Altered the Color of My Mind

Detail from a painting by Patricia Chidlaw, part of the Cityscape Show III at George Billis Gallery

Well, let's allow our mind to dissolve away into the madness of night, with dreams both dark and bright, images both forlorn and hopeful to drive us into another precious day.

And, let's celebrate the birth date of Emily Bronte, born on this date in 1818, with an appropriate song. ;-)

"Wuthering Heights" by Kate Bush

Enjoy!!!

Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here

Gustave Dore's illustration of Dante questioning the damned frozen in Lake Cocytus

Last year, we celebrated the birth date of Gustave Dore by looking at his biblical illustrations. Since today is Spooky Sunday, it seems only proper that we look at some of Dore's most haunting works, the images created for Dante's Inferno.

There are plenty of gruesome scenes to select, but my favorites are with Francesca and the Lustful being carrying aloft forever upon a tireless, swirling wind, and with Farinata who pridefully argues among the Heretical in their smoldering sarcophagi, and, of course, upon seeing the frozen bottom layer with the Treacherous trapped in the ice of Lake Cocytus, formed from the endless tears of Satan himself!!! Yeah, there are other horrific situations, loathsome and insidious. But these are my three iconic vistas of Perdition.

Other artists have tried their hand at drawing nightmarish visions from Dante's text, sometimes with great success. However, in terms of breadth and consistency, nobody beats Dore in envisioning the words. He makes Hell take shape.

Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta, tossed endlessly by the gusts of Lust

Personally, I've never been a Dante enthusiast, but looking at Dore's work makes me want to give the Divine Comedy another read, especially Paradiso, which I have only read once, back in my college years, when I thought it was so boring as to make my eyes blur with tedium. Yeah, I hate rereading works, but sometimes our perspectives become so changed as to make the text relate to us anew.

Raised up High into the Psychedelic Sky

"Fire Rainbows" in the clouds over North Redondo

Today, I saw a dazzling display of fire rainbows, blazing a radiant trail of color horizontally across the sky. My photo captures only a hint of the prismatic glory that scintillated up above.

It seemed like something either out of a mystical revelation or a psychedelic trip. ;-)

And on that note, let's celebrate the birth date of Hunter S. Thompson, born on July 18, 1937. "We can't stop here, this is bat country."

Friday Flowers: Waiting for African Daisies

Osteospermum Ecklonis: African Daisy

"It is true that when with folded arms we weigh the pros and cons we are no less a credit to our species. The tiger bounds to the help of his congeners without the least reflexion, or else he slinks away into the depths of the tickets. But that is not the question. What we are doing here, that is the question. And we are blessed in this, that we happen to know the answer. Yes, in this immense confusion one thing alone is clear. We are waiting for Godot to come ---"

Well, Samuel Beckett isn't famous for his poetry, but a poet he was nevertheless. I could have posted a poem, but I couldn't pass on a quote from Waiting for Godot. And, although he wrote many fine works of literature, this is the piece that put him up among the All-Time Greats.

And that's an appropriate way in which to celebrate his birth date, April 13, 1906.

Osteospermum Ecklonis: Tradewinds Purple

And what of the African daisies? Well, I've been meaning to post them for quite a long time now, but time keeps on sliding by, leaving me waiting and waiting for the proper situation in which to share them with you. It seemed the Beckett's birth date was a fine time to stop waiting. ;-)

Modern Prometheus

Detail of Monster of Frankenstein #1 cover art (1973) by Mike Ploog

Published on January 1, 1818, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus founded two genres of fiction dear to my heart, Horror and Science Fiction. Certainly, there are older instances that could claim the credit, but Shelley's novel isn't merely a "scary tale" or "speculative" fiction; it gets to the philosophical and aesthetic premises that define each of these genres.

As regards Horror, the exploration of transgression, the danger of human genius removed from moral concern, and the hubris of finite humanity imposing its limited awareness upon a Nature that surpasses both comprehension and control, these are themes and topics that characterize the best of the genre since Frankenstein.

For Science Fiction, the intellectual quandaries posed by the novel, such as the concept of "person" or the ethical concerns raised by pressing into uncharted realms of technology, have become staples of speculative fiction. No "Artificial Intelligence" story can be told without being compared to the progenitor of the genre.

Boris Karloff as Frankenstein's Monster (1931)

Therefore, we can't let this day pass by without celebrating this literary treasure:

"I will pioneer a new way, explore unknown powers, and unfold to the world the deepest mysteries of creation."

Powerful stuff!!!

For Emily

Emily Dickinson was born on December 10, 1830.


Exultation is the going (75)
(By Emily Dickinson)

Exultation is the going
Of an inland soul to sea,
Past the houses - past the headlands -
Into deep Eternity

Bred as we, among the mountains,
Can the sailor understand
The divine intoxication
Of the first league out from land?


Did you really think that I wasn't going to celebrate Emily Dickinson's birth date?

I could write a daily blog, all about my adoration for Emily. I could make podcasts, reciting and reflecting upon her verse. I could drift into insanity, obsessing over every word and phrase. So, instead, I dole out her words, as an occasional treat.

But on special days, it is permissible, even admirable, to engage in poetic gluttony. ;-)

My Conscience Got to Stirring Me Up

"Thinking" (1884) by E. W. Kemble, from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Sometimes people ask me about my favorite novel. I can never give an honest or consistent answer to them; there are so many considerations that qualify my selection. However, I'm certain that The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is in my top five.

I'm not a big fan of the overall plot structure, especially not the last third, but I always enjoy Huck's character, his interior conversations, his childish innocence and his commonsense morality. Most of all, I adore Huck's authenticity. He is as "real" to me as many people who I have "really" met. ;-)

I have a thing against rereading books. Because there are so many great books that I have yet to read, it seems foolish to read a novel a second time. For me, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn always justify an extra read.

"On the Raft" (1884) by E. W. Kemble, from The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Published on this date in 1884, let's celebrate Mark Twain's enduring creation.

Great and Wondrous Deeds

Parthenon

As resident of Los Angeles can attest, we spend a lot of time commuting around the city. Over the past few months, this has been especially true for me. To pass the time, I usually listen to music on the radio. However, I decided to change it up and listen to recordings of lectures on Ancient Greek civilization. I've always been a student of Classical Civ, but I've mostly been focused on the Romans. Well, I decided it was finally time to give Greece a bit of my time.

Sure. I've read the standard repertoire, Homer and Hesiod, Sophocles and Euripides, Plato and Aristotle. However, it was always in passing, part of a literature or philosophy class. Just another primary text to grind through. So, although I could claim to be widely read in the Greek classics, it was a really shallow claim.

Anyways, I got a few courses from the Teaching Company and was surprised at their overall quality. Each course was an excellent basic survey of the topic. They actually make feel good about the long and frequent drives that I make around town. The 405 is no longer a detestable waste of my time. ;-)

I've listened to a few courses by Jeremy McInerney, Chair of the Department of Classical Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. He's a very good lecturer and his courses have good organization with broad focus, including cultural, economic, military, and political elements. I've listened to "Ancient Greek Civilization", "Age of Pericles" and "Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Age."

Another fine lecturer is Elizabeth Vandiver of Whitman College. Her courses focus on literary topics. She's very good at explaining the basics of a work, as well as both the broader context and the specific nuances. However, I think the listener will get more from these lectures if they have previously read the work under study. For instance, I've only read Herodotus in bits and pieces, never "cover to cover." Therefore, in her course "Herodotus: The Father of History," I got more out of the areas in which I was familiar. I also listened to her course on "Greek Tragedy" and "The Odyssey of Homer." All three of these courses were excellent.

Finally, you can't study Ancient Greece without doing some philosophy. I listened to a couple of course by David Roochnik of Boston University, "Introduction to Greek Philosophy" and "Plato's Republic." Both of these courses were well organized and with very accessible lectures. I was especially impressed by the course of the Republic. Given my previous unhappy experiences with this work, I was doubtful that any lecturer could keep my interest on the subject. He did. Bravo!

Euphronios Krater

Anyways, I highly recommend these courses. Moreover, I'm interested in actually reading some Ancient Greek studies.

Here's a link to the Teaching Company's website.

Prof. Jeremy McInerney's webpage is here.

Prof. Elizabeth Vandiver's Wikipedia page is here.

Here's a link to Prof. David Roochnik's webpage.

Enjoy!!!