Kael, Kane, Ackling, Sodagreen, Pittlecow
Last week I published an essay over at LitHub on what Pauline Kael got fundamentally right about Citizen Kane: In a very important sense, the movie is a comedy about newspapers — and what happened to newspapers after movies came along.
Roger Ackling, Weybourne (1989); Sunlight on wood; 13.2 x 5.5 x 1.9 cm
The medium is described as “Sunlight on wood” because the striations on the wood were made by using a lens to focus sunlight and burn the surface. Ackling could therefore only work outside and when the sun was shining. When asked about the purpose of his work, Ackling said, “I’m not sure I know what I’m doing. I’m not trying to communicate anything. I don’t have an objective.” But, he added, “The quality of experience while making the work is important. I choose to make my work in silence and sitting still.” I also very much like Ackling’s encouragement to his students to make things they could keep in their pockets.
London’s Brick Lane Underground station — what other would be so appropriate? — recreated in Lego.
John Wilson’s “Year in Reading” is an annual delight — I learn so much from it, and subsequently stack my to-read pile ever more totteringly high.
Warren Ellis has discovered a 19th-century book on American surnames, including, among many others,
Shreckenghost, Thunderberg, Silverthrone, Lookingslant, Jollymood, Thickenmirth, Muttonjoy, Fingerhot, Oxenhorn, Slanderhouse, Laughinghouse, Servinghouse, Warminghouse, Bobbinhouse, Boninghouse, Boltinghouse, Honeychurch, Honeycamp, Eaglecamp, Bloomingcamp, Carpetdale, Middleditch, Timberlake, Goldenarm, Goldenbow, Bitterwolf, Cuddleback, Chatterbuck, Skittleharp, Danglemire, Stufflebeam, Battlegore, Bottomfield, Bottomstone, Homerkick, Tinklepaugh, Lookingbill, Gollyhorn, Weathergreen, Scattergood, Conquergood, Dollarhide, Middlestink, Wagonback, Wagonblast, Pennycook, Overcash, Oversault, Overland, Overend, Overpeck, Underland, Underdown, Rowdybust, Diddlebock, Kettlestrings, Bickelhump, Widowgas, Silversides, Chickenbard, Cattlehock, Weatherhead, Weatherwax, Sodagreen, Alsobrook, Pittlecow, Singlebush, Basketfield, Doverspike, Riverhawk, Wanderwall, Appleboy, Applerot, Hollowbush, Silverbrand, Moneyhand, Shiversteel, Meadowcroft, Dickensheets, Mumblehead, Wagonfound, Brokenstick, Cobbledick, Bullerdick, Crackerbone, Goodieshanks, Clutterbuck, Meloncoat.
As it happens, there are Scattergoods at my parish church. And after all, you're my Wanderwall.
Marianne Bitler, Sean Corcoran, Thurston Domina, and Emily Penner have been studying the effect that teachers have on their students’ test scores. The result: Teachers have roughly same impact on students’ test scores that they have on students’ heights. Thanks to Freddie deBoer for calling my attention to this sobering but unsurprising news. We teachers like to believe that we make a major impact on our students, or at least can, but those transformational relationships are very rare, if my experience (38 years of it and counting) is anything to go by.
A few recent posts of mine:
- On a brilliant book about what things are alive
- On why we love, and hate, interpretation
- On Fred Rogers’s belief about why people change
STATUS BOARD
- Work: Three class meetings remaining, an exam to administer and grade, and a book MS to copy-edit. Busy times.
- Music: I just might start listening to Christmas music, for reasons explained by Michael Brendan Dougherty here.
- Viewing: Arsenal Football Club!
- Food and Drink: Ack, I don't even want to think about how much I ate last week. But I will say that I have never had a better wine with turkey than the Matthiasson Pinot Meunier.
