Amy H. Sturgis's Blog, page 151

Where I'll Be When... and Tea

* Tremendous thanks to those of you who have checked out my new short film "Forgotten Rebellion." I really appreciate it!

* I'm continuing my exploration of the Sherlock Holmes-themed blends at Adagio teas. I'll admit that I don't have the most sophisticated palate for tea in the world (I'm more of a coffee snob by nature and experience), but in case you're interested, my amateur "reviews" of four of the blends (Watson, Lestrade, The Mind and the Heart, and Sherlock's Eyes) are below the cut.


Watson by Cara McGee
A crack shot and brown as a nut.
Description: Queen and Country traditionalist, but still recounting his days in Afghanistan drinking green tea, John Watson prefers his tea with a bit of cream, no sugar, and just a little warm from a touch of cinnamon.
Review: This is my favorite of Cara McGee's blends (that I've tried thus far). It's downright comforting while at the same time feeling strong and energetic. (Perfect for Dr. Watson, isn't it?) I'm an Earl Grey fan, and this note is clear and dominant; there's an added kick from the Irish Breakfast, and the cinnamon comes across subtly throughout and then wonderfully at the end to round out the flavor in a very satisfying way. I'll need more of this one.

Lestrade by Cara McGee
A great cup of tea. And, if we're very lucky, it might even be a good one.
Description: Smoky traces of gunpowder, aged leather, mellowed with a trace of hazelnut. A distinguished, if tired, blend.
Review: This is such an ideal interpretation of Lestrade's character! Down-to-earth, calm, with hidden depth. I love its smokiness. I prefer to drink my tea plain, with nothing added, and this works wonderfully well that way, but it's even better, I think, with a splash of lemon. Normally hazelnut is a bit too sweet for my taste, but the slight hint of it here perfectly offsets the earthy-bitterness to create a rich, smooth taste.

The Mind and the Heart by Cara McGee
A perfectly complimentary blend.
Description: 'Spicy and Jammy' with a 'buzzy mouthfeel'. Stir a spoonful of honey into this this subtly fruity tea for a surprisingly sweet pairing.
Review: This is quite lovely. It smells wonderful. The first taste is the tartness of the berries and the warmness of the vanilla, but the cinnamon and ginger follow up for the perfect ending. I love that it's strong and it needs nothing added. My favorite of this Sherlock collection (thus far, at least) remains the Watson blend, but I really love this one, as well.

Sherlock's Eyes by Molly Endries
His eyes have such power.
Description: Fantastic! I could stand around all day, just inhaling the smell of this tea. The chocolate and bergamot scents really jump out at me from the bag (and the finished cup). The taste, however is more the clean coolness of the green tea and especially the spearmint. It's wonderfully refreshing and complex, and I immediately want another cup. I'm so glad I took a chance with this blend! I suspect (deduce?) that I'll be buying more.

* Happy early birthday wishes to sarah531 , vg_ford , tunes84 , captnofmyheart , wildviolet4 , savagedoc45 , lalam , silveraspen , and prettybirdy979 . May all of you enjoy a fantastic day and a wonderful year to come!


The following is probably of interest only to me, but it will help me feel more organized, so here goes...

My Upcoming Spring/Summer Appearances

April
"Dystopia and the Problem of Technology" Conference sponsored by The Working Group on Political Theory at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina (as Guest Speaker)

May
"The Bourgeois Virtue in Film and Fiction" Colloquium in Washington, DC (as Discussion Leader)

June
- ConCarolinas in Charlotte, North Carolina (as Author Guest)

- "Liberty and Society" Seminar sponsored by the Institute for Humane Studies at Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania (as Guest Faculty)

July
Live Event for "Hogwarts 101: Exploring Harry Potter, Years 1-3" for Mythgard Academy at Signum University, hosted by Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland (as Faculty)

August
Cato University Summer Seminar on Political Economy sponsored by the Cato Institute in Washington, DC (as Faculty)


My Upcoming Teaching
(I'm still working out some of the details, so this list is incomplete.)

Summer 2012
"The Hunger Games and Worlds Gone Wrong" seminar for Belmont University

"Hogwarts 101: Exploring Harry Potter, Years 1-3" course for Mythgard Summer Academy at Signum University

Fall 2012
"100 Years of Literature about Same-Gender Worlds" seminar for Lenoir-Rhyne University


"March comes in with an adder's head, and goes out with a peacock's tail."
- Richard Lawson

The Forgotten Rebellion

The second of the videos I filmed for The Institute for Humane Studies is now online. Many thanks to Ozymandius Media for producing/editing this. I'm really pleased with the final look of the piece. This one means a lot to me.



This was inspired by my Reason article "Florida's Forgotten Rebels: Rediscovering the most successful slave revolt in American history," which, to my surprise and delight, received a shout-out from the 50th Annual Southern California Journalism Awards in 2008.

Thanks so much for letting me share this with you!

Initial Thoughts on the Hunger Games Film

I've seen the Hunger Games film. What follows is a quick-and-dirty list of some of my initial reactions. The spoiler-free nutshell version is this: two thumbs up!




In no apparent order...

1. It's very apparent that Suzanne Collins was involved in fashioning the screenplay. The changes that had to be made to the story in order to adapt it to the "big screen" make sense and hold true to the spirit of the books.

A few of those changes are...

-- The origin of the mockingjay pin has changed. Katniss picks it up in The Hob as a good luck charm for Prim, because Prim is frightened of The Reaping. Prim in turn gives it back to Katniss for her protection once Katniss volunteers as tribute.

-- After Katniss brings the flowers to Rue, the people of District 11 salute her, but they don't send bread. This is one of my favorite moments in the novel, so I was waiting for it, but I ended up being thoroughly satisfied by what substitutes in its place: a chilling glimpse of the riots as they begin in District 11. I understand why this was done, and it is extremely effective.

-- The muttations in the arena no longer have the faces of individual tributes. Believe me, I was grateful. There's plenty of violence to make this feel gritty and desperate, and the film gives us several "behind the scenes with Seneca Crane" glimpses into how manipulated and intentional the dangers are, so it would've been rather redundant. Furthermore, after Amandla Stenberg's brief but unforgettable turn as Rue, I really, really didn't want to see her face on one of those creatures.

-- Peeta's leg injury is dire mostly due to infection, but it's mostly healed by the medicine Katniss picks up at The Feast. He doesn't end up losing it.

2. There are some lovely additions that set the stage for the next film, most of which are short, intense scenes with either/both Seneca Crane or/and President Snow. Donald Sutherland's performance in particular looms large over the picture. Perfect casting there.

Speaking of casting...
3. I can't criticize any of it. Josh Hutcherson is Peeta down to the last breath. Although I originally cast Brendan Gleeson in my head as Haymitch when I read the books, Woody Harrelson completely won me over. Jennifer Lawrence is subtle, understated, and just right. Stanley Tucci steals every scene in which he appears. I initially had reservations about Lenny Kravitz's ability to project the warmth necessary for Cinna, but I shouldn't have worried. And Amandla Stenberg is everything she needed to be.

4. I'd read reviews that suggested the director (or someone, at least) was "Team Gale," and Katniss and Peeta have no chemistry. I disagree. Liam Hemsworth is not at all the man I pictured when I read about Gale, and I'm still not entirely convinced of him as a black-market hunter/trader, but his Gale does have undeniable sparks with Katniss (and a great relationship with little Prim, too). That said, I was sold on the genuineness of Peeta's feelings, as well. The lack of immediate connection between Peeta and Katniss seems absolutely spot-on, considering the fact they are - or, at least, Katniss is - negotiating a tricky "performance" for the spectators and potential donors, always aware of being watched and uncertain of how much from the other is feigned and how much is genuine. The Katniss-Peeta "dance" feels quite authentic.

5. The action isn't sanitized, but it's also not glorified or overdone. I was in a packed theater filled with people who obviously knew the book, and still there were audible gasps at several of the deaths, these scenes were done so well and shockingly. I don't think the film loses dramatic potency for being edited down from the R rating to a PG-13.

6. I wouldn't want to meet Clove in a dark alley. I'm just sayin'.

7. The Orwellian imagery throughout (including President Snow's propaganda film shown before the Reaping and the omnipresence of the Peacekeepers) strongly complements the political themes of the story.

8. I only have a couple of minor complaints:

-- The "shaky cam" phenomenon (to which I'm usually immune - I had no trouble with The Blair Witch Project or Cloverfield) was over the top at the beginning of the film, to the point I wanted to close my eyes. Fortunately, the camera work became friendlier as the film progressed.

-- At several times during scenes in the Capitol (specifically the chariot scene and the tribute interviews), there was quite an obvious discrepancy between the wide CGI-enhanced shots (wow, look at all of those people in that wide-open space!) and the close shots (wow, there are only a couple of hundred extras jammed onto a set!).

On the whole, I'm quite impressed with the movie. I'm anxious to see it again soon.

I'd be interested to hear other reactions to and thoughts about the film!


PS. The Songs from District 12 and Beyond album is quite good!

A New Video and Other News

First, a few quick links of note:
1. From the BBC News Magazine: "H.P. Lovecraft: The Man Who Haunted Horror Fans." (Thanks to wellinghall !)
2. From CNN: "Will the Mystery of Amelia Earhart Be Solved?"
3. Newspaper Rock has several new articles reacting to the forthcoming Lone Ranger film and updates about Johnny Depp's portrayal of Tonto.


As a "sneak peek" into my "Taking Harry Potter Seriously" course at The Mythgard Institute, the entirety of my third lecture is now online at YouTube.

This lecture is on "Harry Potter, The British Schooldays Novel, and The Chamber of Secrets."



"Are you the Bully, the Pride of the School, or the Boy who takes to drink and is led astray in Chapter Sixteen?"
-P.G. Wodehouse, Mike and Psmith

'Tis Wednesday!

Hello there, my friends!

Here are two Calls for Papers that I thought some of you might find of interest.

-- CFP: Female Rebellion in Young Adult Dystopian Fiction, Proposed Anthology, Due May 1, 2012
Sara K. Day, Miranda Green-Barteet, and Amy L. Montz
yadystopianfiction@gmail.com

In the last decade, stories of dystopian societies have become increasingly prevalent in young adult fiction, and almost all question young people's places within such societies. Works such as Suzanne Collins's The Hunger Games, Lauren Oliver's Delirium, Ally Condi's Matched, Veronica Roth's Divergent, and Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone are particularly concerned with how their adolescent female protagonists' navigation of social mores and structures give them virtually no control over the outcome of their lives. For example, in The Hunger Games Trilogy, Katniss Everdeen has learned from growing up in Panem, a country that willingly sacrifices its children to maintain control of their parents, that masking emotion is key to survival. Other protagonists, such as Matched's Cassia and Delirium's Lena, directly confront experiences of love and desire in societies that have eradicated such feelings.

While these female protagonists challenge the audience's preconceptions of what it means to be a young woman--someone who is preoccupied with consumer culture, dating dilemmas, and high school cliques--the use of the dystopian genre raises the stakes of adolescent struggles regarding identity, agency, and community. These authors specifically place female protagonists in settings where they must rebel against society to take any control over their own lives and to improve the societies in which they live. Thus, through the realm of dystopian fiction, these authors argue that rebellion against authority allows young women to defy both social and gender expectations in order to become active agents in their own lives, rather than being passive recipients of social mores.

This proposed anthology seeks papers that consider how female protagonists are represented in contemporary young adult dystopian fiction. How are the authors of young adult dystopian fiction consciously (or unconsciously) reinforcing or challenging stereotypical characterizations of female protagonists?

Topics may include, but are not limited to:

•young women as rebels, leaders, or instigators
•young women as the head of the family
•war and its impact on young women
•young women who reject/question socially-constructed feminine virtues
•young women who challenge what it means to be a young women in their individual societies
•role of environment and circumstance in YA dystopian fiction
•claiming female agency in a dystopian society
•female protagonists in YA dystopians compared to female protagonists in more conventional YA novels (i.e., Gossip Girl, The It Girl, or Uglies)
•adolescent female rebellion in YA fiction

We are currently seeking a book contract for this anthology. Please submit a 500-word abstract and a brief CV by May 1, 2012 to: Sara K. Day, Miranda Green-Barteet, and Amy L. Montz at yadystopianfiction@gmail.com.

--
Ender's Game and Philosophy
Edited by Kevin S. Decker
The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

Please circulate and post widely.

To propose ideas for future volumes in the Blackwell series please contact the Series Editor, William Irwin, at williamirwin@kings.edu

If you have comments or criticisms for the series, please read "Fancy Taking a Pop?" at http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/attachments/55564/fancy-taking-pop.pdf

Abstracts and subsequent essays should be philosophically substantial but accessible, written to engage the intelligent lay reader. Contributors of accepted essays will receive an honorarium.

Possible themes and topics might include, but are not limited to, the following: Possible themes and topics might include, but are not limited to, the following: "A Childhood Deferred?": the ethics of hyper-specialized training for the very young; "The Military and their Monitors": issues of privacy and civil rights during wartime; "All-Out War": just war theory and the ethics of total mobilization of Earth society against the buggers; "We Know What You Think": how and why monitors could be used to keep track of individuals' inmost thoughts and desires; "They Aren't Normal; They Act Like—History": Hegel and the cunning of reason in history and future wars; "The Hook and the Raft": does the I.F. "System" colonize the human and bugger "Lifeworlds"?; "The Giant's Drink"; Ender's training is a simulation, but are we living in one?; "Know Your Enemy": the strategic philosophies of Sun-Tzu and Ender Wiggin; "Ender's Game and the Problem of Dirty Hands"; "Constructing Subjects in Space"; Foucault and Ender's military leaders; "Bugger All!": when cultural incommensurability turns into conflict; "Wiggin' the Dog": ethical and political dimensions of stage-managed wars; "Down with the Warsaw Pact!": the epistemology of blogging; "Locke and Demosthenes": 'virtual' politics with false personas; "Of Bachelard and Battlerooms": philosophy of bodies in space; "Peter's in the Mirror Again": virtual simulations and artificial intelligence; "Valentine's Day"; philosophy of emotion in Ender's Game; "Like a Gun": is Ender responsible for the terrible consequences of his actions, or has he been a pawn for the I.F.?

Submission Guidelines:

1. Submission deadline for abstracts (100-500 words) and CV(s): March 19, 2012.

2. Submission deadline for drafts of accepted papers: June 18, 2012.

Kindly submit by e-mail (with or without Word attachment) to: Kevin S. Decker at kdecker@ewu.edu

Check out the series website: http://andphilosophy.com/

Speaking of science fiction, Librivox has just added an unabridged reading of Edmond Hamilton's classic The City at World's End.


Is everyone ready for The Hunger Games? Here I am, in front of the Mellarks' bakery (or the film set for it, at least). I waited and waited, but no baker's son ever threw me any bread. Ah, well...




I highly recommend Delia Sherman's new novel The Freedom Maze (you can read my review here). It's the source of my quote for the day:
"Why didn't any of the books mention that adventures were like taking a test you hadn't studied for?"

Happy Saturday!

Happy belated birthday to jasonbsizemore , dannyboy8406 , and snitchbitch . Happy birthday to killerweasel , ashesngolddust , and dracschick . Happy early birthday to wellinghall , nrlymrtl , bellatook , thepirateship , rosieb328 , and supervillainess . May all of you enjoy a fantastic year to come!

Thanks to everyone who sent good wishes regarding my Achilles tendon woes. It's slowly feeling better, and I have hopes of being less lame (well, literally, if not metaphorically, haha) soon.

In my last post I included the "Sci-Fi Film Alphabet" by Steven Wildish. Here's my attempt at naming the titles (compiled with help on a few of them). What do you think?
Abyss
Blade Runner
Cube
Dune
Empire Strikes Back
The Fly
Godzilla
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
I Am Legend
Judge Dredd
King Kong
The Last Starfighter
Moon
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Omega Man
Planet of the Apes
Quatermass 2
Running Man
Solaris
Tron
Universal Soldier
V
War of the Worlds
X-Men
Yor
Zardoz


We made another visit to the Henry River Mill Village (which serves as District 12 in the film adaptation of The Hunger Games), and I've posted some new pictures here.



"Would it save you a lot of time if I just gave up and went mad now?"
― Douglas Adams, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

Ouch! So there's that...

I'm back from participating in a fantastic colloquium on the political writings of the U.S. anti-slavery movement, which provided me terrific insights and much food for thought.

I stayed at the hotel where the conference was held, an establishment that first opened in 1931 and now is a National Historic Landmark. It was a study in art deco loveliness.



Unfortunately, all of the time I was supposed to spend catching up today was spent in doctors' offices and labs, because something over the weekend went awry with my Achilles tendon, and now it's definitely the wrong size/shape and decidedly less than comfortable in the bargain. Besides taking medication in the short term, it looks like I'll be wearing specially-designed footware for a month (!!!) to see if the tendon decides to behave. Unexpected, inexplicable, and bizarre. Not to mention inconvenient.

I think I owe every human being on the planet*** an email; I'll be catching up very soon, I promise!

As a parting thought, here's the "Sci-Fi Film Alphabet" by Steven Wildish. How many movies can you name?


see more Set Phasers To Lol

*** Only a minor overstatement.


"They have assumed the names and gestures of their enemies, but have held on to their own, secret souls; and in this there is a resistance and an overcoming, a long outwaiting."
- N. Scott Momaday, House Made of Dawn

Tuesday, Tuesday, Can't Trust That Day

Whew! I had a fantastic time at StellarCon and SONAR: The Symposium on Nerdy Academic Research. On Thursday morning I leave for Trip #3 of 3, this time to Cincinnati to participate as a scholarly roundtable member in the "Liberty and Responsibility in the American Anti-Slavery Movement" colloquium there.

(On a related note, I just so happen to be reading -- and loving -- a current finalist for this year's Andre Norton Award, Delia Sherman's The Freedom Maze , which also focuses on the topic of U.S. slavery.)


In the midst of my running around like the proverbial headless chicken, my second-quarter undergraduate/graduate seminar kicked off on Monday night. I'm teaching a "Native American Film and Fiction" course (not to be confused with my "Native American Identity" course). In case anyone's interested, here are the required readings:
House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday, 1968 (Pulitzer Prize winner)
Tracks by Louise Erdrich, 1988
Skeleton Man by Joseph Bruchac, 2003
East of the Sun and West of Fort Smith by William Sanders, 2008
1 novel of each student's choice from a list I've compiled

The students also will be watching a number of films, beginning with 1998's Smoke Signals and ending with 2008's Older Than America . Last night we kicked things off with the 2009 documentary Reel Injun , which I highly recommend.


I hope all is well with you, my friends! I look forward to catching up with you soon.


In honor of The Hunger Games (March 23! We have our tickets!)...

It's off to StellarCon and SONAR I go...

Soon I'll be off on Trip #2. But first, a few notes:

* From The Guardian: "J.K. Rowling Announces New Novel - For Adults."

* Remember those Sherlock-inspired Adagio teas I mentioned earlier? Since my older niece and nephew gave me a wonderful new teapot for Christmas, I decided I'd give a couple a try. I got Watson and Lestrade, which arrived freakishly quickly. I'll admit that I don't have the most sophisticated palate for tea in the world (I'm more of a coffee snob by nature and experience), but in case you're interested, my amateur "reviews" are below the cut.

Watson
A crack shot and brown as a nut.
Description: Queen and Country traditionalist, but still recounting his days in Afghanistan drinking green tea, John Watson prefers his tea with a bit of cream, no sugar, and just a little warm from a touch of cinnamon.
Review: This is my favorite of the two blends. It's downright comforting while at the same time feeling strong and energetic. (Perfect for Dr. Watson, isn't it?) I'm an Earl Grey fan, and this note is clear and dominant; there's an added kick from the Irish Breakfast, and the cinnamon comes across subtly throughout and then wonderfully at the end to round out the flavor in a very satisfying way. I expect I'll be buying more.

Lestrade
A great cup of tea. And, if we're very lucky, it might even be a good one.
Description: Smoky traces of gunpowder, aged leather, mellowed with a trace of hazelnut. A distinguished, if tired, blend.
Review: This is such an ideal interpretation of Lestrade's character! Down-to-earth, calm, with hidden depth. I love its smokiness. I prefer to drink my tea plain, with nothing added, and this works wonderfully well that way. Normally hazelnut is a bit too sweet for my taste, but the slight hint of it here perfectly offsets the earthy-bitterness to create a rich, smooth taste.


* I now have my schedule for this weekend's fun at StellarCon and SONAR: The Symposium on Nerdy Academic Research.

StellarCon
Friday
4pm - Panel on the Origins of Modern Fantasy (I'm moderator)
8pm - Panel on Research for the Writer

Saturday
5pm - Panel on The Hunger Games

SONAR
Saturday
11am: My 30-minute talk on "Fringe's Literary Ancestors"


* Happy early birthday wishes to bluerocean , mizz_history , thewordoffred , lovefromgirl , and artwhisperer . May you have a wonderful day and a fantastic year to come!

A parting thought:


see more Set Phasers To Lol

R.I.P., Davy Jones (30 December 1945 – 29 February 2012)

I was in intermediate high school when Monkees fever hit the United States (for the second time around), and I pulled out my mother's vinyl records, bought every new single and album, and watched reruns of The Monkees faithfully on MTV. One of my favorite memories of those years was seeing the band play during their 20th Anniversary Tour in 1986, which was a ridiculously fun and fabulous concert.



Less than four years ago, in the fall of 2008, I had the good fortune to see Davy Jones perform solo (and here's my mini-review).

It's sad news that Davy Jones now is gone. The end of an era indeed. *holds up virtual lighter*