WORK
I was struck by what you say in your letter about having been to Nuenen. You saw everything again, “with gratitude that once it was yours” — and are now able to leave it to others with an easy mind. As through a glass, darkly — so it has remained; life, the why or wherefore of parting, passing away, the permanence of turmoil — one grasps no more of it than that.
For me, life may well continue in solitude. I have never perceived those to whom I have been most attached other than as through a glass, darkly.
—Vincent Van Gogh (translated by Arnold Pomerans)
—found in The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh
WORD(S)
demonifuge /də-MON-ə-fyoozh/. noun. Something used to exorcise a demon. More generally, something that can serve as protection from, or ward off, evil spirits. From Latin daemōn (evil spirit, deity, idol) + -fuge, a common method of creating English nonce-words from Latin (e.g. vermifuge).
“…as she turned and the black cape swirled you could see, within, the simple ways the simple shape (legs, hips, haunch, waist) can be made to shine on the reptile eye, and burn on the reptile brain. The glamour: charms, rhombs, wishbones, magic rings -gramarye, sortilege, demonifuge…” (Martin Amis)
“The wood of the peach tree is a demonifuge, and Taoist priests use if for making the seals with which they seal their talismans and amulets.” (Charles Williams)
“Charlotte F. Otten notes that androsaemon (‘man’s blood’) was a real herb, famous as a demonifuge.” (John Leonard) anything
WEB
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Photo Sleuth: Early Photo Sleuths In the Dead Letter Office
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A little geeky, but interesting → On creating web sites that exist simultaneously as books
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Lighthouse Traveling Libraries
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A neat little gewgaw… → (Audio)Visualizing the Billboard Top 100 since 1956
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Today is Cinco De Mayo. Celebrated primarily in the United States and Mexico, Cinco De Mayo began as a relatively minor holiday celebrating the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War but—like Oktoberfest and St. Patrick’s Day—has become a significant American celebration (often mistaken by we gringos for Mexico’s Independence Day) of Mexican culture. The battle it celebrates, in which 2000 hastily assembled Mexican soldiers defeated more than 6000 French troops was much less important strategically than it was symbolically…and as a rallying point for Mexican morale.
WATCH/WITNESS
Adam Donnely’s Site-Specific Cameras project uses pinhole cameras built from on-site materials to capture images of those places.
REPRISES/RESPONSES/REJOINDERS/RIPOSTES
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Reader B. on speed reading: “I could never understand the reason for speed reading: why hurry through what should be a more leisurely activity. Woody Allen said it best about speed reading, ‘I took a speed-reading course and read War and Peace in twenty minutes. It involves Russia.’”
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Another Reader B. on ‘Brumal’: “Brumal is a splendid word. Reminds me of the French Revolutionary calendar’s month of Brumaire, which took over the October-November overlap.”
I welcome comments, suggestions, thoughts, feedback and all manner of what-have-you. Just press ‘Reply’ or email to: clippings@katexic.com.
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