Sunday in Denver

Last Sunday Anders and I picked up Mom from the airport and then spent the day at Race St. Anders had a good time showing off how well he can sit up, and lunge for toys. He had a bath in his little tub in Trish's bathroom where he played with his rubber ducky. We also went to the park where Anders went for his first ride in a playground swing.







Anders had a great time petting Ezra. He Laughs out loud whenever he sees the cat. He has started to notice and love pets. We may have to get another cat but for now he can play with Ezra.


Hosmer came over for dinner. We are had the traditional mixed grill. Someday soon Anders can have some too.

Marches in New York

Yesterday there was a march and rally against the Iraq War in New York that ended up downtown by all the courthouses (a familiar site from many Law and Order reruns). I missed the march, but showed up at Foley Square, just long enough to get on the videotape (this is actually Calvin's line).

It was a glorious spring day, it hasn't gotten hot here yet. As you can see from the pictures, New York seems to be enjoying a 60's style renaissance- I guess that's what you'd expect at a peace march.

As I was walking home through Chinatown, I ran into another march- this one was for Buddha's birthday. Acrobats, lions, dragons, and many monks and nuns paraded through the street often performing to a musical accompaniment. Happy Birthday Buddha!

Call for Books!

My friends Suzy and Naftali are living out their dream and opening a bookstore. They recently sent out this call for books. For anyone out there like me with overflowing bookshelves, this is a great opportunity to help someone out. I can give you the details if you want to contact them.

Hi Everyone,
As you know, we are planning to open a bookstore in
Glens Falls, NY. We are currently building our
inventory of used books. (We will sell both used and
new, but primarily used). We need all the good
quality used books we can get!

If you have books you want to get rid of, please let
us know. We will pay for shipping, give you future
store credit (you can order from our website), and
will even pay cash, if necessary. Please let your
friends know, too.

Thanks for your help!

Suzy and Naftali

Fauns and Shackles coda

Our show is over now, it was great fun. It looks like there is a good chance it will live on in some other incarnation at other venues. Check out the website for info http://faunsandshackles.com.

Anyway, here's one last pic.

Red Rocks and more

I am back from Denver now. Sarah drove Hosmer, Anders and me to Red Rocks after Hosmer's doctor's appointment on my last day in Denver. Here are some pictures from our drive, and some other pics of the adorable Anders and Aidan.

Unwinding

Today I am in the P.S. 122 Classroom, sitting the gallery for Fauns and Shackles last weekend. The soft whir of Jody's chains is very relaxing. Here are some of the things I have done to unwind since sending off the manuscript, then hauling the 2 remaining copies (at a total of almost 30 pounds) to the office: 1) Bought the first lilacs I have seen this season 2) Gone out for a burger and Abita Restoration Beer 3) Bought cute summer shoes at Century 21 for $25.00 and 4) Gone to the gym for a long hard workout. Tonight I'm out for Indian food and a showing of "Thank You For Smoking."

In the mail

The manuscript is in the mail! I'm crossed-eyed from looking at it and all I could see were the problems with it in the last days, but I'm hoping the axiom about dissertations ("The best dissertation is a finished dissertation") holds true for manuscripts as well.

Some statistics: It was 1381 pages long and weighed 14.5 pounds. It cost $246.94 dollars to make three copies and $53.76 to mail Fed Ex 2 day delivery.

Washington St. Culkins

I was so tired when I went to Bill and Pat's for dinner last night, I forgot to take pictures! Hard to believe, but true.

Pat made a wonderful dinner (no surprise there) of pasta with shrimp and a cream sauce. I wish I had taken pictures of Jane's room- it is being renovated by Bill, Pat and Jane. It's 2 shades of light green with white, the walls have all been resurfaced and have a subtle texture.

Jane is going to the state wide history competition for a poster she did with 2 of her classmates about Lewis Hine, a photographer who was extremely influential in creating child labor laws. The poster was black and white, like his photos, and they used photo corners to attach everything to the board. ( I may have some details wrong). Go Jane!

Springtime in Denver

I am in Denver on my spring break visiting Hosmer and everyone else. Here are a few pics- more to come later.

I love jetBlue. Flying cable tv- what could be better?

Hosmer with Anders enjoying the beautiful weather.

Sarah and Anders (with his fabulous sunglasses) at lunch at Whole Foods.

Me and Anders.

Aidan.

Janelle, Adam and Aidan visiting Dad.

View from Dad's room.

Dad's apartment.

Ezra the kitty.

Still still working--but almost done

Somewhat to my shock, I am still trying to get the manuscript out. I think I terrified my co-worker yesterday when he came in to pick up some books and I was swearing at the computer. But the end is in sight--I am about to print out the table of contents and take the whole thing to Kinkos. I was going to take a picture of it to post here, but sadly my beloved Elph seems to have died.

Endah Dow Cheney, a reformer who was friends with Harriet Jacobs, wrote an an obituary of Jacobs in the Woman's Journal which was published May 1897. She gives a touching description of Harriet's funeral, writing, "A few friends gathered in the little rooms. The old Episcopal minister read the service, and Mr. Grimke made a few remarks which, while being a tribute to her worth and useful life, were in good taste, and there was no jar to any one’s feelings. “Nearer, my God, to Thee” and “Lead, Kindly Light” were sung without any instrumental accompaniment. The voices were sweet and mellow, and it was tender and fitting. Harriet looked not more than sixty years old. The sweet brow was free from all traces of suffering. Some violets were about her in the coffin, and ascension lilies and palm leaves on it. They were typical of her old-fashioned piety and her faith in the good Lord. The body was brought hither and laid in Mt. Auburn."

Cheney also expresses the hope that Jacobs will be remembered, stating, "It is not fitting that a life so noble, so remarkable and so instructive, should pass away without some record of this admirable character and this interesting story." She later adds, "Harriet’s book called “Linda,” which gives the record of her early life, written about the year 1858, and published in 1861, is now out of the market. It should be carefully preserved in our libraries, for it is a wonderful record of the suffering and heroism of those never to be forgotten days." I'm sure Ednah, wherever she is, will be happy today.

Still Working

I'm still at the Harriet Jacobs Papers, trying to get the manuscript out to the publisher. I had hoped to finish yesterday, but, despite working 10 hours on Saturday and 12 on Sunday it was not to be. I did manage to stay long enough last night to get locked in the building--I would have thought they would make an annoucement or something before that happens. Oh well-security eventually came and let me out.

Kate

Lord of the Rings 3 years late

I am often late to catch up on crazes, and I also never seem to get to the movies. These two tendencies combined in this sad fact- I had never seen the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. That is, until last night (not entirely true, I saw some of the first and second movies on TV, but with many commercials.)

Since I am now on spring break, on Wednesday I rented "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King". My plan was to stay home in bed and watch both of them without getting up. It didn't quite work out that way, but I did get to see them in pieces over the last 2 days.

What can I say, they were great. I am not always a fan of the fantasy genre, for example I absolutely hated the latest Star Wars movie ( I avoided seeing the first two installments of the later trilogy). But these movies were really fun. I also love Viggo Mortenson, he is an activist, and seems less smug than George Clooney (click here to hear the George Clooney Smug Cloud from South Park).

Want to find out which character you are most like? Here's a test, it's lame, but I did find I was most like Oewyn.

Fauns and Shackles Talk Illustrated

Here are a few pictures from the Fauns and Shackles talk. I look pretty tired--the many talks and trips combined with the 12 hour days trying to get the Harriet Jacobs Papers off to the publisher are taking their toll.

A 2nd Happy Birthday to Eric and Molly

I hope you both have a great year!

Happy Birthday Eric and Molly!

Today is Eric and Molly's birthday. Those of us in New York will go out to dinner with Eric tonight to celebrate- we wish Molly was here too.

March in New York

I almost forgot to go to the March for Immigrant Rights in New York today- but Kym's post reminded me. I had planned to go, for many reasons, including the fact that probably at least 70 percent of my students are immigrants. And City Hall, where the rally took place is a couple of blocks from where I work.

Here are some pictures.

Talk Number 3

Yesterday, Jody, Kathy and I presented our gallery talk at P.S. 122 for "Fauns and Shackles." It went well and we had a standing room only crowd, plus an Italian greyhound in the audience. It was my third talk/presentation in 10 days, and I'm feeling a litte talked out for the moment. Neilson and Calvin were snapping away, so hopefully there will be pictures later. For now, I will leave with a quote I used in my talk.

"Twice have I visited the Academy of Design and there have I sat in silent, reverential awe, with eyes intent upon the marble face of Harriet Hosmer's Beatrice Cenci. I have no power to express my hope, my joy, my renewed faith in womanhood. In the accomplishment of that grand work of the sculptor's chisel, making that cold marble breathe and pulsate, Harriet Hosmer has done more to ennoble and elevate woman than she possibly could have done by mere words, it matters not how Godlike; though I would not ignore true words, for it is these which rouse to action the latent powers of the Harriet Hosmers..." Susan B. Anthony, 1862.

April 10th, Day of Action for Immigrant Rights

So I know I've been gone from the blog for forever and a day but having recently gotten my life back on a schedule that allows for graduate work, and therefore blogging, I thought it was time to check back in.

As most of you probably know, tomorrow is a Day of Action for Immigrant Rights and rallies, protests, and walk-outs have been scheduled across the country. Molly will be marching in San Antonio and Matt has cancelled classes for the day and we are driving the 5 hours to Seattle round-trip so that we can participate in the rally there. Nothing is happening closer to Spokane, more is the pity, but we decided, scary as the protests in Seattle often are, we have to participate. I have a thing about crowds; never really liked them unless they were all facing the same direction and fairly stationary, think baseball game, but for this issue I am willing to face my fears. Afterwards I'll try to find a group more local to the area but for now I am Seattle bound. I just can't face the thought that 10 or 20 or 30 years from now I'll be one of those people saying that back in the day I watched the Civil Rights Movement (in this case the Immigrant Rights Movement) on television and thought it was a good idea.

If you are looking for a protest or rally closer to your home, check http://www.cccaction.org/cccaction/april10_index.html They have a list of events around the country and more information on the issue.

Debut

Following on the footsteps of his aunts Kate and Jody, Anders had his art debut yesterday. His work was featured in the University Children's Center Annual Art show in the Infant I classroom/gallery.

The artist at home.

Mixed Media: paper, paint, and photographs.

Foot and handprints in paint on paper.

Anders has good taste

Anders is learning to appreciate the good things in life early--El Caminos, stuffed animals, Diet Coke, and, of course, kitties.

New Bedford

I'm in the Hampton Inn in New Bedford, where in a few hours I will lead a workshop on using primary documents from the Harriet Jacobs Papers in middleschool and high school classrooms. It is part of the NEH seminar, "Slavery and Freedom in New Bedford." The Hampton Inn is actually pretty nice--its like the Jet Blue of cheap business hotels. There is free wireless in the lobby, an extensive breakfast buffet (which includes a wide selection of herbal teas and lots of fruit), and almost agressively friendly staff. I'm sitting next to a family reunion group that has been talking about their cats for the past 20 minutes, so I feel right at home.

The Beginning of the End

Tom DeLay announced his resignation this morning. I got a call at 7:30 from one of my Republican friends from school calling to congratulate me. It was a great wake up call. I have said this before but I do believe that we are seeing the end of this type of Republican and certainly the crumbling of this administration. Sadly it came to late for the election and the only thing better then DeLay resigning would have been seeing him get crushed in November but I refuse to hear anything negative today. In fact I like to think that DeLay resingned as an early birthday present for me and Eric and perhaps I should send him a card. He is even leaving Texas! What a great day for Texas and what a great day for Democrats! Everyone should have a toast to commemorate this joyous occasion after work, give me a call I will be celebrating all day.

Conference update

I'm in the University of Rochester Library, where the conference in honor of Susan B. Anthony is being held. My paper went well yesterday, and I also heard an interesting paper on Oswego native Mary Walker.