Pig in a Blanket

Photo taken for amusement

Good Idea, Bad Idea

Good Idea:

Donating money to our public schools to support literacy when the government has hemmed in costs at every opportunity.

Bad Idea:
A manager at Chindigo who can neither write, nor mind her business by ordering (not asking politely) an employee to do something when she isn't even working but just shopping for herself.

This segment has been brought to you by the Animaniacs.

A Subtler Hoax

Tonight I started reading S.T. Joshi's A Subtler Magick: The Writings and Philosophy of H.P. Lovecraft, generally considered the "definitive critical guide to the life and works." An independent scholar, Joshi earned his acclaim for single-handedly convoking, editing, and establishing the scholarly canon of Weird fiction (Bierce, Poe, Blackwood, Dunsany, Machen, Lovecraft, Smith, Hodgson--essentially those who wrote for Weird Tales magazine) outside of the university academies. Yet, almost immediately, when I read Joshi I get those same disconcerting collywobbles in my head like reading the New Historicist Stephen Greenblatt's writing about Shakespearean plays. Such insights into the historical context can be enlightening for newcomers but one can't help but think scrupulous academics like Greenblatt have placed far too naive faith exclusively in the biographical and historical elements to explain a work of fiction or author.

New Historicism comes across to me as the sinister, bastard son of Marxist thought, like Edmund in King Lear: clever, but somehow dangerously driven to cruel and petty crimes against innocent victims, almost quite tragic. The chief problem with traditional studies of Lovecraft, as I am realizing, is that its champion, Joshi, knew too much biographically about Lovecraft based on his prolific letter writing. I might attribute this problem to the intellectual slant of Joshi, who, as an atheist, takes his understanding of Lovecraft to the most nihilistic, leftist extreme in his writing, seeing everything exclusively based on historical and biographical events.

Maybe I've taken Northrop Frye's holistic, imaginative literary understanding - based on The Great Code and Anatomy of Criticism - greatly to heart, nevertheless, in the end, I can't help but find New Historical-esque analysis, like Joshi's, unsettling: How can a scholar simply reduce mythic fiction to biography and history?

ADDENDUM: I will admit that Joshi's approach to understanding Lovecraft's own atheistic views, despite what I've written, has some positive scholarly features. Indeed Joshi has a penchant, like Greenblatt, for capturing the (often disturbingly stark and realistic) intellectual, historical and social atmosphere of Lovecraft's world and mindset. This is where New Historicism is admittedly beneficial--it only errs when it lapses (perhaps only in my own mind) into seeing an author and his (or her) works exclusively in terms of biography and history.

Have A Nice Day

Just got an e-mail from one of the printing press jobs I applied for and unfortunately, though they say my resume is "impressive," it is not what they are seeking for the position. Oh well. The first, no doubt, of many anticipated rejections I expect to ferret out seeking for a new suitable and professional, post-graduate job.

I'm not that disappointed truly. My hopes were about as high as a scuttling weasel. No worries. I spent the better half of my afternoon, following a brief shift working in receiving with magazines at Chapters, with my better half: my fiancée and her family. As well, two books--S.T. Joshi's definitive guide, The Subtler Magick: The Writings and Philosophy of H.P. Lovecraft, as well as Marshall McLuhan's disseration The Classical Trivium-- which I had ordered months ago, finally arrived today after nearly a full semester on back order.

A Voice Crying In The Wilderness

There is nothing exciting to report tonight: I woke up around 9:30 this morning, went to work for 11:00 AM until 7:00 PM, returned home, watched some TV (House), prepared, cooked and ate Lemon Chicken, continued reading Ricci's Testament, and now I'm heading off to join my bartending fiancée, Vivian, at her work (and later drive her home).

The cycle will continue tomorrow when I will inevitably awaken early (to the sudden raspy, metallic cry of my radio alarm into the wilderness of my dreams) to work a short shift from 9:30 AM to 3:00 PM and eventually, or perhaps, make my way over to my fiancée's place to celebrate her father's birthday. Then I get a day off.

Perhaps then I'll finish reading Ricci's Testament - and move on to something different, such as Jean Baudrillard's The System of Objects, or maybe some other lost and forgotten book on my shelf in the basement.

Thunderbolt and Lightning, Very, Very Frightening

Archaic Word of the Week:

Fulgor, fulgour - "A brilliant or flashing light; dazzling brightness, splendour."

From L. fulgor, f. fulgre to shine.

The Black Diamonds

Blurb from the Hippocampus Publishing website:

At the age of fourteen, Clark Ashton Smith wrote an Arabian Nights adventure novel called The Black Diamonds. At nearly 90,000 words, it is the longest work of fiction he would ever write in his long career. The thrilling and fast-paced story of seventeenth-century Bagdad deals with two mysterious black diamonds and the conflict they engender between an Arab family and the powerful thief who seeks to regain them. Kidnapping, piracy, and even a possibly supernatural "Lake of Fire" are all involved in this vibrant and well-crafted narrative.

Although a work of Smith's youth, The Black Diamonds can withstand comparison with any of his later tales of Zothique, Hyperborea, and Atlantis for compelling readability. This never-before published novel has been meticulously edited by leading fantasy scholar S. T. Joshi.

The only odd, and perhaps quirky issue concerning the book's back cover: some editor decided to inform the reader that "Smith died in his sleep August 14, 1961." Few books I know tell the reader about the mortal fate of the author.

The New Testament

With nearly a week off from work I have been keeping myself busy reading books as usual, in particular my theme this week seems to be the myth of the Christos. After finishing Dan Brown's intrigue, conspiracy-theory-driven novel The Da Vinci Code, I moved on to something that I would likewise not normally be found reading: Can Lit. Quite honestly I'm surprised by the novel I'm reading: Nino Ricci's Testament, one among many other novelists to write about the mythical life of Jesus.

Ricci's writing, if I can describe it, slowly but naturally condenses the reader into the very psychological, human atmosphere of the novel, as well as the historical era itself. This he carefully draws out to a very subtle drizzle upon the reader with many, but quite simply, psychological human voices, their very earnest human yearnings (the first part being from the perspective of Yihuda of Qiryat, that is, Judas of Iscariot), and of course the pungent morning dew of our common political and spiritual existence.

Create Your Own Caption

Sitting here bored as hell -
I figure at least some fun could be had if we make up
our own captions for this timeless photo.

VIXEN: Damn you, Harper! That's for taking my money. Now how will I ever afford University?

DR J: How about: "Harper Unveils New Child Care Plan"? or "Infant Asks If It's A Shower or a Grower"

Davyth: Voting fall-out among youth starting earlier. Realizing if they tweak to the right--cold shower. To the left--nothing but hot air.

Slumming

I will be cudgelled for this, but I must, alas, admit that I am currently reading Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code--following a gruesome piece, or, rather, cadaver of modern satire called Haunted by Chuck Palahniuk.

Here is an excerpt of one of the more head-tilting, quirky stories typical of Palahniuk's bewildering, and equally disturbed, modern Cantebury Tales from Haunted: here.

Dog Days

Trinket

Lady

I Fought The Law (And The Law Won)

Motivated somewhat by a personal opportunity to apply for a post-graduate employment opportunity as Assistant Production Editor for a law publication company, Canada Law Book, I have been reviewing many classic texts for advice on English usage: Fowler's Modern English Usage, Strunk and White's Elements of Style, Fiske's Dictionary of Concise Writing and of course the Canadian Oxford Dictionary.

My job prospects aren't exactly hopeful, perhaps because I know very well how most university students do not secure employment in their field straightaway. I will nonetheless submit my resume in addition to the employer's questionnaire application with the faint (albeit naive) hope that this job might get me out of the wilderness of Chapters.

Wish me luck!

Viv and Dave

The Paranoid Vision: Frye, Lovecraft and Theosophy

Earlier this morning I did something life-altering: I finished the last paper for my university degree.

The essay is entitled: "The Paranoid Vision: Frye, Lovecraft and Theosophy."

You can read it here.

Domesday Book

I finished my last exam - Advanced Shakespeare - this morning with no problems whatsoever. Surprisingly I managed with ease to finish a three hour exam in just over two hours, while last night's Religious Ritual and Symbolism exam (I can hear some of you thinking about cracking a joke here) was even quicker: I finished in an hour and fifteen minutes while half of the class finished in forty-five minutes.

I chose to answer the following questions for my Advanced Shakespeare exam:

(1) The assumption that degree is a product of nature - i.e. that each individual is fixed within patriarchal society - is challenged by Shakespeare. Discuss this problem with reference to Iago and Edmund, and compare the ways in which Shakespeare treats the problem of identity in Othello and King Lear.

(3) What kind of historian was Shakespeare? Answer this question with reference to two of the following: 1 Henry VI, Julius Caesar, Measure for Measure. If you can, consider the differences between Machiavellian and providential versions of history as discussed in class. If you can't, just answer the question as you understand it.

(5) Compare Shakespeare's representation and use of "the crowd" as a political phenomenon in Julius Caesar and Coriolanus.

Officially I have finished with school (aside from handing in a final paper due next week on Northrop Frye, and later graduation ceremony).

Callipygæ

Word of the day: callipygian.

From the Online Etymology Dictionary:

"of, pertaining to, or having beautiful buttocks," 1800, from Gk. kallipygos, name of a statue of Aphrodite, from kalli-, combining form of kallos "beauty" + pyge "rump, buttocks." Sir Thomas Browne (1646) refers to "Callipygæ and women largely composed behinde."

e.g. Sir Mix-A-Lot's "I Like Big Butts"

Not Ready To Make Nice

Dixie Chicks - "Not Ready To Make Nice"

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger
And how in the world can the words that I said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

The Gospel of Judas

Did you read the Toronto Star or Globe and Mail article today (Friday, April 7th 2006, concerning the newest gnostic text re-discovered: the Gospel of Judas? The paper caught my eye before my less-than-well-done exam this morning with this revelatory headline story--coinciding interestingly with the verdict in the DaVinci Code plagiarism trial. The big deal: in this text Judas is the only disciple who understands the sidereal spirit of the Christos, a Jesus who laughs and jeers at the other disciples, reveals the mysteries of heaven to Judas exclusively, and later asks Judas personally to betray him in order to affirm His mythical destiny. After a semester of studying Northrop Frye's The Great Code and Double Vision with Professor B.W. Powe, a spare reading knowledge of Elaine Pagels's scholarship and Gnostic texts myself, in addtion to reading Tom Harpur's Pagan Christ recently, I can't help but think it's about bloody time.

The Fisher King

Small revelation of the day: Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well plays comically on the myth of the Fisher King (think about it, the King of France has a fistula--metaphorically maimed or wounded--Parolles is the 'Mayday' scapegoat whose sacrificial humiliation helps restore political order, Helen saves the Maimed King--inverted questing knight--with her father's medicine then goes on a mission--quest motif again!--to restore sexual, matrimonial and political harmony in the play).

Shirking Duty

I have neglected this blog of late as usual shirking it with anxious excuses of studying and more than often manic fits - in between keeping up with things like re-reading The Waste Land for my upcoming McLuhan/Frye exam on Friday. Last minute studying has finally commenced, at least for my Advanced Shakespeare course - I have been reviewing the problem "comedies" we studied: Troilus and Cressida earlier today, and next I will read All's Well That Ends Well.

That's about it for now. I don't really feel like writing anything until school is finally over!