The Uses of Sorrow
(In my sleep I dreamed this poem)
Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.
It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.
—Mary Oliver
—from Thirst
hierophant /HIY-ər-ə-fant/. noun. In Ancient Greece, a high priest and revealer/teacher of mysteries/duties. Now, a chief advocate or spokesperson. From Greek hiero- (sacred) + phainein (to reveal).
“To all the worlds Sanctity stands forever upon the Terran horizon, perceivable yet remote, holy and unapproachable, fully accessible only to its chosen ones: the Hierophants, the servitors, the acolytes.” (Sheri S. Tepper)
“There have been famous babes; for example, little Moses, from whose adventure in the bulrushes the Egyptian hierophants of seven centuries before doubtless derived their idle tale of the child Osiris being preserved on a floating lotus leaf.” (Ambrose Bierce)
“We had all the time in the world to do everything a beautiful night invites one to do, everything which, on a damask bedspread that was less and less of pearl and more and more of dead leaves, could elevate us to the dignity of the hierophant—I liked to call Léopoldine the hierinfanta, I was already so cultured, so spiritual…” (Amélie Nothomb; translated by Alison Anderson)
“And I am no longer a surgeon, but a hierophant who must do magic to ward off the punishment of the angry gods.” (Richard Selzer)
“The day Joe Howlett died dawned perfectly.” → How one man died so a whale might live
The Oxford English Dictionary wants to record “the words, phrases, and expressions particular to where you live or where you are from.” → Appeals: Words where you are | Oxford English Dictionary. Also, a fun Twitter hashtag to follow: #WordsWhereYouAre.
Are humans really blind to the gorilla on the basketball court? → Re-thinking the iconic experiment. Pairs well with re-contextualizing the “marshmallow” test and refuting, or at least harshly rebuking, the Stanford Prison Experiment.
Celebrating the world’s most beautiful libraries (and a new book about them). → Libraries: Where the world’s memory is stored
“The researchers found longevity benefits associated with nearly every level and type of coffee consumption.” Good news, assuming you feel longevity is a benefit. → Drinking Coffee May Help You Live Longer
Independent Voices is an open access digital collection of alternative press newspapers, magazines and journals, drawn from the special collections of participating libraries. → Independent Voices
What was the best thing before sliced bread? Now you can know. → The Best Thing Before Sliced Bread - a History of Sliced Bread and Its Idiom
Today in 1867, German artist, printmaker and sculptor Käthe Kollwitz is born in Königsberg, Prussia. Though apparently often dismissed by contemporary artists, this art lover finds her often dark, always emotional work—even her self-portraits, not a favorite genre—irresistible. Some of my favorite pieces include: Old Man with Noose, Woman with Dead Child, Hunger (hey, I said her work could be dark!) and Self-Portrait, Hand at the Forehead. Though she made fewer then 300 prints, there are many more at WikiArt and MoMA.
► Lotte Reiniger: The genius of early animation. See also: a great article with links to many Reiniger animations.
I remember public information films in the 70s as laughably boring affairs. Apparently in England they were occasionally terrifying. → Dark and Lonely Water: The Singular Terror of Public Information Films
Reader S.: “The ‘below the surface’ exhibition is indeed a wonder. Not sure what made me click the link but glad I did, impressive both for the finds but as a lesson in elegant web interface too. My favourite objects I found in my exploration of the site were this buddha from the 1930s and this kosher seal (there were many) from sometime in 1700s.” — Awesome. I was intrigued by this partial porcelain angel.
Reader M.: “The author of the insightful poem in WORK, Ricky Ray, […] has his own brand-new literary journal called Rascal. Check it out!”
Reader B.: “Another splendid shipment from Port K.!”
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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