Month: September 2020

Liked a tweet by @k_j_turner (Twitter)
I love the bridge that book formats like this can provide in learning new languages. Reminds me a bit of some of the Folger Shakespeare annotated plays that helped to define words, terms, and culture that have changed significantly since they were written. 

How does one find more of these?

Read UK accused of failing to promote minority languages by Severin Carrell (the Guardian)
Critical report by Council of Europe calls for more support for Cornish, Irish and Ulster Scots
The benefits of speaking multiple languages are fairly well documented. How can we–as a society–better support additional languages? Why are we constantly sidelining and devaluing people’s mother tongues? 
Read Kamala Harris: what her sneakers mean by Priya Elan (the Guardian)
As a woman of colour wearing sneakers on the campaign, it semaphores a change in political dress and much more
On the value of a sneaker… The shoes become a symbol of Harris’ political philosophy in an incredibly approachable way.

Part of what I love about this article is that it could potentially have been written about a male candidate. It’s not sexualized as heavily as an article about her beauty (or lack thereof), her hair, her clothing, etc. We’re apparently making a little progress. Still, I’d much rather read material about the candidate’s positions and direct policies.

 

 

 

Bookmarked The Mabinogion Translated by Sioned Davies (global.oup.com)
Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history--these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as the Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar.
I’ve looked at versions of this before, but this looks like one of the more interesting translations to read. 

(referred by Top 10 goddesses in fiction) 

Annotated Top 10 goddesses in fiction by E Foley and B Coates (Hypothes.is)
Circe by Madeline Miller
This magnificent story of the famous witch goddess from Homer’s Odyssey was shortlisted for the 2019 Women’s prize for fiction. It is both hugely enjoyable, showing the very male classical epic from a female point of view, and profoundly affecting in its depictions of the trials of immortality. This book is the closest you can get to experiencing what it might really be like to be a goddess, with all its benefits and sacrifices. ❧
This book keeps popping up with positive reviews of an intriguing sort. I’ll add it to my list of books to read.
Read Top 10 goddesses in fiction by E Foley and B Coates (the Guardian)
In ancient myth – and novels by authors from Neil Gaiman to Toni Morrison – these ambiguous figures are sometimes repressive, sometimes inspiring

The Mabinogion, translated by Sioned Davies
In You Goddess! we use “supernatural female” as a definition of goddess and this allows us to include the story of Blodeuwedd, who was created out of flowers by a wizard as a wife for his friend, but who kicks over the traces and finds her own partner. Bloeuwedd appears in this medieval collection of Welsh stories. The first English translation was published in the 19th century by the linguist, go-getter and driver of the Welsh renaissance, Lady Charlotte Guest. This 2007 translation by Sioned Davies is a fantastic contemporary version. In the past Blodeuwedd has been taken as a cautionary tale about adultery, but to modern readers she appears as a floral rebel breaking free from male control. Sadly things don’t end well for her and her metamorphosis from vegetable to human ends with her wizard enemy turning her into an owl. She lives on as the inspiration for Alan Garner’s The Owl Service. ❧

This has been on my list for a bit. I’m also reminded that I ought to get back to The Celtic Myths: A Guide to the Ancient Gods and Legends by Miranda Aldhouse-Green
Annotated on September 09, 2020 at 10:09PM

Annotated The Mabinogion (Oxford University Press)
Sioned Davies is Chair of Welsh at Cardiff University. Her special interest is the interplay between orality and literacy, together with the performance aspects of medieval Welsh narrative. ❧
Oh! This is fascinating. Perhaps some interesting tidbits for my growing theory about the borders of orality and literacy could be hiding in some of her research?
Annotated Welsh in Three Months by Phylip Brake and Mair ap Myrddin (DK Publishing)

However, if Welsh does not yet possess a spoken standard, it does possess a literary standard which can be traced back to the translation of the Bible by Bishop WIlliam Morgan in 1588, which in turn is based on the language of the medieval court poets who were the heirs of the Cynfeirdd, the earl poets Aneirin and Taliesin. These lived in the sixth century AD and described battles which took place in today's Scotland and Northern England [...] ❧

Replied to a thread by @KerrieDoodles (Twitter)
If people are depressed by this minimal loss since the 60’s, they’re going to explode when they read research like that of Lynne Kelly on what we’ve actually lost from indigenous cultures. Here’s a good place to start: Knowledge and Power in Prehistoric Societies: Orality, Memory and the Transmission of Culture though her TED talk gives a bit of the flavor without the heavier, but worthwhile, reading–in part, because it will give us some ideas about how to turn back the clock and recover some of what we’ve lost.

Annotated Bobcat Fire Update (City of Arcadia)
***Update as of 9/9/2020 @ 4:51 PM***Voluntary evacuations lifted for residents north of Foothill Blvd. and east of Santa Anita Ave. The Bobcat Fire has generally progressed away from the City of Arcadia.  The current weather forecast suggests that Santa Ana winds will dissipate this evening and the Red Flag Warning will be removed after 8:00 p.m.Based on these factors, the City of Arcadia is removing the recommendation for residents to evacuate.  However, residents are advised to remain on alert for any changes to weather conditions that may affect the fire.  Evacuations may be necessary for your safety if conditions change. ❧
This is a particularly good sign!

Read Bobcat Fire: Now More Than 19K Acres, Evacuation Warnings Remain In Place For Foothill Communities (LAist)
The brush fire erupted near the Cogswell Dam and then spread rapidly amid an intense, record-breaking heat wave, prompting evacuation orders for Mt. Wilson Observatory.
Still growing in size, but fortunately not toward high population zones at the moment.