I love Gypsea Tree's post featuring Liz Mamont's art

I thought some of my readers might enjoy this, so I have included this posting from another blog. You can also link via steamspectre.blogspot.com.

(title unknown):

I discovered the art of Liz Mamont a while back via High Fructose.

I absolutely love it!

I'm also going to have to find myself a copy of Mamont's For the Ladies. It reminds me a little of Edward Gorey in its humor. Plus, I spotted some pugs!

(AND she has paid homage to one of my favorite short stories of all time, The Yellow Wallpaper so I'm definitely smitten...)

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you a Happy New Year!

Seductive Stratagems and Textual Tactics: Transgressive Feminine Discourse(s)

This year I decided that instead of just participating in the American Comparative Literature Association Conference I would take it a step further and organize a seminar. I am happy to say that my seminar proposal titled "Seductive Stratagems and Textual Tactics: Transgressive Feminine Discourse" has been accepted. However, the success of the seminar is dependent on the quantity and quality of submissions. With that being said, I am posting the call for papers through every channel that I can think of, including this modest blog. If you aren't able to send in a submission, I urge you to pass this information along to as many people as you know that might be interested in this topic.

"Leila" (1892) by Sir Frank Dicksee British via artmagick.com.

Below is the description for the seminar:

Seminar Organizer(s): Sylvia Morin (University of Houston)

This panel will examine how conflict characterizes modernity and post modernity, and how the response to crisis often takes a militarized tone. Even within literary discourse, the division resulting from Gender is one which suggests combat. Lucia Guerra-Cunningham, in her analysis of women writers, especially those from Latin America, exposes the fact that “literature has traditionally been a territory where men’s imagination has prevailed.” This metaphor of territorial conquest and mastery over the textual tract has forced women to “perform a concealed masquerade which allowed mimicry and the mischievous invasion into a foreign terrain.” Camouflaged with a masculine pseudonym, writers such as George Sand, George Eliot, and Fernán Cabellero crossed from the private into the public sphere with success. However, not all women have traversed the gender divide by masquerading as men. Some have and continue to opt for what some may consider to be a less covert approach. What are some of these explicit tactics that women writers resort to? Does seduction function as a stratagem or a ruse to confuse the enemy or is feminine guile another form of disguise? Is seduction a weapon that should be resisted because the feminist movement sees it as a “misappropriation of women’s true being” as Baudrillard has noted? Paper topics may include but are not limited to women’s texts that explore revolutionary/militarized discourse, seductive narratives, characterizations of the femme fatale as transgressive rather than destructive. Papers addressing any of these themes with a comparative approach to Spanish language literature are especially welcome.

Click on Seductive Stratagems and Textual Tactics to go directly to my seminar description within ACLA.

Zapped Out of Creativity

Indeed it has been a very long time since my last post. I long for days that allow me to be creative, to explore, and most importantly to write. Perhaps a long day of grading quizzes with very low grades has caused this overwhelming sadness. I feel as though the days slip away, and I do not even notice the changes around me. I remain buried in an office without windows; today I have been here for 10 hours and going on 11. I certainly hope that the brisker autumn winds bring change to this very hectic pace.

The Sacred and the Feminine

The Feminine and the Sacred by Catherine Clément

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book provides a profound analysis of the sacred through a philosophical and anthropological perspective, a fascinating read.



View all my reviews

Apologies and Happy Bastile Day!

First, I want to apologize to my dear readers.  The last couple of days I have posted a couple of "tests" that I then went on to delete.  I am still in the process of streamlining the blog, and I am trying to figure out some of the "technical" details.  So, again, my sincere regrets for bothering you with nonsense.

Most importantly for today is the celebration of Bastille Day! As a woman who admires beauty in all its forms, the French quintessentially embody that which is beautiful.  The care and delicate attention to detail in everything they do demonstrates their obsession for the aesthetic. Whether it is the way food is presented, a package is wrapped, the importance of literature and art in their culture, beauty is reflected all around.  But to go beyond the superficial, I was fortunate that my new edition of The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir arrived yesterday.  How apropos, n'est-ce pas? I will be using the newly translated introduction for my Women's Studies Course this fall. Just in case you want to learn more about her, the Stanford Philosophical Library has a really great page on Simone de Beauvoir.  Moreover, it isn't just Beauvoir that makes the French great, let's not forget Derrida, Foucault, Kristeva, Bataille, Baudrillard, etc, etc.  So enjoy your day of "Liberté, égalité, fraternité"!

Marcel Proust's Birthday

Today is Marcel Proust's Birthday! I am very fortunate to have discovered his literature. By no means is he unknown, but I had neglected to read him. I discovered his exquisite writing this past year. The sensuality and precision in his descriptions are truly like paintings; he evokes all of the senses. I too could experience the taste of the madeleine, or the acutely ecstatic and painful love that Swann feels for Odette. Here is a short bio:

"Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (July 10, 1871 – November 18, 1922) was a French novelist, critic and essayist best known for his monumental À la recherche du temps perdu (In Search of Lost Time; earlier translated as Remembrance of Things Past). It was published in seven parts between 1913 and 1927.

“People do not die for us immediately, but remain bathed in a sort of aura of life which bears no relation to true immortality but through which they continue to occupy our thoughts in the same way as when they were alive. It is as though they were traveling abroad.”" Information about Proust was obtained from Parabola, a journal dedicated to myth and folklore.
— Marcel Proust

Tercets

One of the definitions of tercet, according to the OED, is "a set or group of three lines rhyming together, or bound by double or triple rhyme with the adjacent triplet or triplets."  Elisa Garza's blog, Tercets, is indeed a  thoughtful analysis as her perspective triplicates through her experience as a mother, teacher, and writer. Her insightful writing challenges us to actively participate in our community through activism.  Activism is a way of life and each one of us are called to fully engage with our community both locally and globally.  Her daily practice is one in which she leads by example, and teaching functions as a vibrant and meaningful form of activism.  Often the teaching profession suffers from a lack of prestige and respect it deserves due to a myriad of reasons. On the one hand, pedagogical practice, a field where women make up the majority, tends to be characterized by both a lack of societal status and lower wages.  Recently, the teaching profession has been under attack at all levels, including higher education.  And yet imparting instruction and wisdom is more than just a job title and/or profession; it is a calling in the same way that motherhood is a vocation for many women.  Elisa explores this commitment for the Other holistically, by considering the mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of those she loves. Tercets places a great deal of emphasis on healthy living.  This past year I have had the benefit of learning from Elisa; she has shared some incredible insights, especially when it comes to food and nutrition.  I was thrilled to see the lovely way she presented her information, and I think you too will find her postings both entertaining and informative. 

On a similar note, if you are interested in teaching as a vocation, I also recommend The Drama of Possibility by John J. McDermott, you can click on it via the "I recommend" link to the right. Like Elisa, McDermott fundamentally believes that "our most existential projects" are "our willingness to learn and to teach..." For McDermott, the philosopher and the teacher are one; teaching, after all, should not be a solipsistic exercise. To read a full review of the book click on The Drama of Possibility. You will then see why I feel that Tercets is so interconnected with McDermott's text. 

Summer Solstice

I love marking the changing of the seasons.  This may seem odd if you take into account that I live in Houston.  Houston really does not have the typical four seasons; in fact, you could say that the regional climate is characterized by extreme heat and then a mild winter.  Still, there are days that characterize either Summer, Autumn, Winter, or Spring. Our very pleasant winter, however, fast forwarded to Summer more than a month ago.  The days have been so frightfully unpleasant that it seems silly to say that today is the first day of Summer.  But in fact, today is Litha.  According to Beyond the Fields We Know, "Midsummer, the Summer Solstice or Litha [is] also called Alban Hefin, Sun Blessing, Gathering Day, Feill-Sheathain Vestalia or St. John's Day... It's the longest day of the year, the day on which the Sun is at its zenith (highest point) in the northern hemisphere and seems to stand still for a brief intensely shining interval before starting down the long slope toward gold and russet autumn, and further beyond to winter." Generally, I despise the hot and humid weather of the Houston Summer, and I tend to grumble a great deal about it. I constantly wish to be in a cooler city and enjoying a much more pleasant climate.  This is still the case; I cannot really say that I have had a change of heart.  The muggy weather tends to make me equally unpleasant, but this year I am making an effort at least to not verbalize a negative attitude.  Every season, even if it is not our favorite, serves a purpose.  Every climate allows for life in a particular habitat to blossom and grow.  With the sun at its peak, I am reminded that I must see this moment as an opportunity, rather than as an obstacle.  The longest day of sunshine should serve as a symbol for enlightenment; an opportunity from nature to accomplish more and to feel energized.  Let the Summer Solstice mark the day that will brighten my path this Summer on my quest to write and be creative! What will you do to let the rays of creativity illuminate your own path? (Image is from artmagick.com; the work is by Alejandro de Riquer, Spanish, 1856-1920, The Four Seasons (Summer). Click on The Four Seasons - Summer for more details.)

I am back!

The past few weeks have been very hectic.  I traveled a great deal. I went to France, Spain, and Norway.  Then, upon my return, I attended the AP Spanish Language Reader event for an entire week in Cinncinatti, Ohio.  There were about 140,000 exams to grade. You should definitely see fresh and exciting posts in the coming days.  Please stay tuned.

Resolutions 2011

Indeed it is nearly mid January, and I am just posting my resolutions.  This may seem a bit late to all of my loyal followers, but I have given my resolutions much thought prior to the end of 2010.  I drew up a list and thought long and hard about those resolutions.  Some of these are rather abstract in nature.  In other words, how will I know that I have indeed accomplished my goal?.  Others, are clear cut, and there will be no question as to whether or not I have succeeded.  Along with drawing up a list, I hope to be able to in some way articulate fully and profoundly on what some of these resolutions mean to me as the year progresses.  In a way, this will help me to meditate or contemplate along this year's journey.  Because I want to have a woman centered approach, I have chosen 13 goals.  Why 13?  Because there are 13 full moons in a year and the moon is the quintessential symbol of the feminine and the circularity and seasons that characterize women's lives. Red Moon Musings has a lovely explanation about symbolism with respect to the number 13. Well, enough of going on a tangent; here is my list in no particular order:

1. Be gentle towards myself; love myself!
2. Break the cycle of negativity.
3. Manage ADD impulses.
4. Write, write, and write some more!
5. Exercise.
6. Show love towards others.
7. Be in nature.
8. Show gratitude.
9. Finish dissertation.
10. Streamline wardrobe.
11. Streamline house.
12. Eat healthy.
13. Explore and travel the world.