Happy National Library Week for those of you in the profession and those who partake in the offerings of their libraries public, academic, special and otherwise!

What Do You Do with a BA in ENGLISH?*

Write a blog post while sick. I stayed home from work today because I'm in the midst of a nasty little cold. The sadest part about staying home from work during this particular week, is that I have been inundated with news coverage of the Virgiina Tech massacure. I say sadest for two reasons, one: it is very much a tragedy and two: the news coverage sickens me just as much as my physical symptons of a cold. Cassi and I watched a small amount of the coverage on Monday night while a student was interviewed who said something like: he knew what he was doing when he reloaded the gun, like he was trained. And the reporter asked do you think t.v violence and video games played a part? As if this shooters knowledge of how to use guns could be so easily blamed on video games. It was like the reporter was trying to lead and steer the questions into the direction he wanted for his report.
And now, the backlash, people are starting to criticize the media for getting too involved and too personal too quickly with the victims and survivors. Well, I do wonder what a happy balance would be, between intrusive reporting and making sure the news was gathered and information shared. Obviously the shooter knew that NBC would air his manifesto as he apparently wanted. But, really, should they? Why not just turn it over to the FBI and leave it at that? Well, they showed it to the world because it's a news story, and, of course, for the ratings. It's like having an exclusive interview from beyond. People were grasping for the "why" of his design. They thought the video would provide it.
In a class I took in highschool we were posed a scenario in which we were to be a war correspondant. We were granted access to interview the leader of an enemy camp who tells us that they will be attacking American forces at dawn. What do you do? Tell the American forces so they can get out of the area? Or keep it quiet and report on the battle as it unfolds.
The MTV production company had the same moral problem with allowing one of their castmembers to get behind the wheel of a car when they were obviously too drunk to drive and could potentially kill someone. But, their contracts stipulate they are not to be involved with the cast members in anyway.
I don't know what grey line morality exists on, but certainly it is not an easy decision in any situation.
I will say, I am looking forward to getting over this cold, not only so I'm healthy for my conference next week, but also because it will help me escape the reporting of tragedy and all of the fall-out from it.




*I realize, having just found out that the shooter was majoring in English and wrote disturbing plays that this title might seem in poor taste, however I'm referencing Avenue Q's lyrics, so I don't mean to offend anyone.

Recent Ideas

**Art History class focusing on comparing the use/impact of illegal substances (or at one time legal substances) on the imaginary/grotesque/demons in works of artistic merit** ---haha that sounds more like a broad ranging thesis idea no? Basic plan. Bosch and others, particularly early 19th c. artists partook of things like absinthe and opiates when they created their art. IS there any way to know for sure which works they created while "under the influence" and can we compare these to known works made while they weren't? I have no idea...but the thought came to mind while driving with Courtney to see the Clasical Mystery Tour on Saturday evening.

**While watching Classical Mystery Tour in C.R. Symphony Orchestra's theater. Has anyone ever done an architectural survey purely of theaters? Dating from the beginning of "stage" arts to the modern day black box spaces?? Mixing performance art that is "staged" in gallery spaces and travels, to blockbusters like Les Mis...different theaters reflect the time periods in which they were built, the architectural styles/theories that governed those times, and also had to be functional spaces much like other building types.**

**Ideas can't really by copyrighted on the internet can they? If so, I invoke the copyright laws as such - should either of these become fodder for my possible MA thesis in art history...

Upcoming Excitement and Past Fun

Beware, this is "listy"

* Saw La Boheme put on by the U of Iowa Opera department on last Friday night. Fun times. A special friend did the assistant direction, woot.

* Saturday Fondue party at Liz's and Party at the "Quad" in Ames. With the exceptions of taking care of people who partied a little too hard (but were grateful for the assistance) and the guy who LICKED MY CHEEK!!! It was a fun evening. Liz's second choice of white wine, a yummy organic Riesling was supurb.

* Finally getting to start cataloging the collection at the UIArtLib...

*A French class for reading/research - how scholarly - to start in June

*Introducing Erik and his almost common law Iowan butt to the MUSIC MAN. If you are going to date an Iowan Librarian it's required viewing. - I can't believe he got this far without the torture.

*New reading material, Grand Complication. It stars a reference librarian with a prediliction for musty old books and enclosures...I"m on page 20 and so far I"m enjoying it.

*Watching They Might be Giants instruct children in the art of their ABC's.

*ARLIS/NA in ATLANTA! at the end of APRIL (chance to see Traci, and perhaps Kathy)

*Indiana in May

*Mason City for Frank Lloyd Wright's Iowa prairie style home

*Pella for the tulip festival

*White Sox baseball games via traveling with White Sox Fans.

*Return of Veronica Mars May 1st

*SUMMER!!! --It is too freaking cold in Iowa right now. Yesterday it snowed. If it had been the 1st of April I'd have assumed mother nature's april fool's, alas. It's just her cruel joke.

*The End of this Post

Recurring Dream; Things not as they Seem

I used to have a recurring dream when I was in undergrad. It was one of those panicky types we've all had. Basically I call it my own spin on the "show up to class naked." In that dream, I am walking into the auditorium of the old art building at the UI and sit down and open my test booklet. I await the slides. They appear. I know them all. Score...except...the test asks for their titles in Russian. The essays for the compare and contrast section ask me to formulate my response in...surprise Russian. I do not now, nor have I ever studied the Russian language. It is not on the list of expected languages I should know before my master's degree in Art History either (FRENCH and GERMAN). The whole point I guess is that I know the material and I recognize the works, but I just can't do what's asked. It causes me to stress out, and then I usually wake up.

The new version of this cropped up this past September. It begins with me freaking out that I have not actually turned in my final paper for Art Librarianship. It continues with me frantically trying to throw something together the day the paper is due. Realizing that I've failed to turn anything in at all or that perhaps it wasn't good enough (that part is unclear in Susan Dream Consciousness) and surprise...I don't get to graduate.

Now I ask you...why do we do this to ourselves? Dream interpretation books would probably suggest it is a manifestation of our own nervousness in the conscious realm.
Who knows. But man, I wish it would stop. Jeesh, I've graduated, I've gotten the masters degree, can't these dreams stop too? Or is it the future Im worrying about? The next degree, or the next hoop I'm jumping through?

I'm actually pretty happy about my life right now, where I'm at, and the direction I"m heading in...it feels comfortable, with just a hint of unknown and that's causing excitement instead of trepidation...

*shrug*