In"
Always loved this song and smiled when it came up on shuffle today. So quietly hopeful and beautiful.
Friday, April 14, 2017
"Ain't No Grave"
14 April 2017:
"Ain't no grave can hold my body down
When I hear that trumpet sound I'm gonna rise right out of the ground
Ain't no grave can hold my body down" --Claude Ely
This episode of the Radio Diaries podcast, about Brother Claude Ely and his music, seemed especially appropriate for Good Friday.
"Ain't no grave can hold my body down
When I hear that trumpet sound I'm gonna rise right out of the ground
Ain't no grave can hold my body down" --Claude Ely
This episode of the Radio Diaries podcast, about Brother Claude Ely and his music, seemed especially appropriate for Good Friday.
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