Gillian Polack's Blog, page 287
November 3, 2010
gillpolack @ 2010-11-03T14:18:00
This morning, one of my students brought in the poems currently displayed on our local busses.* Another responded with "Hey, I went to college with that bloke." So it was poetry on our busses by people we know. I instantly dumped my class plan, and we had a great deal of fun talking about the poetry.
I didn't dump word of the day (WOD). We talked about 'bloke' (which has a particularly cool history) and 'parlour.' From here on in, none of us will mention "Australia's first bloke" without thinking about where the word came from.
I tried to dump story of the day (SOD tried to sod off?) but my students insisted on one. I told them about Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus and the brazen head. In passing I may have mentioned the Quaestiones and that Thomas thought a great deal of himself. It's just possible.
The class went on to write stories about the brazen head. Things grew quite funky at this point. My favourite sentence was "I was standing next to Albertus Magnus when he gave Thomas the brazen head." It's the start of so many possible tales, all of them fascinating. Another student didn't want the head to give truths of the universe - he made it up rather nicely, instead, with some mascara, rouge and a good lippy.
Midday came all too soon.
*I teach the class how to use apostrophes and my students bring in public poetry. There's a lesson in that, somewhere.
I didn't dump word of the day (WOD). We talked about 'bloke' (which has a particularly cool history) and 'parlour.' From here on in, none of us will mention "Australia's first bloke" without thinking about where the word came from.
I tried to dump story of the day (SOD tried to sod off?) but my students insisted on one. I told them about Thomas Aquinas and Albertus Magnus and the brazen head. In passing I may have mentioned the Quaestiones and that Thomas thought a great deal of himself. It's just possible.
The class went on to write stories about the brazen head. Things grew quite funky at this point. My favourite sentence was "I was standing next to Albertus Magnus when he gave Thomas the brazen head." It's the start of so many possible tales, all of them fascinating. Another student didn't want the head to give truths of the universe - he made it up rather nicely, instead, with some mascara, rouge and a good lippy.
Midday came all too soon.
*I teach the class how to use apostrophes and my students bring in public poetry. There's a lesson in that, somewhere.
November 2, 2010
gillpolack @ 2010-11-02T21:47:00
I'm in countdown til Sydney. I've got meetings and time with friends and the Freecon and meetings and more time with friends. It's going to be great. All going well, I shall have my new glasses and I shall look at my friends and say "I had no idea you looked like that." Imagine, being able to see again .
gillpolack @ 2010-11-02T12:45:00
I was feeling slightly bemused at my lack of Melbourne Cup celebration today, then I checked into Facebook. I'm not the only Canberran spending much of the day in bed!
I'm up now, and will get all my work done and all my teaching - it's only the recreational aspects of the day that have suffered. Also, whatever caused me to be so tired I couldn't move this morning is mostly gone. Probably the lingering remnants of the virus I had last week and the week before. Also, I dreamed of Gawain being given two bad prophecies prior to a quest, which had me racking my brains (in my sleep) for a literary source before I took in the cafeteria environment and sagely said "Ah, a modernisation." Which was fun. Life could be a lot worse. It could also have had a Melbourne Cup sweep and a glass of champagne.
For the rest of the day I shall firmly be in the Middle Ages. From now until 4.30 pm I shall be in 1305 in Languedoc and after that I shall mainly be in England and Rouen and Paris in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. My first task is to find a list of the minor orders accurate for 1305. Any search parties need to be appropriately attired. I shall emerge from the Middle Ages at 10 pm precisely.
I'm up now, and will get all my work done and all my teaching - it's only the recreational aspects of the day that have suffered. Also, whatever caused me to be so tired I couldn't move this morning is mostly gone. Probably the lingering remnants of the virus I had last week and the week before. Also, I dreamed of Gawain being given two bad prophecies prior to a quest, which had me racking my brains (in my sleep) for a literary source before I took in the cafeteria environment and sagely said "Ah, a modernisation." Which was fun. Life could be a lot worse. It could also have had a Melbourne Cup sweep and a glass of champagne.
For the rest of the day I shall firmly be in the Middle Ages. From now until 4.30 pm I shall be in 1305 in Languedoc and after that I shall mainly be in England and Rouen and Paris in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. My first task is to find a list of the minor orders accurate for 1305. Any search parties need to be appropriately attired. I shall emerge from the Middle Ages at 10 pm precisely.
October 31, 2010
gillpolack @ 2010-11-01T09:19:00
I think I might give the person who spots the most number of errors in this description some sort of prize: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ If you come across the page after today, you want the picture titled "Halloween and the Ghost Head Nebula."
gillpolack @ 2010-10-31T16:27:00
My brain is still boring. I wrote the first 250 words of the article anyway. Weep for me. Or, better, weep for anyone who reads those first 250 words. Or better, don't weep, for I shall edit them into submission when the next weather change has gone through.
I haven't done anything I had planned to do today, apart from those 250 words, but I've done a bunch of bibliographical stuff. I'm more advanced than I thought I was in my research. Only in the research for the novel, though. I'm exactly where I thought I was in terms of the dissertation. This is a bit of a surprise.
I haven't done anything I had planned to do today, apart from those 250 words, but I've done a bunch of bibliographical stuff. I'm more advanced than I thought I was in my research. Only in the research for the novel, though. I'm exactly where I thought I was in terms of the dissertation. This is a bit of a surprise.
October 30, 2010
gillpolack @ 2010-10-31T09:47:00
Since dawn I have slept in a desultory manner while the first half of a women's history article wrote itself in my mind. I decided the best approach would be to get out of bed and write the thing. I got out of bed and sat down at the computer and realised that my dream-mind had given me a boring article.
At least I know what not to write...
I'm going to spend the rest of the morning watching cartoons and sequencing material for fiction. No writing for me until my brain has decided it's allowed to be interesting again.
At least I know what not to write...
I'm going to spend the rest of the morning watching cartoons and sequencing material for fiction. No writing for me until my brain has decided it's allowed to be interesting again.
gillpolack @ 2010-10-30T21:22:00
Three different friends have already bought chocolate coins, ready for Chanukah. I can take a hint. Or even three. It's not until December, but a party will happen at my place. All those chocolate coins will not have been bought in vain. The usual mob is invited, of course, but if there's anyone who wants an actual invitation (whether you're part of the usual mob or not) please ask. I just need to sit down with my calendar and commune with it until I work out a date.
gillpolack @ 2010-10-30T11:25:00
I moved away from Chistmas in 1869 and towards my next bit of work. A piece of paper confronted me. It reminded me* of French monetary systems in the Middle Ages. The potential for puns is vast and enormous and really rather tempting. The note says "No Francs until 1380."
*That's what it was there for - so I wouldn't forget.
*That's what it was there for - so I wouldn't forget.
October 29, 2010
gillpolack @ 2010-10-30T10:45:00
My annoying question of yesterday concerns Christmas customs in Tasmania. It niggles at me because I think a writer's wrong and I'm not quite confident enough to boldly say so. Also, I've discovered a knowledge hole and knowledge holes need to be filled.
I'm reading a book that has poinsettia and kiwifruit as part of an 1869 Tassie Christmas. The first time I saw poinsettia used celebrationally in December was when I lived in Toronto*, when everyone called it Christmas Bush. And I thought kiwi fruit (under the name 'chinese gooseberry') was introduced into Australia in the twentieth century and that the fruits of late December were berries and stone fruit and apples and oranges. I only know about Christmas as an outsider and guest, though, and I've never actually been to Tasmania. Maybe they were early adopters? Maybe there were both Christmas Bushes and kiwi fruits?
If anyone knows anything about either (and about other Tasmanian 19th century Christmas customs - I feel woefuly ignorant!) I would love to learn. My default assumption was that Christmas in Tassie was like my aunt's place in Melbourne, with a roast dinner and pudding and cake and tree and presents. When I stop to think, I don't even know about the tree for Melbourne for 1869, much less for Hobart or Devonport. My favourite 19th century Christmas cake and pudding recipes are, after all, Jewish (Anglo-Australian Jewish families made these things).
Can anyone help?
*Toronto, Canada, not Toronto, NSW, just to be clear.
I'm reading a book that has poinsettia and kiwifruit as part of an 1869 Tassie Christmas. The first time I saw poinsettia used celebrationally in December was when I lived in Toronto*, when everyone called it Christmas Bush. And I thought kiwi fruit (under the name 'chinese gooseberry') was introduced into Australia in the twentieth century and that the fruits of late December were berries and stone fruit and apples and oranges. I only know about Christmas as an outsider and guest, though, and I've never actually been to Tasmania. Maybe they were early adopters? Maybe there were both Christmas Bushes and kiwi fruits?
If anyone knows anything about either (and about other Tasmanian 19th century Christmas customs - I feel woefuly ignorant!) I would love to learn. My default assumption was that Christmas in Tassie was like my aunt's place in Melbourne, with a roast dinner and pudding and cake and tree and presents. When I stop to think, I don't even know about the tree for Melbourne for 1869, much less for Hobart or Devonport. My favourite 19th century Christmas cake and pudding recipes are, after all, Jewish (Anglo-Australian Jewish families made these things).
Can anyone help?
*Toronto, Canada, not Toronto, NSW, just to be clear.
gillpolack @ 2010-10-30T01:37:00
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eneit
's daughter is being married in just a few hours. I'm hoping that the weather holds off long enough. It's going to be a wonderful wedding regardless of the weather - they're a fabulously awesome family and besides, there are 158 wedding cakes.Sharyn - I'm thinking long-distance blessings at all of you. May Rhiannon and her groom have wonderful lives together.
