Poem Shared in Class

Hello to you all. I hope that you are having a lovely reading week. It looks like we will get snow sometime today... I hope my rosemary bushes survive...

I wanted to share the link to the poem shared by our own JEM in class the other day. Thanks for sharing with us.

• "Poem about My Rights" by June Jordan

On Synesthesia

I was watching a TED talk today by VS Ramachandran on the mind. About 17 minutes in he starts to talk about synesthesia, the crossing of the senses. As he is a scientist of the brain, he explains why it is--physically--that some people are more creative than others. Well, something like that. Why it is that some people can link more abstract concepts--such as metaphor--together and others cannot. Fascinating stuff.

The Book I was Referring to Today

Today I was talking about a book edited by Sherry Turkle. I just wanted to give you the name: Evocative Objects. I hope that you are able to rest and be restored during reading week. I also hope that you are able to read or paint or write or sing or play or ... something that is not required. 

Peace,

Chelle

  

On Beauty

Matt sent me this video after last week's class. Very provocative...

Rothko & Pollock

I realized today that I never put up the video about Rothko. I'll put up a couple just in case you are interested...



And I'll include a famous film by Hans Namuth of Pollock talking and painting. The quality is not that great, but very interesting. There is great avant gard music! About 6 minutes (or so) in is the most famous part of this painting. It shows Pollock painting on glass. You can see his brush strokes.

He Can Do the Fandango!

Here is an amazing example of creative adaptation and imaginative relationality. This is a video of Jake Shimbakuro playing "Bohemian Rhapsody" on the Ukelele. I know, I was skeptical as well... but was totally won over. You'll see!

Lecture This Wednesday

I would like to invite you all to attend Jon Stanley's Wednesday night lecture, "God is Dead and I don't Feel So Good Myself."  Here are the details:

Jon Stanley is a graduate of Mars Hill Graduate School and is currently working on his Ph.D. in philosophical theology with the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto (yes, in Canada).

What: Alumni Speaker Series (co-sponsored with The Other Journal and The Parish Collective)
Where: Mars Hill Graduate School
When: 7PM on Wednesday February 9th, 2011

Anne Lamott at Seattle University

Check out Seattle University's Search For Meaning Book Festival this Saturday, February 5th. It looks like Anne Lamott is speaking at 10:15. Let me know if you go!

Thinking about Today...

I often wonder about the relationship between art and spirituality. What does art do for people? But something does happen. I think that is the point. So what happens? And why creativity? I felt like I was struggling with these questions today...

Well, I'll bring it down a bit and point you to the Union Gospel Mission and their challenge to bring art to folks on the street (and one of our students leading the way!). Why do this kind of work? That is a great question. Take a look at this article that was on the front page of the Seattle Times this evening. We'll talk more next week...