|k| clippings: 2015-03-09 — what is said in return

WORK

"To consider the world in its length and breadth, its various history, the many races of man, their starts, their fortunes, their mutual alienation, their conflicts; and then their ways, habits, governments, forms of worship; their enterprises, their aimless courses, their random achievements and acquirements, the impotent conclusion of long-standing facts, the tokens so faint and broken of a superintending design, the blind evolution of what turn out to be great powers or truths, the progress of things, as if from unreasoning elements, not towards final causes, the greatness and littleness of man, his far-reaching aims, his short duration, the curtain hung over his futurity, the disappointments of life, the defeat of good, the success of evil, physical pain, mental anguish, the prevalence and intensity of sin, the pervading idolatries, the corruptions, the dreary hopeless irreligion, that condition of the whole race, so fearfully yet exactly described in the Apostle’s words, ‘having no hope and without God in the world,’—all this is a vision to dizzy and appall; and inflicts upon the mind the sense of a profound mystery, which is absolutely beyond human solution.

What shall be said to this heart-piercing, reason-bewildering fact?"

—John Henry Cardinal Newman
—from Apologia pro Vita Sua

WORD(S)

limerence (limerance) /LI-mər-ens/. noun. An involuntary state of romantic, often incapacitating, infatuation paired with an obsessive desire for those feelings to be reciprocated. In psychology, akin to an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder not necessarily involving love or care for the other's well-being. Coined by Dorothy Tennerov, who said in the Guardian in 1977, “I first used the term ‘amorance’ then changed it back to ‘limerence’… It has no roots whatsoever. It looks nice. It works well in French. Take it from me it has no etymology whatsoever.”

“He’d warned her he wouldn’t be back, but she hadn’t believed him. Like everything else he’d said, she passed this under the microscope of obsessional limerence.” (Karen Joy Fowler, from We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves)

“It had never been love. It was limerence.” (Elizabeth Cohen, from The Hypothetical Girl)

“From limerance and venery
She flinched as at fire”
(Liz Lochhead, from The Grimm Sisters)

WEB

1. Nick Barclay created a series of movie posters using nothing but circles. Some are obvious, some not; all are awesome. → Circle Movies

2. I really wanted to hate this and yet…I can’t. I think at nearly 50 Kurt would’ve smiled too… → “Lithium” by Nirvana (Smooth Jazz Acapella Version)

3. Scanned pages from a book that should interest today’s typophiles → “Lettering Alphabets: A Guide for Draughtsmen, Advertisement Designers, Architects & Artists” (1942)

4. “Grow Your Own DIY [vegan] ‘Leather’ Jacket [or bookbinding material] In A Petri Dish [or in your kitchen]”

5. Today in 1566, David Rizzio—private secretary to, and alleged lover of, Mary, Queen of Scots—is murdered. Rizzio was killed right in front of the Queen, in her private supper chamber, by Mary’s husband Lord Darnley and friends. Darnley was jealous of Rizzio’s close relationship with Mary and angered by the rumors that she was carrying Rizzio’s child. It is commonly believed that the murder was supported by Queen Elizabeth I as part of an ongoing effort to topple the popular, liberal Mary. It seems to have succeeded. Within the next 18 months, Mary would have a nervous breakdown, flee with Darnley (who would later be murdered), be imprisoned, abdicate the throne, flee once more, and be imprisoned again by Elizabeth.

REPRISES/RESPONSES/REJOINDERS/RIPOSTES

• Reader D. fills me in: To complement your learning: Wikipedia has a list of 23 states that have state minerals. ¶ There is no explanation of what rights or perquisites accompany the distinction. — Thanks! I see it also has state rocks/stones and gemstones. The more you know…

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