Sign on the ‘62 Center (a/k/a on EB as Trump’s Pompadour)
(copyright stenz; linked to his flickr stream)
One of my favorites from the williamscollege flickr pool.
Eph Word of the Day: Palinode
From A.Word.A.Day at Wordsmith.org:
palinode
PRONUNCIATION:(PAL-uh-noad)
MEANING:noun: A poem in which the author retracts something said in an earlier poem.
ETYMOLOGY:From Greek palinoidia, from palin (again) + oide (song). It’s the same palin that shows up in the word palindrome…
NOTES:The illustrator and humorist Gelett Burgess (1866-1951) once wrote a poem called The Purple Cow:
I never saw a purple cow,
I never hope to see one;
But I can tell you, anyhow,
I’d rather see than be one.The poem became so popular and he became so closely linked with this single quatrain that he later wrote a palinode:
Confession: and a Portrait, Too,
Upon a Background that I Rue!
Oh, yes, I wrote ‘The Purple Cow,’
I’m sorry now I wrote it!
But I can tell you anyhow,
I’ll kill you if you quote it.USAGE:“The more lighthearted palinodes were more successful, such as Geoff Horton’s recantation of his youthful view that a martini should be shaken rather than stirred.”
Jaspitos; I Take It Back; The Spectator (London, UK); Jan 24, 2004.
Items to discuss may include hallucinogens used by Mr. Burgess, the proper construction of a martini, and whether Mrs. Palin will issue a palinode.
Sculpture in the Berkshires
On a lighter note, an article in the New York Sun highlights sculpture in the Berkshires this summer. Among the mentions are the Williams “Eyes” scattered near the art museum and Broke-ology (featuring a garden gnome sculpture as a central character) at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Apparently there is an exhibit of garden gates by contemporary artists on the grounds of the Rockwell Museum. The slideshow includes a photo of a sculpture in Lenox, Kathryn Lipke Vigesaa’s “Melt/Water,” consisting of Adirondack chairs and a deck pointed towards photographs of beach scenes. A speaker plays the sounds of water lapping. Summer fun.
Art Mafia, Cleveland Chapter
Congratulations to C. Griffith Mann ‘91:
The Cleveland Museum of Art appointed C. Griffith Mann as chief curator. The medieval art historian, noted for skill in organizing exhibits and expanding access to museum collections, will begin his new duties at the museum in early September. Mann arrives in the midst of the largest renovation and expansion in its history, a $350 million project designed by Rafael Vinoly that will increase the museum’s size by nearly 200,000 square feet. Mann began his museum career at the museum 16 years ago as an intern in the education department. Since March 2007, he has been director of the curatorial division at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, where he oversees seven collections departments, the office of the registrar, photography, the library and curatorial publications and installations and research on the Walters’ encyclopedic collection. As chief curator in Cleveland, Mann will oversee 11 curatorial departments. He holds both a Ph.D. and master’s degree in art history from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in history and art history from Williams College. An avid baseball fan and outdoor enthusiast, he will be moving to Cleveland with his wife and three children.
Dream Job
Speaking of jobs, here’s an article from the Bennington Banner about an Eph who found a dream one. Dan Cohen, a graduate of the Master’s program in art history, has been the curator of the Louisville Slugger Museum and factory since 2006. He used to work at the Clark. He’ll be in the area Sunday to give a gallery talk at the Bennington Museum about the baseball bats on view in “Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” with a particular focus on Louisville Slugger and its history. Lucky guy.
I don’t whether this is a permanent exhibit, but SM might want to check it out next time she’s in town. The museum is right on Main Street (Rt.9).
Economist visits Williamstown
The Economist’s “Correspondent’s Diary” this week features a loving profile of the arts in the Berkshires, written by an (unnamed?) Williams alumnus and former inhabitant of the Greylock quad. It will be updated daily through the end of the week. Enjoy:
