The first of the month and another Beltane
Eve is history. No bonfire celebrating in southwest Ohio. - Amorella
Faeryland
and the stealing of souls was long ago, if ever, Amorella. Imagination conjured
by early May Day festivals. How would one trick an old time folklore faery in
any case?
This is a good question for Robert and
Richard, don't you think? You brought it up already Grandma story 16. -
Amorella
1041
hours. I used a tooth faery theme instead. I don't want to talk about May Day.
It is rather old hat, done to death no doubt. Lost souls, that sounds like the
title of a Russian fiction. -- I am thinking of Dead Souls not so
obviously as (unsure of my thought) I had to Google it up.
** **
Dead Souls is a novel by Nikolai Gogol, first published in 1842, and widely
regarded as an exemplar of 19th-century Russian literature. The purpose of the
novel was to demonstrate the flaws and faults of the Russian mentality and
character. Gogol masterfully portrayed those defects through Chichikov (the
main character) and people, which he encountered in his endeavours. Those
people are typical of then Russian middle-class. Gogol himself saw it as an
"epic poem in prose", and within the book as a "novel in
verse". Despite supposedly completing the trilogy's second part, Gogol
destroyed it shortly before his death. Although the novel ends in mid-sentence
(like Sterne's Sentimental Journey), it is usually regarded as complete in the
extant form.
Edited from
Wikipedia
** **
How
can a soul, never living, be dead? It makes no sense.
You can be forever too literal and not
literal enough at the same time. - Amorella
Yesterday
one of my former Indian Hill students, Laura S., sent me a suggestion for a
book to read which may hit on what you are saying about 'literal'. The title is
The Alphabet Versus the Goddess: The Conflict Between Word and Image by
Leonard Shlain.
** **
Leonard Shlain (August 28, 1937 – May 11, 2009) was an American surgeon and
writer; he authored three books.
Dr. Shlain was
Chairman of Laparoscopic surgery at the California Pacific Medical Center in
San Francisco and was an Associate Professor of Surgery at UCSF.
He was a speaker at such
venues as the Smithsonian, Harvard University, Salk Institute, Los Alamos
National Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, the European Union's Ministers
of Culture, and the Conference on World Affairs. In 1999, he was a contributor
to Academic Press' Encyclopedia of Creativity, edited by Mark Runco and
Steven Pritzker
Edited from
Wikipedia
** **
Commentary on The
Alphabet Versus the Goddess
In this
groundbreaking book, Leonard Shlain, author of the bestselling Art &
Physics, proposes that the process of learning alphabetic literacy rewired the
human brain, with profound consequences for culture. Making remarkable
connections across a wide range of subjects including brain function,
anthropology, history, and religion, Shlain argues that literacy reinforced the
brain's linear, abstract, predominantly masculine left hemisphere at the
expense of the holistic, iconic feminine right one. This shift upset the
balance between men and women initiating the disappearance of goddesses, the
abhorrence of images, and, in literacy's early stages, the decline of women's
political status. Patriarchy and misogyny followed.
Shlain contrasts
the feminine right-brained oral teachings of Socrates, Buddha, and Jesus with
the masculine creeds that evolved when their spoken words were committed to
writing. The first book written in an alphabet was the Old Testament and its
most important passage was the Ten Commandments. The first two reject of any
goddess influence and ban any form of representative art.
The love of Mary, Chivalry, and courtly love arose during the
illiterate Dark Ages and plummeted after the invention of the printing press in
the Renaissance. The Protestant attack on holy images and Mary followed, as did
ferocious religious wars and neurotic witch-hunts. The benefits of literacy are
obvious; this gripping narrative explores its dark side, tallying previously
unrecognized costs.
Shlain goes on to
describe the colossal shift he calls the Iconic Revolution, that began in the
19th century. The invention of photography and the discovery of
electromagnetism combined to bring us film, television, computers, and graphic advertising;
all of which are based on images. Shlain foresees that increasing reliance on
right brain pattern recognition instead of left brain linear sequence will move
culture toward equilibrium between the two hemispheres, between masculine and
feminine, between word and image. A provocative, disturbing, yet inspiring
read, this book is filled with startling historical anecdotes and compelling
ideas. It is a paradigm shattering work that will transform your view of
history and mind.
From alphabetvsgoddess.com
** **
This
is certainly a book I need to read.
1156
hours. Maybe we'll go later on the book. I suggested going to Olive Garden
(near B&N) but I lost the coupon.
The day is very pleasant and I am going to have to mow with this growth,
otherwise I'll have to bag, which takes twice as long. I may do the north side
while it is in the shade and the front late this afternoon when it is in the
shade. I did 40 minutes of exercises this morning and 50 minutes yesterday. Jadah
woke me up at 0810 her usual time and she wanted the shades up and windows open
in each room upstairs. She is a very particular cat. Ellie is sitting by my
propped up feet in the living room. We have two quite different personality
cats and we are keeping Ellie until Kim, Paul and the boys are moved into their
Delaware rental and out of their home in University Heights in late May or
early June. I like Cleveland, particularly the east side where they live. I am
going to miss the area.
Let's talk about Brothers 17. - Amorella
Last night I woke up with tidbits that might be useful but I
didn't write them down and should have. I know better. I almost always have a
pen or pencil and paper by my west side of the bed. Alas, nothing comes to
mind, but making a correction in Dead 17. Merlyn told Pythia it was before the
first rebellion and that was not the case. I changed it and now it read 798
words.
The change can be posted in the audio passed
draft later.
I still don't remember anything that came to mind on Brothers 17.
The information seemed useful at the time. Evidently I wasn't awake enough to
dash the notes off.
1323 hours. I have the back and north side to the old Ash plus
Lewis' mowing and it is getting warm. I have been drinking iced water, about
twelve ounces. It feels warmer than in no doubt is. Accuweather says it's
eighty with a high of eighty-three. Carol is working as she has been on
balancing the checkbook. I assume we will have lunch when she is done, if she
hasn't already eaten. I'm not really hungry but I did need to be out of that
sun.
Mid-afternoon. You are at B&N in Kenwood
after eating a leisurely late lunch at Potbelly's. The local B&N's don't
carry the book and asked if you wanted to order it. See if it is delivered to
your door like Amazon, if so order the book and save yourself some time. -
Amorella
1507 hours. I would like to read it. I am getting fussier on what
I like to read in my old age.
You use both sides of your brain, orndorff.
With my assistance you are about as usefully brained as you are going to be.
Images help with the words; there are plenty of examples of this in the blog. -
Amorella
You are much more efficient than me, Amorella.
That's because not much goes on upstairs
boy. You are mostly rote.
2228 hours. No writing the rest of the day. We mowed and dressed
up the yard. A snack for supper, the news and a "Modern Family" and
an old "NCIS".
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