Friday, November 20, 2009

Modern Authors: My Ratings: Bulwer-Lytton Wannabes

Since I have retired I have been reading quite a bit. I will admit that most of it is for my amusement, though I have been known to read in some fairly esoteric academic areas. Therefore, these ratings are for novelists. My first category is the Bulwer-Lytton wannabe. There is an annual contest for people to come up with the most Bulwer-Lyttonesque opening sentence, like the infamous : It was a dark and stormy night.... Therefore, with no further ado, here they are:

Stephanie Meyer of "Twilight" infamy (I couldn't get through the first chapter -- it was THAT bad!) Friends don't let friends read Twilight!

Anne Rice: I actually read "Interview..." after it was first published and I did enjoy it. However, after that success, she let her purple prose style run amok. That, and her rather turgid writing style have placed her in the sub-basement.



Thursday, November 12, 2009

Klio Must Be Laughing!

You can find more historical and literary humour at http://www.harkavagrant.com

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Bucket Lists

I have always wanted to have an "interesting" life. So far, so good, then. any number of the things I have already done could be placed on my personal "bucket list."

1. go overseas

a. have been to Europe 3 times (2 times for over a month each)
1st: France; Austria (4 wks); Italy; Switzerland (Germany, Liechtenstein)
2nd: Italy (6 wks)
3rd: England; Spain; Provence, France; Monaco; Italy; Greece

b. lived in S. Korea for 1 year; visited Japan (Kamakura; Fuji; Kyoto)

2. graduate from college with honor
undergraduate degree with High Honors in History; inducted Phi Alpha Theta,
international honor society in history

3. participate in an archeological dig
as part of a Trinity College summer programme in Italy, I was a part of an
archaeological dig north of Rome at an Etruscan site

4. earn a graduate degree
have earned 2 masters degrees: Public Administration; Library Science

5. act on stage
numerous parts in HS, college, and little theatre

6. learn ballet
took lessons as an adult and danced the part of the StepMother in Prokovieff's
Cinderella

7. learn piano and lute
have taken lessons -- need to take many more

8. learn how to sing
have taken 1 year of lessons -- need to take many more

9. learn various types of handwork and learn how to design knit; counted cross- stitch; embroidery; needle-point; beading; porcelain/ceramics
I do all of the above

The following are the things that I would like to learn/do in the future:

1. participate in a Regency re-creation in Bath, England (occurs in September)

2. take a trans-Atlantic voyage (at least 2: a round-trip)

3. continue my various music studies (voice; lute; piano; lyre)
piano goal: Kinderszenen ("Scenes from Childhood"), Opus 15, by Robert Schumann (can play "Traumerei"); Chopin: Raindrop Prelude
voice goal: JS Bach: Bist du bei mir

4. learn how to paint (acrylics/oils); sculpt (clay)

5. learn iconography; calligraphy; book-making; Gregorian Chant (also compose);
manuscript illumination (note: there are local classes)

6. learn Homeric and Attic Greek; brush-up on Latin
Goal: reading, speaking & writing

7. participate in the "Moby Dick" read-a-thon at Mystic Seaport

8. yes -- get a very nice tattoo (my Mother wanted one when she was alive)

9. write a novel



Monday, November 2, 2009

Hang Your Heads in Shame, CT Dems

I know that I am a little late with this post; however, better late than never. I remember the '06 election, when I voted for Lamont, the endorsed candidate, rather than Lieberman. After voting, I visited the public library of a town close by and ran into another Democratic voter who was just too devoted to Lieberman. Needless to say, votes like these made a real difference in this particular election. She and other voters like her must be muttering some very obscene words right now. Nee-nah -- Told you. Joe is only for Joe and not for the good af all.