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Friday, November 27, 2009
More Cimmerian Goodness
In Moorcock's defense, I imagine that Tolkien was so temperamentally opposite himself that understanding him would probably prove quite difficult. It's little wonder he didn't really get either The Lord of the Rings or Tolkien. In addition, I get the sense that Moorcock believes it's the duty of authors to "challenge" the status quo and, in fantasy, Tolkien is very much the status quo (even if, ironically, the ideas his books champion are not). Combined, these two facts make it all but inevitable that Moorcock would engage in his long-running Quixotic crusade against the good professor. That doesn't mean there's a lot of merit to the crusade, as Brian Murphy quite ably shows in his post.
Speaking only for myself, I read Tolkien voraciously as a younger person and enjoyed it well enough, but didn't really fall in love with his writings until comparatively recently. Like Moorcock, I engaged these books only on a surface level and failed to appreciate just what Tolkien was doing and why. Older and (hopefully) a little wiser, I better see Tolkien's project for what it was and stand in awe of it. It's a pity Moorcock can't do the same, but we all have our blind spots, so I can't be too harsh in judging him, even if I do wish he'd at least recognize that his reaction to Tolkien is a personal one and not necessarily a reflection of anything in the man's writings.
60 comments:
My favorite criticism of Tolien's Lord Of The Rings trilogy is a an academic explanation of why LOTR is not considered serious literature: it doesn't deal sriously or realistically with the issues of human sexuality or mortality.
I have to confess ignorance in that I hadn't read any of Jack Vance's work, hence I can not comment on it. I remember long time ago seeing an old book, in a hardcover binding that was done by the library itself to save the old pages. The book's cover sheet read: Jack Vance; To Live Forever.
I did not pick it up, unfortunately, instead choosing a thick paperback with the word "WARDAY" on its cover. I liked it. Better that King's Stand or Mc Cammon's Swan Song (better than Stand). Warday is memorable for its miscast future right down to the World Trade Center surviving the hydrogen bomb blast and towering over the wasteland. However, if there ever was a time I was tempted to steal a library book (a capital offense, in my estimation, along with murdering cats), it was that day back in 1987when I held that Jack vance book in a dark orange thick library binding...Yeah, Moorcock has never been too objective about other authors whose politics don't match up with his. "Epic Pooh" was written some decades ago, though, so who knows if MM still holds the same opinions. I'm tempted to call it a cheap shot for the Cimmerian to dredge this up after so long, but his points are certainly still valid.
I find it interesting that Murphy steers wide of firing back at MM for his condemnation of Tolkien's prose style, mostly since it's such a big target. As someone who is an ardent fan of both authors (and whose politic worldview, FWIW, falls much closer to MM's than JRRT's), I feel that I'm relatively impartial. IMO Moorcock on his best day can't hold a candle to Tolkien on his worst day in terms of writing skill.Brooze, good point on what constitutes "lierature," at least in the stuffy and elitist academic sense. I distinctly remember my AP English teacher saying at the start of the class that "all literature is ltimately about sex and/or death," which implies, of course, that if isn't about those subjects, it isn't literature. That said, LOTR certainly falls into the death category, as everything he wrote is about decay and decline.
James, great link and great summary. I think that Tolkien's works can be appreciated on many levels, the juvenile "shallow" level and the wiser and more experienced "deeper" levels. I, too, also love Moorcock's work, but I would proobably end up punching him in the nose if I ever sat down for a pint in a pub with him.I have read the original Moorcock essay, and doesn't agree with it at all...
But It's interesting to me that so many Tolkien readers misunderstand him and his work. Is it some kind of "too serious" literature?
The other thing, I can't remember where I read it, maybe in the same "Epic Pooh" essay, or maybe in an interview, but somewhere Moorcock said that his main problem with the Lord of the Rings was that he read Poul Anderson's Broken Sword before it, and it was so much better that Tolkien could never impress him enough. It was always some second rate attempt of the kind of nordic saga influenced fantasy.
Maybe he could never read it with truly open mind...- AnonymousNovember 27, 2009 at 11:24 AM
I recognize Tolkien's sub-creation as a work of profound morality. When I read The Lord of the Rings (for example), I am both chastened and edified.
In a nutshell, the work illustrates the stark choice that faces each of us on a daily basis: Will I respect the liberty of each man, or will I throw in my lot with those who seek to control others?
As the various characters' reactions to the Ring illustrate, the only proper area of control is that of self-control. Galadriel (for example) illustrated self-control and a lack of desire to control others, whereas Sauron illustrated a desire to control everything except his own passions (with he let have free rein).
This philosophy expresses itself in the political arrangements of Middle-earth. The forces of good are found in the spectrum between natural law kingship and individualist anarchism. The forces of darkness, on the other hand, were a bunch of totalitarians. Observe that Saruman tried to ruin the Shire precisely by inflicting on it a government (i. e., control). The four Hobbits returning home immediately set about overthrowing that government and allowing the natural order of quasi-anarchism to re-assert itself (i. e., freedom).
The whole world would be better off if everyone would read The Lord of the Rings and take it to heart by rejecting all attempts at control over others, and instead exercise rigorous self-control. Instead, most of us are little Saurons. Gee, I can't believe that a dime store Marxist doesn't understand the subtleties of great literature. Oh wait... I can believe it.
I do always feel a bit of pity when someone fails to understand Tolkien, because I cannot think of anything more beautiful in the realm of fantasy literature. I say that thinking principally of the Silmarillion, a work which is unequalled in the realm of fiction.
I've enjoyed Moorcock's stuff as popcorn, but it isn't especially deep (there's a bit of Frankfurt School in there, but that's about as far as it goes). So it's not strange to think of the man himself as superficial. I'm not sure that ultimately a materialist is capable of subtle thought.So...
A 'takedown' of a 30+ year old article that amounts to "he doesn't get it"?
Uh, right.
I like Tolkien, I like Moorcock, Lovecraft too... But you can criticize each of them pretty easily for any number of reasons.
Moorcock himself has revisited (repeatedly!!) this old piece and revised it, clarified it and admitted it was overly-critical but that it amounted to the way he was thinking and feeling at the time.
So I'm afraid I can't be quite so easily impressed by Mr. Murphy's rather needless attempt to "knock a little stuffing out of his puffed-up essay". There's plenty of better ways to take a creative swing at Michael Moorcock at any point of his career.I think Moorcock's greatest mistake in his Pooh essay is expecting Tolkein's work to be interpreted as political commentary. Moorcock's own work frequently presented the idea that Empire, stolid and lost in dreams of former glory, must be torn down to make way for the New. As a active participant in the politics of the 60's and 70's, its not surprising that Moorcock found Tolkein's affection for landed country gentlemen especially grating.
Where Moorcock falls short is in not acknowledging the possibility of wisdom on Tolkein's part and the assumption that the generation ahead of his was ignorant of social conscience, an opinion that has very possibly been tempered with his own advancing age.Welleran,
LOTR is about a dying world and changing of ages, but that bit about Elves sailing off to never-never land to spend eternity is a cop-out, IMHO. Death is not about decay and nostalgia, it's about people DYING and leaving their loved ones BEHIND. Compare with Bernard Cornwell's tales of Uhtred.
Tolkien, CS Lewis, and I think there were other British authors; they were in literary "circle" like a discussion club, and they were all extremely conservative. try to read their views on the events of 1920's and 1930's in UK and other places, and you will see just how anachronistic their political views were, when compared with the views of their contemporaries.Thanks for the shout-out, James.
It seems like I'm getting some criticism for taking up the cause against a 30-year-old essay. But the very fact that (as has been pointed out here) Moorcock has continually returned to and updated his essay--recall that the His Dark Materials trilogy, which he references in an author's note, was published in 1995--means that he still stands behind it.
That, and the fact that it's commonly cited by Tolkien critics, makes "Epic Pooh" fair game for debate, at least in my opinion.There's nothing unfair about criticizing Moorcock's published criticism of Tolkien, no matter how old it is, no matter how far Moorcock's opinions about Tolkien may have changed.
The belief that people should be allowed to publish opinions that are somehow immune to criticism is a corollary of an approach to interpersonal communication I've heard memorably called "the turd theory of communication," the idea that you should be allowed to drop your opinions in a public forum and walk away without being held accountable for them. The battle to get in the last word in an argument is a perfect example of the belief that one somehow has a right to chuck an opinion out there and run.
Citizens in a democracy have a duty to wrestle with the range of opinions available to help us find the best way forward, to help us sort out the strengths and weaknesses of the perspectives and strategies we've come up. This certainly applies to speeches and discussions, but written works because of their greater longevity are especially in need of being critiqued as often or as belatedly as necessary.
Kudos to Brian Murphy for keeping this vital tradition alive by taking Moorcock to task for publishing such a shallow critique of Tolkien. Regardless of how Moorcock may have felt about Tolkien later on, by putting these early, half-baked criticisms into writing he has earned the dubious privilege of seeing them embarrassingly dissected for the rest of his life.
And thanks, too, to James for bringing Mr. Murphy's review to our attention.I find Moorcock's "criticisms" of Lovecraft to be infinitely more grating. Probably because I hold Lovecraft in higher esteem than Tolkien.
@Yog-Sothoth - Why do you find Moorcock's views on Lovecraft more grating? "Pooh" is certainly over-the-top in places, and MM arguably completely misses the point of Tolkien's work.
In contrast, in "Starship Stormtroopers" (which is what I assume you're referring to), MM takes Lovecraft and Heinlein to task for various forms of quasi-fascist pig-doggery. Without getting into the details, I believe that this essay stands the test of time (and close scrutiny by those familiar with the other authors' works) much better than "Epic Pooh". I love Lovecraft, too, but it's difficult not to agree with MM's criticism that he was unpardonably xenophobic (to put it nicely), at least until his late period.Brooze, of course the Elves sailing off is not specifically about physical death - they were immortal, after all! But it is about loss and could be seen as a metaphor for all kinds of things (example: a Christian view of the world where you go out, experience life, then return to "Heaven;" or one of many other interpretations). Tolkien is famous for his stated abhorence of allegory, but I think there is allegory there whether he wanted it or not.
The Inklings (Tolkien, CS Lewis, Charles Williams, etc.) were certainly "anachronistic." They were, in fact, conservatives in the classic sense - they wished to preserve some "good" from the past that they felt was threatened by newer ideas; they were fighting against the idea that anything new must be good and anything old must be bad. It really is a microcosm of the changes in thought throughout 20th Century, if you think about it.Just the other day, I came across the idea that the very form of the novel, with its attention to the private struggles of an individual protagonist is the epitome of petit-bourgeois-capitalist-suck-upism. If this is true, then MM isn't really much of a Marxist, right? From what I've heard, you can't really enjoy Moorcock without getting into Elric, and buying into his personal struggles, both external and internal. In Tolkien's work, if there is a "main" character," he's not the cool character (you could never sell a game or a book by putting just Frodo's face on the cover). Rather, the tale of little people in solidarity and who reject the myth of individual heroism provides us a model for the triumph of the proletariat!
ReplyDeleteMoorcock maintains the same disdain for Tolkein in his Wizardry and Wild Romance. I approached this book as Moorcock's version of Lovecraft's Supernatural Horror in Fiction. That is to say, I was hoping it would be an enumeration of Moorcock's views of what makes/defines good fantasy. It turns out to be one long hatchet job on Tolkein.
On the one hand, I get that Moorcock doesn't get Tolkein. Considering the counter-culture vibe of the times, I can see Moorcock both rebelling against conservativism, as well as feeling a need to tear down the icons that went before. He seems to still hold this view.
On the other hand, Tolkein was attempting way more than writing "another effing elf story." It's an exploration of the nature of good and evil (among many other things), which I suspect Moorcock also rejects as unsubtle. Consider that, if anything, the cosmology of the Eternal Champion stories. Law is both good and bad, as is Chaos.
I only wish Wizardry and Wild Romance had been more about Moorcock's views of what makes good fantasy, and less about doesn't. It's as though he doesn't have anything positive to say.I only wish Wizardry and Wild Romance had been more about Moorcock's views of what makes good fantasy, and less about doesn't. It's as though he doesn't have anything positive to say.
This is pretty much my opinion as well. My good friend and business partner recommended the book to me some time ago, thinking I'd enjoy it, but, alas, I did not. I found it tedious and fairly banal, less about Moorcock's own insights into fantasy and more about how much he hated Tolkien and his imitators. It's a pity, because I actually think Moorcock is a talented writer with a wonderful imagination. I've derived a lot of pleasure from his books. I wish I could say the same about his attempts at literary criticism.As others have said above, I really doubt Moorcock is a Marxist. Although that certain people think he is speaks volumes.
As I mentioned the last time we discussed this, I agree with one of Moorcock's main criticisms: ie. Tolkein is a not a great writer. There are so many clangers in Lord of the Rings and it is very much pitched at a cosy level. I just opened my copy at random at pp.444f where Aragorn and Gimli are looking for Merry and Pippin: the pace is so gentle and lulling... I realise that he is probably trying to recreate the repetitive cadences of epic poetry but if you read Homer, say, even in translation, the tone is far more vivid if not as detailed.
My other main problem, esp. when I tried to read the epic for the first and last time as an adult, is the highly objectionable characterization of Sam as a forelock tugging toad eater. That many of Tolkien's fans here and elsewhere don't pick up on that says a lot.
And it says even more about Tolkein in that although, as Murphy correctly notes, he respected the lower class privates and batmen with whom he served in WWI, he could not understand them.
If you want criticism of Tolkein that isn't contaminated by "Marxism" try David Brin's version. He does, however, make reference though to "democracy" and other such "radical" centuries old social theories.
He makes it clear that it isn't about left vs right as many seem to think, rehearsing their own favourite ideological battles, but rather between the impulses of the Enlightenment (eg. belief in the empirical) and Romanticism (belief in the innate).
Which is why I like to introduce Conan into this topic, because he is the ultimate post-romantic hero who kowtows to no-one. His world-view is utterly alien to Middle Earth. What would he have said at the council of Elrond?
"A murrain of these wizardly feuds! ... Give me a clean sword and a clean foe to flesh it in. Damnation! What would I not give for a flagon of wine!" (The Scarlet Citadel)
On whose side do you think he would have fought?
"... you speak of Venarium familiarly. Perhaps you were there?" - "I was," grunted [Conan]. "I was one of the horde that swarmed over the hills. I hadn't yet seen fifteen snows, but already my name was repeated about the council fires." (Beyond the Black River)
@Brian: Interesting point. Literary criticism should not be taken as gospel but like D&D as a kind of game. As Brin says at the end of that article, it's good to play these What If exercises with the stories you've read.
@Al: I don't think Moorcock is expecting any social commentary from his writers (does he care whether Poul Anderson shares his "radical" opinions?) but rather engaging with the what Tolkein actually expressed consciously or otherwise.
Ross A. Issacs:
I only wish Wizardry and Wild Romance had been more about Moorcock's views of what makes good fantasy, and less about doesn't. It's as though he doesn't have anything positive to say.
So what do people here think makes for good fantasy?Surely, Moorcock does not get Tolkien. I think that basically his dislike for Tolkien's christianity and conservatism blinds him. Also, simply he does not seem to have done his homework in reading LOTR.
Moorcock is a powerful phantasist and a master of pacing, his early Elric stories have a raw, primal vigour.
I wonder wether he ever read the story of the Children of Hurin. That dark tale of death and incest, whose main character is a anti-hero armed with a back sword that had taken the life of a friend. Turin, who lets his black sword take his life. And the black sword speaks.
Sounds familiar? Ironically, Turin and Elric are literary brothers, both descended from the character of Kullervo in the Finnish Kalevala.
Indeed, Moorcock's criticism sucks.
I pardon him for that silliness.
I must also say that Tolkien was not immune from literary shortsightedness. One egregious examples is found in his letters where he bashes Dante as "petty": all focused on the petty grudges of little people living in petty cities.
In Middle-Earth there's no "Italy" you move directly from Northern Europe to Bizantium (Gondor). But I love Tolkien all the same.Korgoth: "I'm not sure that ultimately a materialist is capable of subtle thought"
Epicurus, Lucretius, David Hume, Friedrich Nietzsche, and many other important philosophers throughout the history of Western thought would certainly disagree.
As for Moorcock, though, I agree that he's never struck me as an especially 'subtle' writer (irrespective of his metaphysical 'materialism'). He paints with broad strokes, to say the least. Many of his ideas are wonderful -- the eternal struggle between Law and Chaos, the 'million spheres' multiverse, etc. However, his style is often slapdash, and many of his stories seem to have been written over a manic weekend fueled by scotch and coffee (and perhaps other things).
While I very much love many of Moorcock's ideas and some of his stories, of the two writers, Tolkien is unquestionably the superior. Ironically, many of the tales in the Silmarillion strike me as stories that Moorcock would like. The tale of Turin is a tragedy reminiscent of Elric (but superior in execution and mythic grandeur). And Turin's sword Gurthang is shockingly similar to Stormbringer!I read that Moorcock piece a while ago. My only thought was that, apparently, Tolkien went right over his head. I've disregarded his non-fantasy writing since.
Also, I agree with Geoffrey. That may be because I'm pretty much a Rothbardian anarcho-capitalist libertarian now. I despise leaders.@Chris T: I realise that he is probably trying to recreate the repetitive cadences of epic poetry but if you read Homer, say, even in translation, the tone is far more vivid if not as detailed.
A comparison with Beowulf would be more apt, since Tolkien wanted to create an English epic in the northern tradition, not the Hellenic one.Pick some lines from from Beowulf then, if you like. The comparison stands.
These bards, Hellenic or British, would have died cold and hungry if their style was as cosy as Tolkein's.
And of course, they were writing for different audiences and different times. This does nothing to alter the validity of my analysis :)Chris T said:
"Sam as a forelock tugging toad eater."
You mean the same Sam who is the hero of the trilogy? The Sam who is the only character to wear the One Ring *and actually resist it*? That Sam? Sam puts on the Ring, in Mordor, while Frodo is captured and being tortured, and the Ring offers Sam the power to set things right and end the darkness... its mightiest and most subtle lie. And Sam takes it off. That is his virtue... that he alone knows evil for what it is, and will have no part of it.
Sam is the mortal (and perhaps mature) counterpart to Bombadil. Bombadil cares nothing for the Ring and would forget that he had it (the Pacifist). He's immune to its power but he's no help in the war. Sam is not immune to the Ring... it gives him all that it has got... he is simply more powerful than the Ring. The Ring is pride, and the surpassing virtue of Master Samwise is humility.
Maybe you don't see humility as a virtue? Then I'm sorry for you.Well, to begin with. Moorcock is not a Marxist.
Then I want to know how come everyone after James state that Moorcock didn't "get" Tolkien? What makes you think that is the case?
I do think that Mike Moorcock have a so different attitude to literature and a so different personality that it would be hard for him to like LotR, but why wouldn't he understand it?And if comments are to be systematically censored here, then I'm done with reading it.
To date, only a single poster's comments have been "systematically censored" and that's only because I know of no means to ban him. Wally is a longstanding thorn in my side, who refuses to play nicely according to the implicit rules of this blog. Lots of other people disagree, sometimes strongly, with my posts and yet somehow their comments remain. Could it be that they understand how to disagree respectfully and without rancor?
If civility offends you, by all means, be done with this place, but the comments here are left open on the assumption that people will behave themselves. I make no apologies for deleting comments that don't meet that standard.If you want criticism of Tolkein that isn't contaminated by "Marxism" try David Brin's version. He does, however, make reference though to "democracy" and other such "radical" centuries old social theories.
While I agree that Brin's criticisms are better than those of Moorcock, they (much like his critiques of the Star Wars films) strike me as tone deaf. He seems quite willing to discount the power and value of mythic archetypes, acknowledgment of which is, in my opinion, pre-political. I don't think the resonance many feel for the notion of a One True King says anything about one's commitment to notions of equality or democracy, for example, and Brin doesn't seem to want to give that line of thought any credence, unless I am badly misreading him.That is his virtue... that he alone knows evil for what it is, and will have no part of it.
Indeed. I'm not particularly moved by the notion that The Lord of the Rings is riddled with "classist" prejudices. I genuinely believe that Middle-earth is a "pre-political" place that defies easy attempts to describe it according to modern ideologies. But I'm weird that way.I do think that Mike Moorcock have a so different attitude to literature and a so different personality that it would be hard for him to like LotR, but why wouldn't he understand it?
Consider that Moorcock, by his own admission, created Elric to be an "anti-Conan," to turn the assumptions of S&S literature on their heads. There's a powerful anti-establishment thread to his thought and writing philosophy. He built his career partially upon that. To make peace with Tolkien would, I think, undermine his "rebel" image. Tolkien is the eternal father against whom up and coming fantasists have to rebel to prove their own independence from him. Witness China Miéville's temper tantrums on the subject, for example.Welleran, agreed.
There is a lot that works in LOTR, I wouldn't dismiss it as a whole. Two things that bug me about it: When LOTR enjoyed the popularity among the American grad students in 1960's, they totally disregarded the history and the context in which it was written, much as men of the Middle Earth may have disreagrded The Ring. Scond, Tolkien's naive and fawning attitude of admiration towards aristocratic nobility, disguised as "Elves" realy irks me, perticularly since Aristocracy remained a powerful institution in Tokien's day, they were truly "first class citizens" and nearly had diplomatic status in UK, where aristocratic rank and privilidge from any Balkan or European country was recognized. I am not anti-nobility at all, just want to see a realistic treatment of it. Also, people don't realize that LOTR was as much about the peole who lived in Europe between wars as it was high fantasy. To see a portrait of a doomed "elf" I direct you to read Christopher Isherwood's encounter with a supermarket owner in his "Goodbye to Berlin" (1935).
Here is an example of just how much influence a noble birth had (and still does) in UK. The year was 1946. A certain British commandos captain is loking for his brothers, who were disappeared by nazi gestapo into the german death camp system under night and fog decree. In the warcrimes trials environemnt were allies are restarained and are forbidden from puching prisoners, he freely smacks them across the face. I am NOT feeling sorry for the former SS, merely pointing out the fact that others would have been brought up on charges, while this British Commandoes Captain cuts a dashing figure, larger than life. He tells one prisoner he is interogating: "You are an animal and you are not fit to walk on two legs." Everytime he saw this nazi standing up, he would knock him off his fieet with a fist across the face until the nazi was going about on his hands and feet. A Chaotic Good warrior in action. Later on, UK gov't tried to keep
from publicizing the brutality with which the captured commandoes were tortured and executed (political reasons, laying the groundwork for the alliance between UK and West Germany in the coming cold war). This Captain was outraged and published the atrocity investigation documents, in his possesion, CLASSIFIED, in a chain of British newspapers, which his family owned and operated. So far, so good, except that unlike the US, UK has an Official Secrets Act, under which it prosecutes and still locks up whistleblowers to prison terms unheard of in the US. That particular Cpatain, though,was never prosecuted or touched by scandal; he was of noble birth.
I am not sure, which irks me more -Tolkien's fawning attitude towards nobility, keeping in mind that Tolkien himself was NOT of noble birth, a commoner; OR the blissful ignorance of the traditional British class system, reflected in LOTR, by the modern American fans of Tolkien.I must also say that Tolkien was not immune from literary shortsightedness. One egregious examples is found in his letters where he bashes Dante as "petty": all focused on the petty grudges of little people living in petty cities.
In Middle-Earth there's no "Italy" you move directly from Northern Europe to Bizantium (Gondor). But I love Tolkien all the same.
Absolutely. Tolkien was definitely stereotypically English in his lack of appreciation for Mediterranean/Romance language Europe. I believe he found even the Arthurian legend cycle "too French" for his tastes, preferring more purely "northern" inspired source material generally. For myself, I love the northern stuff but I also adore the literature of the Romance language countries as well. As I said, Dante is a particular favorite of mine.Ah,
Tolkien, the man who loved Wagner, and who was later driven to tears by that other set of Northern Europeans, also into Wagner. "They are bastards!" he cried to the interviewer (70's, I think), "They took every ideal I had about the golden age of European culture, and they perverted it!" In the same intreview, Tolkien saud that the Middle Earth has nothing to do with our world. That in our world, The Shire would be enslaved by mankind, and the Ring would never be destroyed, men would never allow it and get their hands on it and use it to destroy their enemies. Tolkien also said that The Ring is NOT the nuclear weapons of our world, as some people were speculating at the time. Tolkien wss pessimistic, the interviewer noted. I say, influence of our Mortal and Mundane world! M&M!!!I'd still say you have far from proved that Moorcock don't understand Tolkien, James.
I don't agree that his "anti attitude" or the anti-establishment ideology of Mike is a hindrance for understanding. The reverse is closer to the truth, I think! Moorcock understands Tolkien far better than most, but he feels it is contrary to all his ideals and thus don't give LotR any value, or calls it childish or "comforting" as denigrating adjectives.
That Moorcock perhaps is, consciously, avoiding admitting the values LotR have is another matter, upon which I agree.Moorcock understands Tolkien far better than most, but he feels it is contrary to all his ideals and thus don't give LotR any value, or calls it childish or "comforting" as denigrating adjectives.
It seems clear to me that anyone who could, in all seriousness, call The Lord of the Rings "childish," let alone "comforting" doesn't understand it. The novel is many things but "comforting" it is not.@Korgoth: Yes, that Sam! I appreciate the intent behind the character - but Tolkein's execution is tone-deaf. He should be the hero of the novel as you say but by the time Sam gets to do anything remotely interesting, however, 700 pages later, people like me have gone way past caring.
He *should* be everyone's favourite. But for the most part he just simpers his way through the magical world of his betters. Yes, he has a pivotal role in the story but so does the magical negro archetype in many a patronising Hollywood film.
Your comparison of Sam with Tom is an interesting one. But perhaps I just don't find that level of humility particularly virtuous.
I don't think the resonance many feel for the notion of a One True King says anything about one's commitment to notions of equality or democracy, for example, and Brin doesn't seem to want to give that line of thought any credence, unless I am badly misreading him.
and later:
To make peace with Tolkien would, I think, undermine his "rebel" image. Tolkien is the eternal father against whom up and coming fantasists have to rebel to prove their own independence from him.
So what do you suggest we do? Give in to our desire for a "One True King" uncritically? Should we suspend our critical faculties lest we be imputed Wally-fashion as having some half-baked Freudian oedipal complex?
Should we pay our token respects to all the works of our forebears lest we be marked as "rebels" or "image conscious"?
What would Tolkein say? One True King sounds a lot like One True Ring... ;)
Tolkein's style is very much a bed-side fairy-tale one though and it suits The Hobbit perfectly. I may read it again today. But for some of us over a thousand pages of it palls, esp. if those thousand pages feel like he's trying to recapture the lightning in a bottle that he got with The Hobbit and make it more "mature".
There is a sense of fun and adventure in The Hobbit. Bilbo is a great character. He is adventurous and resourceful. He's a bit of a rascal...
In The Hobbit Gandalf is just a wizard and not some quasi-religious avatar.So what do you suggest we do? Give in to our desire for a "One True King" uncritically?
Not at all. I have no beef with anyone who dislikes Tolkien's style or finds his tales unmoving or engaging. What I do take issue with are critics whose criticisms stem primarily from attempting to apply categories (particularly politically derived ones) that simply don't apply. My mention of the One True King was intended merely as an example of something in Tolkien that, in my opinion, can't be criticized by recourse to post-Enlightenment thought, since Middle-earth is a mythical, pre-Enlightenment world. The character of Aragorn isn't intended to be representative of a political platform, philosophy, or ideology but is rather an archetype within a large myth cycle. I think it unfair to Tolkien to lambaste him for sticking to archetypal characters and relationships when that was part of his intention.My mention of the One True King was intended merely as an example of something in Tolkien that, in my opinion, can't be criticized by recourse to post-Enlightenment thought, since Middle-earth is a mythical, pre-Enlightenment world.
James, I have to say that this bit seems very non-sequitor-ish to me. While it is true that Middle Earth is mythical and pre-enlightenment, Tolkien was not. An artist's creations cannot be divorced from the context of the artist themselves. That is one of the most fundamental lessons of studying literary theory. Honestly, for all of the people who claim that Tolkien is some kind of master artisan, I have to disagree. I actually prefer authors who have somewhat of an education in literary theory, and who don't spend entire chapters describing the idyllic country side--get to the action already! It took me almost two months to read The Fellowship--that is far, far too long. The only reason I stuck with it afterwards was so I would know what (vaguely) to expect from the other two movies (which, were, imho, far better because they actually had pacing). Anyway, I just wanted to say that, while MM's criticism may have been (slightly) off target, I think the criticism I am reading of his criticism is even moreso.I actually prefer authors who have somewhat of an education in literary theory, and who don't spend entire chapters describing the idyllic country side--get to the action already!
We shall have to disagree then. I both find Tolkien a fine author without his having been a literary theorist and I appreciate his description of the countryside -- they are among some of the most moving passages in all his work.I guess my problems with Tolkien stem from the fact that his characters seem to live ON the world, rather than IN it. you never get a good sense of how these "People" live - apart from the Wurzel Gummidge hobbits, of how they interact with "real" world. Now don't get me wrong - I enjoyed the books and read them near continuously for a good number of years when I was in my teens. I can even put aside the clumsy structure. But while the landscape decriptions are all very nice, to me they come across as descriptions of pictures of places, not the places themselves.
And then there is Tolkien's innate conservatism. The novels seem to want to preserve an idyllic past rather than move to a dynamic future. The Elf aristocracy abdicate in favour of the Middle Class men, with the agrarian hobbit workers still defending there passive agrarian ways. And what of the Dwarven engineers? IS there no place for advancement in Middle Earth. The returning hobbit war hereoes, after saving the Shire retire to happy squiredom...
Moorcock has written some great, and some not so great, works. But you can never say that he was content to comfort. He always tries to challenge the reader. To think that you can't "get" Moorcock without "getting" Elric is a simplification. If you don't get Elric, there are plenty of different avenues to choose: the post apocalyptic science fantasy of Hawkmoon; the Celtic reimaginings of Corum, the quantum anarchy of Jerry Cornelius; or the majestic, complex and magnificent picaresque of Pyat (possibly, IMHO, the best "literature" since the war...)I think Moorcock may have changed somewhat from the youngish Trotskyite urbanite who wrote Epic Pooh. He did go off to live in small-town Texas, after all.
Personally, I'm from the kind of rootless academic background and long had the adolescent sensibility that made Moorcock's work much easier to identify with. I hold Tolkien in high regard without enjoying reading him much. But I see the gleam in the eyes of my middle to upper-middle English half-cousins when they disuss Tolkien. For them his work is soul food, they have a visceral connection to it that I lack, but appreciate the value of.
Another point - I think spiritually and politically we live in a dark time, post 9/11, and Tolkien's themes of endurance, resistance and rebirth seem much more meaningful to me now than in the '80s. Maybe that's just me getting older, though.On politics, I don't think you can separate it out the way the Cimmerian claims to. I guess when I was young I was a silly liberal humanist, not as far left as Moorcock perhaps, but his approach sat well with me. Now I can see that the Moorcock/Pullman/Pat Mills/Alan Moore side is wrong, and the Tolkien/CS Lewis side is a lot closer to being right, that has changed my appreciation of the merits of their work. Reading the third book of Pullman's execrable trilogy really confirmed that for me. You don't have to be Christian to see that the Luciferians are worse.
I appreciate his description of the countryside -- they are among some of the most moving passages in all his work.
And then there is Tolkien's innate conservatism.
I'm afraid this innate conservatism is exactly what many in this thread find so attractive... It's a way of demarcating tribal divisions.
Why on earth was Murphy's trolling post put on the Cimmerian, of all places? Aren't there Tolkein sites that would have taken it?
I am also very disappointed because it provides further fuel to the old school doubters, the 3.5 munchkins and all the rest, that really deep down this movement, as represented by this particular blog at least, is not really about good gaming but a certain kind of nostalgia and hero worship.
That it's not about bringing all us old school players together but only a certain narrow subset that subscribes to a particular status quo.
Now I can see that the Moorcock/Pullman/Pat Mills/Alan Moore side is wrong, and the Tolkien/CS Lewis side is a lot closer to being right, that has changed my appreciation of the merits of their work
So, putting to one side the gross generalisation in that statement, it's not about mastering the craft of writing or good story-telling but being "right", whatever the hell that is."So, putting to one side the gross generalisation in that statement, it's not about mastering the craft of writing or good story-telling but being "right", whatever the hell that is."
Yup. The ones I listed are all good storytellers, but some of them are morally reprehensible - IMO it's the left-wingers (although unlike eg Pat Mills, there's not much objectionable in Moorcock's actual fiction, which often shows a sneaking regard for conservatism at odds with his non-fiction statements). Obviously YMWV.
This article was influential in my recent appreciation of Tolkien, who I used to find rather boring:
http://www.amconmag.com/article/2007/sep/10/00013/Talking of what is "Right" and "Wrong" seems to me a very fundamentalist position. You may not like, or agree, with a given author - but that hardly makes them "Wrong" and someone else you like better, "Right". In my opinion, absolute Right and Wrong exist at the very limits of human experience - in between there is a lot of grey (and literary criticism).
What you like - it all comes down to a matter of taste. Like music, there is only two types of book - ones that you like and ones that you don't.I am also very disappointed because it provides further fuel to the old school doubters, the 3.5 munchkins and all the rest, that really deep down this movement, as represented by this particular blog at least, is not really about good gaming but a certain kind of nostalgia and hero worship.
I don't write this blog for anyone but myself. That other people find anything I write here to be of use to them is gratifying, but it's not for that reason that keep posting each day. So if my traditionalism, "hero worship," and general stick in the mud nature scare some people away, so be it.Chris T:
Why on earth was Murphy's trolling post put on the Cimmerian, of all places? Aren't there Tolkein sites that would have taken it?
You might want to read the large tagline at the top of The Cimmerian as to why I'd chose to defend Tolkien there.
Secondly, what on earth was "trolling" about my post? Moorcock's essay is commonly cited by Tolkien's critics. Moorcock has returned to the essay and updated it over the years (see the new Pullman references), which means he obviously stands behind it. I think it's fair game for a counter-critique, no? Or is MM above criticism?
You'll note that I chose to stay away from politics in my rebuttal of the essay. I simply pointed out that think Moorcock's reading of the themes and ideas expressed in The Lord of the Rings is quite flawed. Tolkien demonstrably does not glorify war, does not preach "cowardly self-protection," does not avoid the subject of death, and certainly does not force a happy ending upon the reader.James, that's cool - it's your blog. Just saying...
Brian M., no, you didn't mention politics and yes, it is fair game to counter-critique. Bring it. :)
You are right in arguing that it doesn't have a "happy" ending, it is bittersweet one. But it is hardly a complex one. The Shire is saved, evil defeated, king restored and everyone except Sam goes to the *magical* Western Lands. In a sense Fordo "dies" (and "magic/elves") by having to leave the Shire but being part Took he wasn't destined for it anyway. So no great loss really. Death comes to all, but if you're one of the goodies, ie. "decent" "self-sacrificing types" as per MM, it comes later and in a magical way...
I'm afraid I can't see where MM says that Tolkein glorifies war. A greater proportion of his article is comparisons and quotes of other writers' styles with JRRT's.
But when you say Tolkein's attitude to war thus: "War is necessary when "destroyers" like Sauron or Hitler would impose their will on the free peoples of the world, but it is a duty to be carried out, not glorified,' you imply that Tolkein has an extremely simplistic attitude to the nature of war, a Manichaean world view as noted by many a commentator. Who are these Destroyers? Where do they come from? Those orcs are nasty, eh?
I think you're taking his use of the term "cowardly self protection" a little out of context there. I don't think he was talking about War but rather the British middle class and how JRRT reflects its concerns (eg. as I note, his depiction of Sam constantly bowing and scraping): "One should perhaps feel some sympathy for the nervousness occasionally revealed beneath their thick layers of stuffy self-satisfaction... but sympathy is hard to sustain in the teeth of their hidden aggression which is so often accompanied by a deep-rooted hypocrisy."
Maybe it's difficult for American readers to understand what Moorcock is talking about.groakes:
"@S'mon - I would be interested to know what you find morally reprehensible about the authors you listed, given that I would hold most of them (I haven't read any Pat Mills) to be humanists with a passionate love of humanity."
Pat Mills is/was the main writer/editor for the comic 2000AD, notable for Nemesis the Warlock, Slaine, Finn etc.
They are Humanists who don't understand Humanity. They're like the Anarchist academic who gave a talk at my Law School last week - "We must have total Autonomy and Equality! The masses must be mobilised to destroy the State!" Whenever the Left's vision is actually implemented it is disastrous for actual humans. Often it has created Hell on Earth.
Actual human flourishing requires a dynamic interaction between liberal and conservative principles - which is in accordance with Moorcock's literary Cosmic Balance between Law and Chaos, but not his non-fictional political stance. Mills, Moore and Pullman by contrast only want absolute Autonomy. Which only results in enslavement anyway, as in His Dark Materials where the protagonist rebels fight against the antagonist Catholics, but are written as even more unquestioning of *their* authority figures and the rightness of their cause than the supposedly villainous Magisterium! When Lucifer says jump, they ask "How high?" Moorcock to his credit is much more subtle, and doesn't present unquestioning obedience to the 'right' (ie Left, or Chaotic) side as desirable, his Law is generally shown as preferable to his Chaos, although he dislikes writers like Tolkien who have the inner aspect on Lawfulness.Korgoth:
"I've enjoyed Moorcock's stuff as popcorn, but it isn't especially deep (there's a bit of Frankfurt School in there, but that's about as far as it goes)"
Moorcock makes good use of Jung and Freud, as well as Campbell of course. I haven't enjoyed his recent works though, I never finished the last Elric sequel.Chris T:
"As others have said above, I really doubt Moorcock is a Marxist. Although that certain people think he is speaks volumes"
He is, or was, a New Left Marxist, like most of his peers. I know in the US that (cultural) Marxists tend to not call themselves Marxists, since using other terms like 'Progressive' is seen as better for advancing Marxism in US society.
Here in the UK and Europe it's pretty much 'respectable' to be Marxist. Most of my academic colleagues are either New Left/cultural Marxists, or classical economic Marxists. They like the Marxist fantasy writer China Mieville a lot, he spoke once at the staff seminar but unfortunately I couldn't attend that week.- AnonymousDecember 1, 2009 at 2:05 PM
I sometimes assume that Moorcock simply never got farther than Book 1 of TLOTR, and that that, as much as his own ideological preconceptions, is where the problem lies. If one never gets farther than Farmer Maggot's mushroom farm, I can understand readers of a certain temperament growing fed up and stopping. While there's (obviously!) much great set-up in the early chapters, it's really the second half of The Fellowship of the Ring that turns TLOTR into a very different sort of work. If Moorcock never actually got there and simply assumes the whole story is written in the same vein, I can see how he might get to the view he presents in "Epic Pooh," even if I dont agree with it.
ReplyDelete Chris T: I disagree about your interpretation of death in Middle Earth. Only the elves (and as you mentioned, Maiar like Gandalf) return to the Undying Lands. Men do not; their fate is uncertain. This is the great tragedy as told in the Appendices of the tale of Arwen and Aragorn. Not to mention that elven "deathlessness" brings with it a host of problems, and it is hinted that humans, with their finite lifespans, are the luckier. So yes, complex, at least in my opinion as supported by the text.
When MM says that Tolkien is guilty of contributing to the myth of sacrifice, adapting the "sentimental myths that make war bearable," and that he doesn't ask any questions of "white men in grey clothing who have a handle on what's best for us" (i.e., politicians, generals, etc.),the implication is that Tolkien is guilty of glorifying war.
You can ascribe any motivations to the orcs/other destroyers that you like (Tolkien consciously avoided doing that; whether he did so unconsciously is another issue). They could be imperialistic, aggressive nations like WWII Japan or Germany. Who knows? There are extremists today who are opposed to the free thinking and exchange of ideas expressed on this internet and this very blog.
Michael Moorcock may think that the actions of all nations are morally equivalent and that every war is equally reprehensible, but I think most sensible people do not.
Regarding "cowardly self-protection," I do think you're right that Moorcock's target with that statement was the middle class, though I note that I stated in my essay that I suspect that Moorcock has a problem with the social organization of the Shire to which the hobbits return, not necessarily their bravery in defending it.


text:
Steve Had a Little List
A list of the FOI requests received by the University of East Anglia about the CRU has been posted. Most of the Climate Audit fishing expedition were turned down, but there is one priceless one FOI 09-97 for which additional information was sought
I hereby make a EIR/FOI request in respect to any confidentiality agreements)restricting transmission of CRUTEM data to non-academics involing the following countries: [insert 5 or so countries that are different from ones already requested 1]It was clear that the requests were vexatious and they were turned down.
1. the date of any applicable confidentiality agreements;
2. the parties to such confidentiality agreement, including the full name of any organization;
3. a copy of the section of the confidentiality agreement that "prevents further transmission to non-academics".
4. a copy of the entire confidentiality agreement,
Eli also points to a comment from MinnieMouseJon
This is simply evident for any climatologist working, for instance, in Spain. I pay for the data (even for research) and every time I buy data I have to sign a contract stating that I can't disclose data to ANY third party. Neither for research nor for any other users of the third party. Well ... why doesn't McIntyre simply buy the data to the original owner instead of requesting it from CRU? (The national weather services are the owners...)Update: Bart Verheggen chimes in
I can't understand why this is so hard to understand.
Update: Amoeba has a request
Update: John Quiggen has a comment

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mark Wallinger
Martin Herbert
Thames & Hudson
Mark Wallinger is an artist who needs no introduction. After winning the Turner Prize in 2007 for State Britain and then being commissioned for The White Horse in 2008, Wallinger has become a part of our current discourse.
This book is the first monograph of the artist's work and is organised into five sections: Battling For Britain (1985-1989), Entrances and Exits (1990-96), Questions of Faith (1997-02), New Frontiers (2003-07) and You, Me, Us (2008-10). This compendium begins with his early influences and traces the artist's career over three decades, including a selection of Wallinger's writings, as well as some excerpts from his private notebooks.
Wallinger is known for being an artist who is continuously in pursuit of new ideas. His works are never repeated, and often explore topics relating to history, politics, religion, sport, science and poetry. This monograph provides a complete history of the artist's career to date and Herbert successfully negotiates the various themes throughout Wallinger's oeuvre into a highly comprehensive and informative text.
Shirley Stevenson


text:
Sumter County, Georgia Records
Sumter County, Georgia (Map It) was created on December 26, 1831 from Lee County. Portions of Sumter County were used to create Schley County in 1857. Sumter County was named in honor of General Thomas Sumter (1734 - 1832), the "Fighting Gamecock," a hero of the Revolutionary War.
Sumter County is bordered by Macon County (north-northeast), Dooly County (east), Crisp County, Lee County (south), Terrell County (southwest), Webster County (west), Marion County (northwest), Schley County (northwest)
A Map of Sumter County, Georgia contains detailed information about roads and boundaries, these maps may include rural communities, churches, and cemeteries.
Sumter County, Georgia Courthouse Records
Sumter County, GA Courthouse
The Sumter County Courthouse is located in Americus, Georgia.
The Clerk's Office DOES NOT DO RESEARCH. Most staff will assist people in finding the materials, but it is up to the individual to do the research.
The following dates indicates what vital, land, probate, and court records are in Sumter county. The date listed for each record is usually the earliest registration filed. The date does not indicate that there are alot records for that year and does not mean that all such events were actually filed with the clerk.
- History of Baker County, Georgia Courthouse
- Sumter County Clerk of Superior Court has Land Records from 1831 and Court Records from 1831. The County Clerk of Superior Court has jurisdiction over cases for title to land and equity, felony cases, adoptions, divorces, child support and custody enforcement. The clerk also is tasked with recording deeds and maintaining the chain of title to all property in the county. Be aware that Lands were given to Georgia citizens by lotteries for the years 1832, 1832 (Gold), 1833.
- Sumter County Clerk of Probate Court has Marriage Records from 1831 and Probate Records from 1831.The County Clerk of Probate Court responsibilities include legal proceedings forh Wills, Estates, Guardianships of minor children, Involuntary Committals Hearings, Issuance of Marriage License, ect.. The county probate judge's office is the office where the most valuable genealogical records are created and maintained in the state of Georgia.
- Sumter County Tax Digests are records scanned from microfilm in the Georgia Archives.
- Sumter County Health Department can issue Birth, Marriage and Death certificates while you wait. Contact the Clerk of Superior Court for Divorce Records and the Probate Judge for Marriage Records.
Sumter County, Georgia Census Records
- Learn More: State of Georgia Census Records
- U.S. Federal Population Schedules: 1840, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragmented), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940
- U.S. Census Reconstructed Records: Georgia Census Substitutes 1790-1890
- State Population Schedules: 1864 Census for Re-Organizing the Georgia Militia
- U.S. Federal Census Slave Schedules: 1850 and 1860
- U.S. Federal Census Mortality Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
- Selected U.S. Federal Census Agriculture Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
- Selected U.S. Federal Census Industry Schedules: 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880
- Union Veterans Schedules: 1890
Sumter County, Georgia Vital Records
- Learn More: State of Georgia Vital Records
- Birth and Death Records: from January 1919 to present.
- Marriage Records: from June 9, 1952 to present.
- Divorce Records: None. Contact the County Clerk of Superior Court.
- Locations: Georgia Division of Public Health, Vital Records, 2600 Skyland Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30319; (404) 679-4702
- Vital Records Online: USAVital or Social Security Death Index
- Vital Records by Mail: Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Applications.
Sumter County, Georgia Resources
- Sumter Historic Trust, 318 East Church Street Americus, GA 31709; (229) 924-1163
- National Society of Andersonville, PO Box 65, Andersonville, GA 31711; Phone: (229) 924-7228
- Southwest Georgia Genealogical Society
- Sumter County, Georgia Message Boards
Sumter County, Georgia External Links
- Georgia Historical Newspapers - Newspapers.com
- Sumter County, Georgia Books - Amazon
- Sumter Co., Georgia - FindaGrave
- Georgia Indexed Historical Records - Familysearch
- Georgia Virtual Vault - historical documents, from 1733 to the present
- Sumter County, Georgia Links - Cyndi's List
- Historical Newspapers from Georgia (1752 - 1997)
- Sumter County, GA History
- Sumter Co. GAGenweb
- Sumter County Historical Chronology
- Sumter County, Georgia Ancestry Database Collections
- Historical Maps of Sumter County
- Sumter County, Georgia Military Records


text:
Update at 8:41 a.m. ET.: Job Growth Slows Sharply, But Unemployment Rate Dips
Although economists had been expecting to hear that the U.S. economy added 200,000 jobs in March, the news is outand the number is far less. Just 88,000 jobs were added to private and public payrolls, the Labor Department reports. The jobless rate still edged down to 7.6 percent — but only because nearly half a million fewer people were in the labor force.
Our original post continues:
The always anxiously anticipated monthly employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is due at 8:30 a.m. ET and NPR's Yuki Noguchi says economists expect to hear that, as in previous months, there was "slow and steady" job growth in March.
Their forecast:
-- Net growth of 200,000 jobs, down from the estimated 236,000 jobs added to private and public payrolls in February.
-- A jobless rate of 7.7 percent, which would be unchanged from February.
Think of the tortoise and the hare, Yuki told host David Greene on Morning Edition. When it comes to the economy, the labor market is the tortoise — slowly moving along. On average, about 160,000 jobs a month have been added to payrolls in the past three years.
Meanwhile, the jobless rate that hit its recent peak of 10 percent in October 2009 has gradually moved down.
The hare — a part of the economy that's growing quickly — would be housing, Yuki added.
As for what's ahead on the jobs front, she said most of the possibly negative effects of the federal government's sequester (those automatic spending cuts that are kicking in now) won't be felt for months. For much more on how the sequester is affecting federal agencies, check the conversation David had this morning with six of NPR's correspondents.
Bloomberg News, by the way, says economists it has spoken to expect to hear there were 190,000 jobs added to payrolls last month — while the jobless rate stayed at 7.7 percent. Reuters' preview is in line with what Yuki's hearing: "The economy probably added 200,000 jobs last month, with the jobless rate steady at 7.7 percent."
We'll post on the news from the report right after it's released.
One other thing to bear in mind: Those figures from February (236,000 jobs added to payrolls and a 7.7 percent unemployment rate) might be revised in Friday's report.
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Monday, October 26, 2009
The Lighthouse Keeper's Rhubarb Bread - Blue Monday
Lime Kiln Lighthouse - San Juan Island, Washington
Nieuwpoort Lighthouse - Belgium
Kilauea Lighthouse - Kauai, Hawaii
The Lighthouse Keeper's Rhubarb Bread
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I have an unapologetic love for covered bridges and lighthouses. The bridges are predictable. The lighthouses, at least the ones I've seen, are unique. Both speak to times now past and both have become redundant. Communities struggle to keep them as monuments to a proud past, but I suspect their days are numbered. Today's recipe comes from a lighthouse keeper. A lighthouse keeper was the person responsible for tending and caring for a lighthouse, its lamps and lenses. The advent of electricity sounded their death kneel and global positioning systems delivered the coup de gras. In an effort to raise funds, while recording snippets of history, lighthouse societies in various parts of the country have collected recipes that capture the meals eaten by the keepers from the 1700's through to today. This recipe comes from the children's book "The Little Traverse Light" by Elizabeth Whitney Williams. The bread is easy and delicious - really delicious. If you don't like rhubarb substitute raspberries. You won't be sorry you tried this one.
The Lighthouse Keeper's Rhubarb Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from The Little Traverse Light
1-1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups finely diced rhubarb
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup brown sugar
1) Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 2 8x4-inch loaf pans.
2) Combine brown sugar and oil in a bowl. Stir until smooth. Add egg, buttermilk, salt, baking soda, vanilla and flour. Blend until moist.
3) Fold in diced rhubarb. Turn batter into prepared loaf pans.
4) For topping, combine walnuts, cinnamon and brown sugar. Sprinkle over batter.
5) Bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Turn out onto racks and cool before slicing. Yield: 2 loaves.
This post is being linked to:
Smiling Sally - Blue Monday
54 comments :
- Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...
I am also an admirer of lighthouses, Mary, and I enjoyed looking at the beautiful ones in this post!
The bread sounds amazing - Thanks! - October 26, 2009 at 2:21 AM
- The Quintessential Magpie said...
Oh, Mary... love that lighthouse! What a special place. We used to have a door on our downstairs bath in St. Augustine that came from the light tender's boat in St. Augustine. It was his hatch door. The light keeper was responsible for keeping the oil filled in the harbor lights during the 1800's. The door was quite old when it came our way through a local antiques dealer, and we enjoyed it in our St. Augustine house for many years. I took it out when we decided to list the house because I didn't want someone throwing it out should they decide it was too primitive to use. Instead, I had one copied by our carpenter for that same bath. So, as you can see, I love lighthouses and all things involving nautical travel, too.
And would you believe that I've never before eaten rhubarb??? I know that sounds provincial of me that I've never tried it, but it is not something that is regularly eaten in the South. Not quite sure why, but this bread sounds OH, so tempting! Thanks for sharing the recipe and the lovely pictures...
Sheila :-) - October 26, 2009 at 2:21 AM
- Diann @ The thrifty Groove said...
Hi Mary!
I have never heard of Rhubarb bread. I bet it is wonderful!
Have a great day! - October 26, 2009 at 3:11 AM
- Anne Fannie said...
What lovely photos of the lighthouses against those pretty blue skies!
Sounds like a yummy recipe for Rhubarb Bread. I have never tried it, in fact, I have never tasted Rhubarb!
Happy Blue Monday..
~Ann - October 26, 2009 at 3:44 AM
- Pauline said...
Gorgeous! Your bread looks like it has sweet potato or pumpkin in it with the lovely autumn color, but the ingredients don't have it at all! Wow! How did you get such a deceptively delicious color? I've never tried rhubarb before (probably never will seeing as I never buy it) but looks good.
- October 26, 2009 at 4:10 AM
- Hootin Anni said...
Mary...I do so love the lighthouse photos you've shared. Gorgeous, simply gorgeous.
Have a great week ahead. - October 26, 2009 at 5:36 AM
- SmilingSally said...
It would be a lonely life, wouldn't it? Perhaps that's why time was spent developing delicious recipes.
Thanks for this one, and Happy Blue Monday! - October 26, 2009 at 5:36 AM
- Becky K. said...
Beautiful lighthouses against blue skies!
I love rhubarb! This bread recipe will have to get put away for early summer when rhubarb is plentiful here.
Becky K. - October 26, 2009 at 7:37 AM
Your light house pictures are wonderful to look at -and your rhubard bread just sounds so delicious.
vickie - October 26, 2009 at 7:37 AM
- Martha said...
I love rhubarb but alas, we won't be having any more until spring! It's a cool weather crop and you can't even find it in the stores! I've made cakes and breads with it and it is yummy! Next spring, I'll have to try this one!
- October 26, 2009 at 7:44 AM
- Chubskulit Rose said...
The Rhubarb bread looks enticing... Love th light house's photos too!
Here's my first Blue Monday entry. - October 26, 2009 at 7:55 AM
- EJ said...
I'm not a big fan of Rhubarb but I do love the lighthouses. Nice post!
Please join me in chasing fun with my son for Blue Monday! - October 26, 2009 at 8:19 AM
- Inspired by eRecipeCards said...
that's a fun book and great idea for a fund raiser. I grew up near 3 covered bridges, and remember the day they had to declare one unsafe. After 3 years of fund raising efforts, it was finally demolished (in the public interest).
Progress - October 26, 2009 at 8:43 AM
- Cathy said...
Wonderful lighthouse photos, Mary. They are special, aren't they? So is this bread. I'm a huge rhubarb fan so I know I will like this recipe.
- October 26, 2009 at 8:55 AM
- Alyssa said...
Mary, I've recently (re)discovered that I really enjoy the flavor of rhubarb. So thank you for another wonderful way to use the plant!
- October 26, 2009 at 9:25 AM
- Regina said...
Hello Mary. Great captures. Love the lighthouses.
Thank you for sharing. - October 26, 2009 at 9:47 AM
I too love bridges and lighthouses. Your posts are always so interesting. I love to come here. Thank you so much for another great recipe.
p.s. I tried the Barnbrake bread but I killed the yeast and it didn't rize. I'm going to try it again soon though :>) - October 26, 2009 at 9:52 AM
- bj said...
I LOVE covered bridges and lighthouses, too, Mary. Out here on the plains of West Texas, we have neither. Maybe that is why I like them so much. BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY is one of my favorite movies, which really doesn't have one thing to do with all this!! haaahhhaaa...
ANYway, I think this bread sounds delicious. I will make it with the berries instead of rhubarb.
Have a blessed day,
bj - October 26, 2009 at 10:14 AM
- GwendolynKay said...
We have a great lighthouse here where we live. Last year my hubby and I went to Vermont, there were so many great covered bridges.
Gwen - October 26, 2009 at 10:59 AM
- Fifi Flowers said...
LOVE the lighthouses!!!
That bread looks yummy! - October 26, 2009 at 11:01 AM
- My Little Space said...
I love this recipe.The bread looks wonderful! It's a keeper to me. Thanks, Mary!
- October 26, 2009 at 11:16 AM
- Maria said...
I fell in love with rhubarb this year. Thanks for a great recipe!
- October 26, 2009 at 11:25 AM
- LV said...
Just dropped by to see what I was having for lunch today. As always, noting but good eating. However, I really enjoyed the lighthouses. I have always liked them.
- October 26, 2009 at 11:53 AM
- Foodiewife said...
We were at the Kilauea Lighthouse just last year! It's spectacular to see the view and it brought back nostalgic memories for me.
I love the simplicity of this cake. Buttermilk and oil, I would imagine, would make this moist. I happen to like rhubarb and I could imagine enjoying this, warm, on a Sunday morning with a cup of Kauai Coffee that I have shipped to me monthly! - October 26, 2009 at 11:54 AM
- Marice said...
cool lighthouse! and the blue sky makes it looks great!
u may view mine if u have time - October 26, 2009 at 12:00 PM
- Debbie said...
Thank you for posting this. I love reading about lighthouses. I find them so interesting. What a neat recipe. I will try this sometime with raspberries. Sounds wonderful!
- October 26, 2009 at 12:45 PM
- aino said...
Looks wonderful. Great shot and a cake - delicious.
- October 26, 2009 at 1:04 PM
- Jamie said...
Lighthouses are so romantic and we love visiting them! Your pictures are beautiful! An I do love rhubarb and the bread looks so delicious!
- October 26, 2009 at 1:29 PM
- Flower said...
Living in the Northwest allows us to see the covered bridges and lighthouses. We do stop and look at them with thoughts of earlier days. We have our favorites!
I've got the recipe copied and headed for the kitchen! Do you think I could substitute the rhubarb for cranberries? - October 26, 2009 at 1:35 PM
- Karen said...
This recipe looks delicous, but not being in season right now, have you tried frozen rhubarb?
- October 26, 2009 at 1:42 PM
- Mary Bergfeld said...
Karen, I have used frozen rhubarb. Make sure it is dry before putting it in the cake batter. Rhubarb is available year round here in Oregon so I don't usually use it in this bread, but it can be done. You can also use raspberries.
- October 26, 2009 at 2:17 PM
- The Chef In My Head said...
I have never tried Rhubarb before, this looks great! Thank you for sharing your recipe. The lighthouses are beautiful and I really enjoyed your pictures. Your site is always such a pleasure to visit!
- October 26, 2009 at 2:25 PM
- The Blonde Duck said...
How pretty! We went to Maine when I was in jr. high and I've had a love for lighthouses ever since.
- October 26, 2009 at 3:32 PM
- Alicia said...
I love lighthouses! If I had a den or home office I think I would do a lighthouse theme. Thanks for sharing the recipe it looks very good.
- October 26, 2009 at 3:49 PM
- Lyndas recipe box said...
Love the lighthouse photos, Mary.I've always thought they were beautiful, so I find it sad that they are are no longer needed.
Rhubarb bread sounds delicious; I've not had it, but I'm sure the rhubarb really adds a lot of flavor! Thanks! - October 26, 2009 at 4:10 PM
- aspiritofsimplicity said...
I love lighthouses as well. I grew up on the ocean. And, I also like rhubarb.
- October 26, 2009 at 4:43 PM
- The Desperate Cook said...
What beautiful lighthouses.
The rhubarb bread sounds really good. I like rhubarb but don't have a lot of recipes for it. - October 26, 2009 at 5:09 PM
Hi Mary! Oh, these lighthouses are just so lovely! Beautiful photos and that bread looks delish!
Be a sweetie,
shelia ;) - October 26, 2009 at 5:18 PM
- Megan said...
I only had one recipe using rhubarb that I loved and I lost it. I'm bookmarking this one!
- October 26, 2009 at 7:09 PM
- Katy ~ said...
I love lighthouses. They are so solitary and sturdy and dependable, always on the job.
And your bread looks delectable. Never had rhubarb in bread but I can taste this! YUM! - October 26, 2009 at 7:24 PM
- Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...
Oh I so love lighthouses too! Door County, Wi has some fabulous ones! Wonderful recipe Mary, it just amazes me the recipes you find! Cindy
- October 26, 2009 at 7:48 PM
- NKP said...
What a lovely loaf, I love rhubarb!
- October 26, 2009 at 8:06 PM
- Stephanie Suzanne Designs said...
I love lighthouses..there history is fascinating. You have some marvelous recipes..too bad I don't cook much anymore. I should ask though....do you have any low fat, low cholesterol snack recipes..I'd cook for that! :0)
Oh, and you are right..you would not believe how much Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge and Sevierville have grown. I live about 5 miles from Gatlinburg out on a mountain ridge...I love it here due to being able to have the wilderness around but at the same time only 15 minutes from just about anything. :0) The best of both worlds.
Thanks so much for stopping by my place.
Stephanie - October 26, 2009 at 8:17 PM
- Unknown said...
Woow that lighthouse is so amazing, never seen a light house before only in the movie yours mine and ours.
Nice shot mary, and thanks for sharing such delicious recipe. - October 26, 2009 at 8:28 PM
- Lori said...
Hmm rhubarb. I should have put up some rhubarb. This looks very tastey Mary.
- October 26, 2009 at 8:58 PM
- ellen b said...
What a wonderful post Mary! Love the lighthouses and how fabulous that bread looks. Have a great week...
- October 26, 2009 at 9:06 PM
- The Cooking Photographer said...
I have about 15 pounds of rhubarb in the fridge. I'm glad you posted this one.
I love covered bridges too. - October 26, 2009 at 9:12 PM
- xinex said...
This looks good, Mary. I will probably use raspberries cause I don't know where to get rhubarbs. I made your celery soup last night and it was really good. Thanks again for sharing our recipes!...Christine
- October 26, 2009 at 10:28 PM
- Taste Buddies said...
Gorgeous -- the lighthouses and the bread. Thanks for such a lovely recipe. I would have never thought of using rhubarb. It's a great idea.
- October 27, 2009 at 12:17 AM
- Deborah said...
Those lighthouses are lovely. I have never eaten a rhubarb either. Not sure I even know what one looks like. Your bread looks delicious though (as do all your recipes)!
- October 27, 2009 at 1:33 AM
- Diers Eve said...
What a lovely Blue Monday post!
Have a great day,
Val - October 27, 2009 at 10:37 AM
- meandering pearl said...
oh how beautiful!!! the lighthouses are from a storyland & the rhubard bread looks delectable!!! kindest wishes
- October 27, 2009 at 12:52 PM
- Deb in Hawaii said...
Such a pretty bread--it looks so moist and delicious!
- October 28, 2009 at 4:08 AM
- Mollye said...
Hi Mary, I'm so glad you posted a good rhubarb recipe. The only thing in the entire lives of my children that they said absolutely made them sick to their stomachs was a rhubard pie I made in 1977. Well I of course was not married to Mike then so maybe if I make this I could entice him to eat it since he has no history with my rhubard creations. Mollye
- October 28, 2009 at 10:58 PM


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text:
You all are really great! Not only do you all actively take part and enjoy these teasers of mine, but most of you guess, more or less correctly. More or less. Yes, the Salsa was correct. The tricky one however was the other one, right? Yes, it was Guacamole, well sort of. But what was in it. Some guessed potatoes. No, it was not!
I could really picture some of you sitting with your noses stuck to the monitors trying it figure it out. Hey, why should you have it any easier than I do, when I have to guess in your games? LOL!
OK ... so I am killing the suspense now and here it is - A spicy and tangy tomato salsa and a fruity avocado pineapple salsa! Never would have guessed the pineapple right? He! He! He! Well I am glad I can still surprise you ... I hope pleasantly!
Both these salsa types are served with deliciously cheesy quesadillas.
When you make these, I just want to warn you ahead of time, please make a larger batch. Of everything. Because it will be wiped off the table in seconds and you will have faces all around the table with one questioning look on their face "More?"
Did you know that the word Quesadilla originates form the Spanish words for Queso, meaning cheese + Tortilla = Quesadilla?
Avocados are commonly also known as the Alligator Pear, due to its shape and leather appearance of the skin. These great fruits are a great source of potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure. The U.S. Food and Drug Association states: "Diets containing foods that are good sources of potassium and low in sodium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke." A cup of avocado also has 23% of the Daily Value for folate, a nutrient that is important for heart health. By adding a few slices of avocado in your tossed salad, or mixing some chopped avocado into your favorite salsa will not only add a rich, creamy flavor, but will greatly increase your body's ability to absorb the health-promoting carotenoids that vegetables provide.
Select and Store:
A rip and ready to eat avocado is normally soft, however it should not have any cracks or dark sunken spots. Should the avocado have a slight neck, this is an indication that it was tree ripened and will taste better. A firmer, less mature fruit can be ripened at home and will be less likely to have bruises.
You can ripen a firm avocado in a paper bag or in a fruit basket at room temperature. It will take a few days and you will notice the skin turning darker as it ripens. Avocados should not be refrigerated until they are really ripe. Once they are, you can then store them for up to a week (if not cut).
Music while cooking:
There can be only one!
Shakira, Shakira - Hips don't lie
Album - Oral Fixation Vol. 2
4 Soft Flour tortillas
200g - 250g Gruyere - grated. Those of you in the US, in particular California, I would recommend using the Monterey Jack type. This is a nice variant to the Cheddar, which you can also use for the quesadillas.
Oil - preferably a neutral type
Tomato Chili Salsa
1 Tomato - De-seeded and cut in cubes
2 Spring onions - cut in rings
1 Garlic clove - finely chopped
150g Tomato chili sauce. I used my fave type from a bottle.
Salt & Pepper
Avocado Pineapple Salsa
1/2 Pineapple - cut in small cubes
1 Red onion - finely chopped
1 red Chili (optional) - very finely chopped
1 small ripe Avocado - cut in small cubes
1/2 bunch of Coriander - finely chopped (More on the benefits of Coriander)
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt & Pepper
I recommend preparing the two types of salsa ahead of time and then cooling them. This allows the aroma to unfold and will have a lot more pizzaz to its flavor.
Tomato Chili Salsa
Put all the ingredients for the tomato salsa in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Keep cool
Avocado Pineapple Salsa
Pour the lime juice over the avocado cubes. In a bowl, mix the avocados, pineapple, onion, and coriander gently with a wooden spoon. Salt and pepper to taste. If you are using the chili then you can add this too. Keep cool
In a pan heat up the oil. Place one flour tortilla at the bottom. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top, making sure that you keep the edges free - approx. 1 cm. Place the second tortilla on top. Gently brown the tortilla on both sides - approx 2 minutes each side and until the cheese has melted.
This feeds 2 hungry kiddie mouths and two adult mouths.
Perfect for when you have a house full of kids (of all ages). The fruity avocado pineapple salsa will blow them away. I did not use the chili in this. Soeren and his buddy tucked into this with such enthusiasm. They commented "The pureed frog sauce tastes great!" No, I am not putting you off here. It tasting nothing like pureed frog. More, like pure sunshine and holiday. The flavors of the avocado and pineapple combined into such harmony that it reminds you of those lovely tastes you constantly have on a beach holiday. Fruity and creamy!
The spicy tomato salsa was a contrast. Firey and hot! Our tastebuds were exploding with the different flavors. Together with the silken cheese quesadillas Tom and I kept going "Fruity?" or "spicy?" - "Fruity!" no "Spicy!". We were having such a hard determining which was our fave. In the end we settled for both.
This ones for Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging
Search Tags:
cheese, mexican, avocado, tomato, salsa, food, recipe, quesadilla, coriander, herb, pineapple, Weekend Herb Blogging


text:
The art of negotiation comes into play daily in the life of employees at all levels and in every position. Participants explore how current approaches to negotiation strategy and tactics are used, what negotiation entails, types of negotiation relationships that exist from hard bargain to win-win, to fully partnered relationships and personal ones. The course explores the personal and behavioral characteristics of an effective negotiator. Participants discuss how empowerment, power, and authority affect the negotiation process and outcome. Topics include how important it is to plan and prepare for a negotiation session.
Upon completing this course, you will be able to:
1. Learn about the nature of negotiation and how it differs from selling
2. Gain awareness of the basic doctrines of negotiation and barriers to effective negotiation
3. Explain the role of authority and how to address it in negotiations
4. Explain the role of power in negotiations and how to address power inequities
5. Explain the positive and negative influences of empowerment
6. Learn the different "stances" or negotiation styles negotiators might adopt
7. Demonstrate the factors that influence which negotiation style is implemented
8. Describe the personal and behavioral characteristics of an effective negotiator
9. Demonstrate your grasp of emotional intelligence and how it impacts the effectiveness of a negotiator
10. Assess your own values and personal style and how they affect the negotiation process
11. Learn about the critical importance of planning and preparation in the negotiation process


text:
Senior Carlos Jiménez Cahua can be found most evenings at the digital photography lab at 185 Nassau St., scanning his pictures into the computer, editing them in Photoshop and printing them out as 8-by-10 images. Jiménez Cahua's passion for photography has taken him to Lima, Perú, on a Princeton fellowship to photograph landscapes and cityscapes, and to Florence, Italy, where he spent a semester studying at the Studio Art Centers International. He has done all of this while majoring in chemistry.
Jiménez Cahua offers just one example of the different ways that Princeton students weave the arts into their lives. In the classroom, students can major in music or pursue certificates in theater and dance, visual arts or creative writing. Many others are involved in numerous extracurricular arts activities across campus -- finding they can focus their studies in different fields and still have ample time to flourish in their artistic endeavors.
Music classes and rehearsals dominate the daily schedule of senior Julia Brav, a jazz pianist who has been lauded for her inventiveness and sophistication as a musician. Last month Brav performed in Toronto at one of the world's largest jazz gatherings, the annual conference of the International Association for Jazz Education, after winning a place in the association's Sisters in Jazz Collegiate All-Star Quintet. But attending Princeton means she also focuses on subjects outside of music. When a fellow musician told her about his travels in Japan during his junior year abroad, Brav was so intrigued that she decided to sign up for a course about Japanese society and culture, which turned out to be one of her favorite classes at Princeton.
"Julia is a brilliant musician who is already in possession of a unique voice and musical spirit as both a pianist and composer," said Anthony D.J. Branker, a 1980 Princeton graduate who directs the University's jazz program and is a senior lecturer in music. "But she also has a wide variety of academic and artistic interests, and pursuing an education at Princeton has allowed her to take advantage of the open-endedness that a strong liberal arts education has to offer."
Junior Kelvin Dinkins spends as much time working on marketing plans and tour schedules as rehearsing solos as the president of the Triangle Club, the University's oldest theater group. Dinkins had no musical theater experience before arriving at Princeton, but when he saw his first Triangle show during his freshman year, he knew he wanted to be part of it. He's planning to compose the book for a musical play as his senior thesis in the English department.
In her January 2006 report announcing the University's expansion of its creative and performing arts programs, which led to the creation of the Lewis Center for the Arts, President Shirley M. Tilghman noted that many students interested in attending Princeton have deep commitments to the arts.
"For the most part these students do not aspire to become professional artists, but they seek a university where they can integrate their academic pursuits with their artistic passions. They become not only music majors and art historians but physicists and philosophers; not only English and comparative literature majors but economists and engineers," Tilghman wrote. "Their talent and imagination are visible in every corner of the University, adding a distinctive dimension to intellectual inquiry and enriching campus life with a breathtaking array of exhibits, performances and creative endeavors."
The following profiles show how Jiménez Cahua, Brav and Dinkins have incorporated the arts into their Princeton experiences.
Scientific rigor and artistic expression
One of Jiménez Cahua's favorite days at 185 Nassau St. is when they hold "open studios." Every student artist pins recent work up on the walls of the fourth-floor studio, and faculty members from every discipline come by and offer comments.
"I get to hear what drawing and film professors think about my photographs," said Jiménez Cahua, whose work explores man's relationship with his landscape. "They always have a different twist on how they interpret my work, and sometimes they see things I hadn't even intended to put in."
Jiménez Cahua hadn't intended to pursue art when he came to Princeton, but a class in black-and-white photography taught by lecturer Accra Shepp that he signed up for "on a whim" during his sophomore year struck a chord with him.
"I pretty much haven't stopped making photos since," said Jiménez Cahua, who is earning a certificate in the Program in Visual Arts.
At the same time, Jiménez Cahua, who was born in Lima and raised in New Jersey and South Carolina, has kept up with the requirements for a chemistry major. In order to be able to go to Florence to study photography during his junior year, Jiménez Cahua had to complete his junior independent work for chemistry during his sophomore year. For his senior thesis in photography -- required for those earning a certificate -- Jiménez Cahua traveled to Lima on a Lucas Summer Fellowship, awarded annually by the University to two juniors for thesis work, to photograph the urban landscape.
His photographs of construction sites have a "formal beauty and minimalism," said Jocelyn Lee, a lecturer in visual arts and in the Lewis Center. "What's interesting about his photographs is that they document normally unrecognized spaces -- essentially overlooked spaces -- and they also make reference to minimalist painting and sculpture."
Princeton has made it relatively easy to pursue both his interests, Jiménez Cahua said.
"You don't have to declare your major until your sophomore year, so there is more freedom in taking courses," he said. "Because of that freedom, I was able to sample courses in the arts."
And studying two disparate fields affords Jiménez Cahua the chance to explore two different ways of thinking, he said.
"Science is so rigorous. There is a right answer always," he said. "But in art there are no right or wrong answers."
His research in organic chemistry, in which he is attempting to synthesize a new organic superconductor that could one day be used on a circuit board, offers him an opportunity to explore new ground with laboratory research and to work as part of a team. Photography enables him to work independently and follow his eye.
"Doing both is a boon," he said.
Different perspectives on music and education
Last year, Brav was recognized by leading jazz publication Down Beat magazine with a citation for outstanding performance in the best college jazz soloist category. She shared the award with several students who attend noted music conservatories such as the Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies and the Manhattan School of Music. Brav is glad that she didn't choose that route.
"I placed a premium on getting a well-rounded education as well as a good musical education," said Brav, who is majoring in music and earning a certificate in musical performance. "I've taken so many interesting classes with professors here who are leaders in their fields, and I wouldn't have been able to do that if I'd gone to a conservatory."
And being at a liberal arts university means that Brav befriends fellow students who are not entrenched in the world of music.
"I've met a lot of people who appreciate music but don't necessarily play jazz, and that's really interesting," she said. "I get different perspectives on what I'm doing."
Brav started playing piano at the age of 6, when she got a keyboard as a birthday present from her grandfather. She began classical piano lessons soon after, and started playing jazz in her freshman year at Princeton High School. Branker heard Brav play and invited her to audition for one of the University's jazz ensembles, which she joined in her junior year of high school.
As a student in Princeton's jazz program, Brav has traveled to Estonia to perform in a series of concerts sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, served as a featured soloist in several University jazz groups and performed her composition "Il Mago" on a CD released by Princeton's Jazz Composers Collective. She also composed a suite for her junior independent work consisting of three works, each inspired by a female composer who has made important contributions to modern jazz.
"As a composer, Julia creates works that display remarkable lyrical melodic flow, infectious rhythmic relationships and a strong grasp of a variety of harmonic practices," Branker said. "When Julia brings a new composition to one of our ensembles, I know that it will pose intriguing conceptual challenges for our musicians and take the listener on a wonderful musical journey."
Inner workings of the theater world
Dinkins understands that most of the people who work in theater are not up on the stage under the spotlights -- they are in the wings and the lighting booth, making the show happen. While he loves acting and singing, Dinkins has taken courses in directing, producing and playwriting that have immersed him in the not-so-glamorous parts of the theater business.
"For our directing class, I had to find a cast, secure a location, design lights, coordinate schedules, get costumes and find tech people, all without a budget," said Dinkins, who is earning a certificate in the Program in Theater and Dance. "I'm learning how to orchestrate a production on my own, and what the pressures are in theater."
Dinkins loves the hands-on aspect of the theater classes he has taken. For a course on the works of Edward Albee, Dinkins and the rest of the class met with the legendary playwright and attended rehearsals with professional actors for a new Albee play that opened last month at the Berlind Theatre.
And the relatively small size of Princeton's theater program means there are more opportunities.
"You can propose to direct a show after your freshman year," he said, noting that younger students might not have the chance to helm their own productions at an arts school.
While gaining experience in many aspects of theater production, Dinkins also has taken several literature courses and currently is writing a junior paper on emasculation in Greek political dramas.
Dinkins, who was born in Queens, N.Y., and now resides in Atlanta, also is interested in business, and serving as president of the Triangle Club has provided him with plenty of business experience. He has overseen direct-mail campaigns, attended quarterly meetings with the club's trustee board and helped appoint a business manager. He also has studied economics and taken a course called "The Culture of Consumption," which analyzed branding and marketing.
"He has a broad range of interests in subjects theatrical and a lot of talents, and he's getting a chance to explore all of them," said Michael Cadden, the director of the Program in Theater and Dance. "One of the things a liberal arts education in this subject gets you is a chance to learn about the field as a whole, as opposed to concentrating on one narrow pathway."
While performing a solo in last fall's Triangle show was a highlight of his Princeton career, Dinkins has found that he also relishes handling the less spectacular elements of theater administration for the group.
"All of it is about fulfilling an artistic vision," he said.


text:
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text:
Let's terrorize some children!
"Ohh nooo!"
Oh, YES, 'fraidy cat half-chicken! For far too long now, Easter has been the holiday of the cute and cuddly. Well, NO MORE.
"It's PAYBACK time, beechez."
"Right, Bugsy?"
Or shall I introduce you to the Ghost of Easters Past?
Now, brave Wreckies, if ye do doubt your courage - or your strength! - come nae further!
For DEATH awaits you all...
Thanks to Shannon C., Heather, Summer B., Jekka G., Candice C., Danna F., Rachel P., & Jennifer D., who tell me that goes great with mint jelly filling.
Now: run awaaaay!!


text:
Alabama Gulf Coast, National Wildlife Refuge
Take a break from the bustling beach and enjoy 3 hours of peaceful and tranquil paddling in the secluded inlets of the Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge (BSNWR). Just minutes from bustling Gulf Shores, the BSNWR Kayak Tour immerses you in a coastal wilderness! We will visit a portion of the park that no driving tourist can reach as it is accessible only by kayak (or helicopter not included :->). Join us in exploring this extraordinary haven for migratory birds, nesting Loggerhead and Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtles, and the endangered Alabama Beach Mouse. Additionally, the waterways we'll be paddling to reach the refuge are prime dolphin habitat so make sure to keep your eyes peeled for dorsal fins! Named as one of the 10 natural wonders of Alabama, the refuge serves the additional benefit of comprising one of the largest undeveloped parcels of land on the Alabama coast its dunes are a reminder of the Gulf Coast, as it once existed.
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Find Gulf Shores Vacation Rentals
Via: 08/20/2018 - Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge Kayak Tour


text:
From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are times when my sense of the absurd overcomes common sense. Before I go any further, you need a little background. I've been working with a cookbook that was written for folks who know their way around the kitchen. There are no detailed instructions to take you from the larder to the table in 10 easy steps. There's a list of ingredients and a few charming, but terse instructions that can be summarized as "mix and bake." I've long waged a personal war with recipes that call for a chopped onion or 2 cloves of garlic. My brain is wired to handle balanced equations and specific instructions. What size onion are you talking about? If onions upset me, you can imagine how well I handle an instruction directing me to shape a meatloaf like a football. You'll be even more surprised to learn I tried. Fortunately, I realized it was impossible to fry anything shaped like an American football before reaching DEFCON 1. Undeterred, but taking terrible hazing from Bob, I decided they must have meant a soccer ball. I tried that, too, but my creation collapsed under it's own weight and became a discus. I fell back on my old standby, the salami-shaped cylinder, and fortunately that worked, allowing me to roll the loaf as it browned. I choose this recipe because it's geared to a smaller table and I was intrigued by the fact that it was cooked on top of the stove. It also made a ton of sauce that would be perfect for pasta. Despite the false starts, silliness and instructions lost in translation this is a lovely meatloaf that is perfect for smaller families. Here is the recipe for polpettone - Tuscan meatloaf.
Polpetonne - Tuscan Stovetop Meatloaf...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Judy Witts Francini
1 pound lean ground beef
2 ounces prosciutto, finely chopped
1 large egg, beaten
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
2 slices crustless bread, soaked in milk, then squeezed to remove liquid
Flour for dredging
1/2 onion, peeled and finely diced
1 carrot, peeled and finely dice
1 stalk celery, scrubbed and finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Olive oil
Salt, pepper and nutmeg
1 (28-oz.) can plum tomatoes packed in juice
1) Mix beef with prosciutto, egg, cheese and bread, Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. I used a teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and a big pinch of nutmeg.Shape meatloaf like a football, roll in flour or breadcrumbs.
2) Saute onion, carrot and celery in olive oil. I used 2 tablespoons. After 10 minutes, add polpettone, turning to brown on all sides. Add tomatoes and up to a cup of their juice. Cover and let cook slowly, turning frequently to avoid sticking. I cooked mine for 30 minutes. Very carefully remove from pan to a cutting board. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Slice and serve with lemon wedges. Yield: 4 servings.
Cook's Note: The parsley specified in the ingredient list was never mentioned in the instructions. I added it to the tomato sauce. Next time I'll include it in the meat mixture.
Here are some other great meatloaf recipes from other blogs:
Moroccan Meatloaf from Simply Recipes
Kalyn's Best Meatloaf from Kalyn's Kitchen
Turkey Meatloaf with Fig Gravy from The Perfect Pantry


text:
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