Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Moondog

I've recently been re-discovering Moondog, one of the great American eccentrics and experimenters. This blind street musician spent most of his time in New York in the 50s and released several albums and 78s throughout the 60s and 70s. He composed many different kinds of music including: jazz, classical, folk music (especially rounds), and weird genre bending stuff where he made his own instruments much like Harry Partch.


Moondog was known for wearing a Viking helmet and carrying a spear. How could you not love the guy?

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Medieval Knievel

I study medieval art. I especially love Insular art, otherwise known as art of the British isles. I look at Hiberno-Saxon Manuscripts, which means stuff that's a mix between English and Irish. Specifically I'm interested in things from Northumbria.

It's difficult enough sometimes trying to explain to the average Jane or Joe what it is exactly that Art Historians do. Most of the time people think I'm a painter, and I usually leave it at that. Most Art History people I know have this problem, and in the end it's not that big of a deal. People generally understand that I am in someway involved with some kind of academic pursuit, and that's fine. On the other hand, as a Medievalist I get asked all the time if I go to Renaissance Faires or if I am a member of SCA. Sometimes people even ask me if I dress up in tights and play with swords. The answer to these questions is always a firm no, except for the tights part, but that's a long and very private story and ultimately has nothing to do with Medievalism.

I always want to ask these people if they think that people who study art of Rome walk around in togas. Look, I know that because of things like the SCA that people assume that all Medievalists are re-creationists, but this is simply not true, although admittedly there are some. I do understand where people get the impression; just do a search for "medieval" on youtube, and you'll se what I mean. To set the record straight, however, most medievalists tend to leave the chainmail off.

The only other kind of historical scholarship I can think of right now that also has an entire culture of people who dress and act from that period on a mass scale are American War buffs. I wonder if Ken Burn's ever gets asked if he dresses like General Lee? This isn't to say that there aren't other re-creationist groups out there, it's just that the Civil War and the Middle Ages seem to be the two biggies.

I guess my point is that next time you are at a party with a Medievalist, don't assume that he or she has a sword in the trunk of their car, or that they make leather cups, or that they play D&D. While most of us are fairly geeky, we don't necessarily dress the part.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

First post of the new era

I've spent most of this Summer away from Texas. I was in France from the last week in May until the first week in June. After that I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico for the month of July. It's been nice. Texas is always unreasonably hot in the Summer, so it was nice to be in two places where the weather doesn't assault you as soon as you open the door to go to work in the morning.

I'm about to start my last year at UNT and finish up my Master's in Art History. I'm really excited. I'm starting the long process of applying to various Ph.D. programs. I'm not sure where Rhonda and I are gonna be in a year, but it will be my first time to live outside of Texas. This semester I will also begin writing my Master's thesis. I'm looking at Insular (British and Irish) medieval manuscripts, specifically 7th and 8th century gospel books. I'm also ging to be teacher assisting this semester along with working at Recycled Books on the weekends. As always I will be incredibly busy. The most difficult thing is making sure that I spend enough time with Rhonda. Sometimes it's easy to get wrapped up in the grad school whirlwind that I forget to do my job as a husband.

Speaking of, Rhonda and I pulled out our respective insturments last night (guitar=me and drums=Rhonda) and played. It was a lot of fun. Maybe this could turn into something...

We shall see.

Long time....

So here's the thing...
I've decided to try and update this here blog every few days. Originally, I thought I'd only put stuff here that either really chapped my hide, or stuff I thought was really interesting. Things didn't go exactly as planned. I have found that the most important things in life are found through the daily details and the little things. When I try to separate the monumental from the quotidian, whatever I write seems forced and unnatural. So, what I'm shooting for is something a little less grand. From now on, nothing but the trivial things that make up my life.

Don't you just love the way it seems that the whole internet appears to be designed to serve one's ego?