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Chicken

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^^^^ OK, so I've figured out that when you add square brackets around a letter within a text, it creates strikethrough lines that you can't get rid of fyi... 

^^^Nice...just don't put a gun in his hands. ;)

I feel sorry for anyone named 'Chicken' so I support this thread. ;)

Just started this book after finally muddling my way thru "Saving Capitalism".

 

:D

and

;)

partly in response to your top two lines, but also as they relate to the word of the year as chosen by the brilliant people at OED, because it's not even a word, but... wait for it... an emoji. This is surely a modern sign of the apocalypse: the four horsemen and an emoji "that best reflected the ethos, mood, and pre-occupation of 2015." What in the holy hell?!

http://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/oxford-dictionaries-word-year-emoji-tears-joy-1.3322428

 

Anyway, I've been critical of tech for reading, but here's a unique way in which it very much helps us appreciate great worksof the past. Many fragile writings are being digitized, and because of it, we now have unprecedented access to Beowulf!

The original manuscript of Beowulf is available online

6a00d8341c464853ef017c36b223b1970b

It's the bottom one in this link: http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/FullDisplay.aspx?index=0&ref=Cotton_MS_Vitellius_A_XV

LOOK you can zoom in and see the texture of the parchment and examine the beautiful writing and see where the scribes pressed firmly and lightly! It's exquisite I love it!

http://www.bl.uk/manuscripts/Viewer.aspx?ref=cotton_ms_vitellius_a_xv_f094r

 

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Shakespeare's Face by Stephanie Nolen and a group of experts in their respective fields. It's about the Sanders portrait and proving that it is indeed one of Shakespeare while he was alive, the only one of its kind (so far as we know up to now). A fascinating historical mystery revealed. I'm loving it!

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Like Janis, yesterday would also have been Edgar Allan Poe's birthday. I'll choose a short story to read tonight, but wanted to share some animations that were created in his honour:

Celebrate Edgar Allan Poe’s Birthday With Three Animations of “The Tell-Tale Heart”

January 19th, 2016

 

 

Today is Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday, or would be had he lived to be 207 years old. I can’t imagine he would have relished the prospect. When Poe did meet his end, it was under mysterious and rather awful circumstances, fittingly (in a grimly ironic sort of way) for the man often credited with the invention of detective fiction and the perfecting of the gothic horror story.

“True!” begins his most famous story, “The Tell-Tale Heart“—”nervous, very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am,” and we surely believe it. But when he finishes his intimate introduction to us, we are much less inclined to trust his word:

But why will you say that I am mad? The disease had sharpened my senses—not destroyed—not dulled them. Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the earth. I heard many things in hell. How, then, am I mad? Hearken! and observe how healthily—how calmly I can tell you the whole story.

Have we ever been confronted with a more unnerving and unreliable narrator? Poe’s genius was to draw us into the confidence of this terrifying character and keep us there, rapt in suspense, even though we cannot be sure of anything he says, or whether the entire story is nothing more than a paranoid nightmare. And it is that, indeed.

In the animation above by Annette Jung—adapted from Poe’s chilling tale—the madman Ed resolves to take the life of an old man with a creepy, staring eye. In this version, however, a central ambiguity in Poe’s story is made clear. We’re never entirely sure in the original what the relationship is between Poe’s narrator and the doomed old man. In Jung’s version, they are father and son, and the old man is rendered even more grotesque, Ed’s psychological torments even more… shall we say, animated, with clearly comic intent. Jung publishes a web comic calledApplehead, and on her short film’s website (in German), she refers to her “Tell-Tale Heart” as “an animated satire.”

 

 

Poe’s talent for sustaining controlled hyperbole and for creating unforgettable images like the old man’s evil eye and loudly beating heart make his work especially inviting to animators, and we’ve featured many animations of that work in the past. Just above, see the original animated “Tell-Tale Heart” from 1954. Narrated by the ideally creepy-voiced James Mason, the film received an “X” rating in the UK upon its release, then went on to an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Short (though it did not win). Just below, Aaron Quinn—who has also animated Poe’s“The Raven” and other 19th century classics by Oscar Wilde, Lewis Carroll and others—updates Mason’s narration with his own frighteningly stark, animated take on the story. Poe, had he lived to see the age of animation, may not have been pleased to see his story adapted in such graphic styles, but we, as his devoted readers over 150 years later, can be grateful that he left us such wonderfully weird source material for animated films.

 

http://www.openculture.com/2016/01/three-animated-adaptations-of-edgar-allan-poes-tell-tale-heart.html

It's fascinating how different art forms have an influence on and are adapted by other forms. You can't help but picture Poe's richly descriptive stories in your mind. This ability is as unparalleled as his insight into the tormented mind is uncanny.

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7 hours ago, Strider said:

^^^Thank you for that timely reminder of Poe's genius, Patrycja. As a fan of UPA's work, I am especially thankful that you included their animated short of "The Tell-Tale Heart"...I had no idea it was on YouTube!!! 

You're welcome, Strider, I'm happy that you're so enthused about the animations, and that they're on Youtube. These are new to me to it was interesting to get a feel for others' interpretations of Poe's incredible imagination and skill in expressing it. You never know what you'll stumble upon on Youtube now. I love browsing around and stumbling into cool things, be it virtually or better yet in real life. You just get out there and you never know... 

"The Tell-Tale Heart" is one of my favourites, well that and "The Cask of Amontillado", well at least at the moment. I remember reading "A Descent into the Maelstrom" and being so affected by how the condition of his being in the heart of it really felt like an emotional state of turmoil. Every word fits in each story. Brilliant. Have you seen Coppola's Twixt? It's Poe related but don't want to spoil it for you or others who've not seen it. It's a 'different' sort of experiment of a film... I quite liked it, but many didn't.

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^^^I shall keep an eye out for "Twixt". I know many consider James Joyce the father of modern literature, but to me it's Edgar Allen Poe.

As is my wont, I have begun two books simultaneously. Which one I read on a given night depends on my mood. 

56a1d7fe3136b_51RG6Jpa0AL._SX328_BO12042

Antony Beevor has written numerous books on World War II, including what I feel is the best book on Stalingrad. This has the promising beginnings of another gem. If you have any interest in the Battle of the Bulge and WWII, you will want to read this book.

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Did a recent event with Mary Karr and she proved to be very charming. Having already read her enjoyable trio of coming-of-age memoirs "The Liars' Club", "Cherry", and "Lit", I was already predisposed to want to read her latest.

Edited by Strider
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  • 2 weeks later...

Yesterday would have been the inestimably talented James Joyce's birthday ("Portrait..." brilliant) and today marks the death of Johannes Gutenberg in 1468 (pioneer of printing with movable type which revolutionized dissemination of info, spread of literacy and democracy).

This arrived today :thumbsup:

Vol 19 No 4

Vol 19 No 4 
Winter 2015/2016 
Guest Designer: Barry McGee 

http://www.all-story.com/issues.cgi

Latest accolade:

Quote

All-Story Wins the 2016 NMA!
Zoetrope: All-Story has won the 2016 National Magazine Award for fiction, the highest honor due an American periodical, for Anthony Marra's story "The Grozny Tourist Bureau." We congratulate Anthony and all of our contributors on another year of unparalleled stories.

http://www.all-story.com/

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  • 2 months later...

 

41NCg-nRIcL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

I am currently reading Anthem by Ayn Rand, not because I am a Rush fan, but because my curiosity, got the better of me. This interesting piece of literature, has got me reflecting on my upbringing, especially when I just began my journey into the wonderful world of schooling. 

Alas, during the days of my childhood, when I actually began developing the potential to understand things and question the world around me, I was literally trapped in an institute that was the quintessential dictatorial educational institution. This period in my life, continued for 10 years (from the age 4 to the age 14). The teachers and principal laid down the law. Kids (irrespective of their ages) were deemed too young to think and ask questions. Kids were even questioned in a scornful fashion and ridiculed, when they expressed their likes and dislikes for specific subjects. All in all, the teachers at my school, wished to be looked upon as nothing short of superior beings, who demanded respect! As a human being, how on earth am I supposed to respect someone, when I can't even have an open and honest dialogue with them and ask pertinent questions? 

Everything from math problems, simple word puzzles to the interpretation of complex poetry, was essentially governed by two things that are (in my opinion) detrimental to the universally important notions of critical thinking and creativity: Learning by rote and the existence of the coveted right answer and right approach, coupled with the inability to understand that everybody thinks differently and that all students may not approach a specific problem, in a similar way! I was even beaten with a cane when I was just 9 years old, for committing the ultimate crime of improvising and expressing my own thoughts in writing, on a specific historical event and thereby, failing to by heart passages from a history text book that was deemed appropriate, to answer that specific essay question. At the age of 14, an entire section of an examination answer booklet that consisted of an essay that I had written, had been ripped to shreds in front of me, by my teacher, just because I resented learning by rote and the fact that I couldn't think like the 'good' students! 

My mother being an early childhood educator, firmly believes that, every individual has a right to think, a right to ask questions and have opinions, no matter how young / inexperienced they may seem. She even refers to children of all ages as 'the little citizens of the world, who will one day have the power to make a difference, provided educational institutions mold and shape them in the right way, by encouraging learning and not behaviorism!'. 

Upon reading the first chapter of Anthem, all these thoughts and past experiences came flooding back, but luckily for me personally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, upon enrolling at University. Honestly, I find myself agreeing with every single little thing that Rand is trying to point out in this work, so far. It is for this reason, that I so far, find her view points in this particular piece, to be music to my ears. 

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16 hours ago, Kiwi_Zep_Fan87 said:

 

41NCg-nRIcL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

I am currently reading Anthem by Ayn Rand, not because I am a Rush fan, but because my curiosity, got the better of me. This interesting piece of literature, has got me reflecting on my upbringing, especially when I just began my journey into the wonderful world of schooling. 

Alas, during the days of my childhood, when I actually began developing the potential to understand things and question the world around me, I was literally trapped in an institute that was the quintessential dictatorial educational institution. This period in my life, continued for 10 years (from the age 4 to the age 14). The teachers and principal laid down the law. Kids (irrespective of their ages) were deemed too young to think and ask questions. Kids were even questioned in a scornful fashion and ridiculed, when they expressed their likes and dislikes for specific subjects. All in all, the teachers at my school, wished to be looked upon as nothing short of superior beings, who demanded respect! As a human being, how on earth am I supposed to respect someone, when I can't even have an open and honest dialogue with them and ask pertinent questions? 

Everything from math problems, simple word puzzles to the interpretation of complex poetry, was essentially governed by two things that are (in my opinion) detrimental to the universally important notions of critical thinking and creativity: Learning by rote and the existence of the coveted right answer and right approach, coupled with the inability to understand that everybody thinks differently and that all students may not approach a specific problem, in a similar way! I was even beaten with a cane when I was just 9 years old, for committing the ultimate crime of improvising and expressing my own thoughts in writing, on a specific historical event and thereby, failing to by heart passages from a history text book that was deemed appropriate, to answer that specific essay question. At the age of 14, an entire section of an examination answer booklet that consisted of an essay that I had written, had been ripped to shreds in front of me, by my teacher, just because I resented learning by rote and the fact that I couldn't think like the 'good' students! 

My mother being an early childhood educator, firmly believes that, every individual has a right to think, a right to ask questions and have opinions, no matter how young / inexperienced they may seem. She even refers to children of all ages as 'the little citizens of the world, who will one day have the power to make a difference, provided educational institutions mold and shape them in the right way, by encouraging learning and not behaviorism!'. 

Upon reading the first chapter of Anthem, all these thoughts and past experiences came flooding back, but luckily for me personally, there was a light at the end of the tunnel, upon enrolling at University. Honestly, I find myself agreeing with every single little thing that Rand is trying to point out in this work, so far. It is for this reason, that I so far, find her view points in this particular piece, to be music to my ears. 

Welcome to my world, my views of school match those of yours. I know a thing or 2 about Rand's books and rather enjoy them

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2 hours ago, Charles J. White said:

Welcome to my world, my views of school match those of yours. I know a thing or 2 about Rand's books and rather enjoy them

That's so nice to hear, Charles! :D A few people who I know, reacted rather adversely when I picked up Anthem, giving me a series of lectures - how could you read that stuff, etc? :lol: What drew me to this short novel, is the fact that I can identify with Equality 7-2521, in terms of my experiences in school and I really appreciate his bravery to have a vision and way of thinking, way beyond what the esteemed Council prescribes! My dad is a fan of Ayn Rand's work and I came across her novels, in his collection and there was no turning back! I can't wait to dig into We The Living, next! :) 

Edited by Kiwi_Zep_Fan87
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