tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post7924825802333476593..comments2024-03-27T09:27:33.931+00:00Comments on Idiotic Hat: Indian CountryMike C.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-56044933626703516232011-06-16T23:04:21.454+01:002011-06-16T23:04:21.454+01:00To the best of my memory I've never been insid...To the best of my memory I've never been inside Westminster Abbey -- it does seem an odd collection (T.S. Eliot is sort of American, I suppose), and looking at the Wikipedia article it seems an awful lot of them only got their memorials very late (George Eliot 1980, D.H.Lawrence 1985, Oscar Wilde 1995, etc.). I have no idea what the point of it is, or how anyone gets chosen.<br /><br />MikeMike C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-6547171216617404622011-06-16T22:08:57.156+01:002011-06-16T22:08:57.156+01:00Oh yeah, btw, re HWL's rep, he's the only ...Oh yeah, btw, re HWL's rep, he's the only American in Poet's Corner. Then again, who the Hell goes THERE?Tony_Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-83750769396575351112011-06-15T21:31:51.849+01:002011-06-15T21:31:51.849+01:00On the subject of the Library of Congress and sens...On the subject of the Library of Congress and sensitive labels, here is a real life comment I saw today from the Map Librarian at an American university:<br /><br />"I am cataloging some maps of Palestinian cities on the West Bank and in Gaza.<br /><br />I find that Jericho is listed at G7514.J4 (a city in Jordan) while Bethlehem, Jenin, Hebron and Ram Allah are listed at G7507, for cities of the West Bank. Hebron and Jenin receive cross references from the Jordan list to the West Bank list; Bethlehem does not have any cross reference to see the West Bank list, and as noted, Jericho is included as a Jordan city. I am therefore confused about what number properly to use for a map of the city of Jericho."<br /><br />Call for Henry Kissinger...<br /><br />MikeMike C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-83502489481142754812011-06-15T15:32:52.920+01:002011-06-15T15:32:52.920+01:00t,
Yes, I thought you must have meant Henry Wadwo...t,<br /><br />Yes, I <i>thought</i> you must have meant Henry Wadworth's 6X, really,<br /><br />MikeMike C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-85391676583050950962011-06-15T15:31:54.509+01:002011-06-15T15:31:54.509+01:00Mike,
Yes, you should "give it a go". I...Mike,<br /><br />Yes, you should "give it a go". It's long, but I couldn't put it down. I have a paperback copy of it as well as a copy in a 1921(?) imprint by OUP of Longfellow's complete poems, which gives a glossary of all the native American words and names.Tony_Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-73255152126975757312011-06-15T15:29:00.564+01:002011-06-15T15:29:00.564+01:00Corrections and Clarifications
On June 11th we re...Corrections and Clarifications<br /><br />On June 11th we referred to the author of the Song of Hiawatha as Henry J. Longfellow. This should of course have read Henry J. Kissinger.tnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-57536940884336755182011-06-12T20:30:26.552+01:002011-06-12T20:30:26.552+01:00Thanks, Paul C., that looks like a really interest...Thanks, Paul C., that looks like a really interesting recommendation, I hadn't come across Ian Frazier before.<br /><br />MikeMike C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-11182571978334985492011-06-12T19:47:11.297+01:002011-06-12T19:47:11.297+01:00On the topic of Indians, have you ever read "...On the topic of Indians, have you ever read "On the Rez" by Ian Frazier? I highly recommend it.Paul C.http://www.paulchristensen.denoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-31599443079472122172011-06-12T18:24:05.260+01:002011-06-12T18:24:05.260+01:00Tony,
Hmm, Hiawatha, eh? I confess I've neve...Tony,<br /><br />Hmm, Hiawatha, eh? I confess I've never read it, Longfellow's reputation not having stood very high for quite some time, but maybe I should give it a go.<br /><br />Kent,<br /><br />I love all illustration (in another life, I'd have liked to have been an illustrator) and especially that generation of illustrators -- Wyeth, Pyle, et al. -- though I can't afford to collect their books, unfortunately. Plenty of examples on the Web -- I particularly like Wyeth's "Treasure Island".<br /><br />For fans of illustration, this is particularly good website:<br /><br />http://www.bpib.com/illustra.htm<br /><br /><br />MikeMike C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-23172621265278574172011-06-12T17:16:14.092+01:002011-06-12T17:16:14.092+01:00Mike,
There's a great museum between Kennett ...Mike,<br /><br />There's a great museum between Kennett Square (mushroom capital of the world) and Chads Ford, Pennsylvania - the <a href="http://www.brandywinemuseum.org/index.html" rel="nofollow">Brandywine River Museum</a> - that has three generations of Wyeths, all of them fine, albeit realistic, painters. I never saw the editions of the books that N.C. illustrated, but his is some of the best work in the museum.<br /><br />The house across the street that belonged to local packrat Chris Sanderson also gave us a few good laughs.Kent Wileyhttp://www.manmadewilderness.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-13803464351117864842011-06-12T02:03:12.084+01:002011-06-12T02:03:12.084+01:00Mike-
This time, I went to "preview" th...Mike-<br /><br />This time, I went to "preview" the comment, got a google error message, and when I went back the comment was gone. Grrr.<br /><br />Tony-<br /><br />You're right, of course. But that's a couple of extra steps that take at least several more seconds!;)Kent Wileyhttp://www.manmadewilderness.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-35619555433024443892011-06-11T20:17:13.008+01:002011-06-11T20:17:13.008+01:00Henry J. Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha was an ...Henry J. Longfellow's Song of Hiawatha was an attempt to express the authentic Native American culture and to preserve many words from aboriginal languages. I only read it a few years ago and it is one of my favourite poems.<br /><br />I also love the place-names in the U.S. that are of native origin, like "Tallahatchie".<br /><br />Kent,<br /><br />I always paste from a pad to avoid such problems.Tony_Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-6993866286875185712011-06-11T14:24:20.040+01:002011-06-11T14:24:20.040+01:00Sorry about that, Kent, I think others have had pr...Sorry about that, Kent, I think others have had problems, too. What is the symptom? Does the comment get lost after you submit it, or does the comment editor misbehave in some way?<br /><br />MikeMike C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-64763303569230796582011-06-11T13:58:18.175+01:002011-06-11T13:58:18.175+01:00Apropos nothing whatsoever, other than my own temp...Apropos nothing whatsoever, other than my own temporary annoyance-<br /><br />Effing Blogger - once again, lost a comment ten minutes in the making. Any news on the migration-to-somewhere-else front, Mike?Kent Wileyhttp://www.manmadewilderness.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-86999226393355518392011-06-10T09:26:54.249+01:002011-06-10T09:26:54.249+01:00Martyn,
Your literary ambitions aside, one of the...Martyn,<br /><br />Your literary ambitions aside, one of the things that has always puzzled me about the whole "injun" thing is the unique way things have been translated into English.<br /><br />Names like "Medicine Hat" or "Little Big Horn" are unmistakably Native American, yet their special flavour is given by an oddly naive, halting use of English, which bears no obvious relation to the original languages.<br /><br />Notably, a lot of early place names are Anglicised (or Frenchified) versions of native names (Mississippi, etc.) -- it seems to be the "New West" where the "Me Big Chief" stuff takes off, almost as if a branding agency had got to work on the "injun" image.<br /><br />Maybe it's just linguistic colonialism, trying to belittle the native inhabitants as child-like savages, but it seems somehow more than that. Must see if anyone has written about this.<br /><br />Hey, what about "Knee My Heart In Bury", a tale of Kung Fu in the North?<br /><br />MikeMike C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-42075291973421808082011-06-10T08:31:07.946+01:002011-06-10T08:31:07.946+01:00Dave,
Forgot to say: I think the Navajo family (...Dave,<br /><br />Forgot to say: I think the Navajo family (or <i>a</i> Navajo family) who live in Monument Valley and act as guides have been the subject of a photo-essay, but I can't remember who it's by just now. I'll look it up.<br /><br />MikeMike C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-74592934632386721722011-06-10T00:41:02.390+01:002011-06-10T00:41:02.390+01:00I've always wanted to write a book called '...I've always wanted to write a book called 'Bury my knee at Wounded Heart'.Martyn Cornellhttp://zythophile.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-63667392177188682202011-06-09T23:06:54.301+01:002011-06-09T23:06:54.301+01:00Dave,
Always tricky, labels...
I was telling som...Dave,<br /><br />Always tricky, labels...<br /><br />I was telling someone just today how the Library of Congress has periodically to revise its index of subject headings to accommodate changes in sensitivity and sensibility -- "negroes" and "Mohammedanism", for example, used to figure a lot.<br /><br />I also remember how my grandmother used to collect a lot of charity money for "The Spastics"... I'm not sure why or when that word fell into disfavour.<br /><br />MikeMike C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-18966248400828480122011-06-09T21:27:15.673+01:002011-06-09T21:27:15.673+01:00I was aware of the JWH thing but I thought I might...I was aware of the JWH thing but I thought I might like to mention this. When I was driving my family around the South West of the States, we had to go to Monument Valley. Of course. Whilst being shown around a traditional hogan, I asked the guide what they preferred to be called. Ashley - for it was he - said, "We're Indians. The term 'Native Americans' is just to make a few Academics - mainly white - feel okay. I'm an Indian".<br /><br />So, if it's good enough for them . . . I've tended to keep to the term 'Indian'. Which is great for Film Studies when we do films like 'The Searchers'.Dave Leekehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17971308602082668644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-57138358066979899652011-06-09T14:06:27.004+01:002011-06-09T14:06:27.004+01:00Martin,
I don't know about you, but for decad...Martin,<br /><br />I don't know about you, but for decades I had assumed those guys were Native Americans, done up in a sort of pastiche 18th century fancy dress, to sort of emphasise the "hybrid roots Americana" point of that album. Maybe that's what we were meant to think, but -- Dylan being Dylan -- it seems there was also a point behind the point behind the point...<br /><br />Did You Know Dept.:<br /><br />Did you know there's a strong association between "meth" abuse, rural areas, and illegal artefact collecting? Apparently it's the sort of obsessive compulsive behaviour that suits the methamphetamine addict, and there ain't much else to do out in the fields... Police were puzzled why they were always finding arrowhead and pot collections whenever they busted a meth lab.<br /><br />MikeMike C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/11279776665185060446noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6096844366367766843.post-89883219605693705632011-06-09T12:13:20.006+01:002011-06-09T12:13:20.006+01:00Ah, John Wesley Harding raises a hand in greeting,...Ah, John Wesley Harding raises a hand in greeting, once again. I had no idea about brothers Luxman and Purna Das. Interesting. <br /><br />I have a friend in North Carolina. When she's not writing novels, she's lending a pound or two on her farm. Recently, she spoke of the various artefacts that still turn up, as evidence of the Cherokee settlements that once existed in her county.Martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13494219959077922220noreply@blogger.com