Matthew Pearl, author of The Dante Club, lectures

[Peppermill]

Thanks, Laurel.  If you haven't already, I'm going to post this over on the LbW board, since it touches a couple of issues, i.e., copyrights and how to attain a reputation as an author, recently discussed there.

Pepper

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Laurel wrote:
Several interesting things here.

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[Choisya]

Our outgoing Poet Laureate, an atheist, has called for children to be taught to read the Bible and other important works of literature.  I agree with him - as long as they are taught that the Bible is just stories, like other classical stories.     Running now.......... 

[Laurel]

That's a good article, and an eye-opener for me. I knew that American children are clueless as to the Bible and other great literature, but I guess I had a cozy little idea that children were still taught in the UK. I was raised by an agnostic or skeptic, but he made sure we got to Sunday school to learn the Bible and got to know great literature at home. He knew we weren't getting much of an education at school. (I myself believe that  the Bible is true, but I'm a skeptic about much that is being told me today--in the newspapers, for instance.) If children knew the Bible, reading Shakespeare would be almost easy for them.

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Choisya wrote:
Our outgoing Poet Laureate, an atheist, has called for children to be taught to read the Bible and other important works of literature.  I agree with him - as long as they are taught that the Bible is just stories, like other classical stories.     Running now.......... 

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[Choisya]

Christianity is taught in UK schools, that is compulsory, but the problem is that the teachers just tell regurgitated bible stories and the bible itself is not read. The classics are still taught in school - my grandaughter has just done Chaucer, Milton and Shakespeare for A levels.   She did Bronte, Austen and Dickens for GCSE (lower level exam).  So all is not lost!  If the bible is not being used to teach christianity, I think they ought to introduce the KJV in EngLit because, whatever your beliefs, it is excellent literature.  Ditto the Koran, which is very poetic in a good translation.       

I learned the bible at Sunday School too but I was sent there to get me out of my parent's way on a Sunday morning, not for religious purposes.  (I often wonder what they got up to.........)  When I got home my father quizzed me about what I learned and emphasised that the stories were not true but 'just stories from the old days'.  I still have my Sunday School bible.  (BTW I won lots of prizes for memorising and reciting things.)

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Laurel wrote:
That's a good article, and an eye-opener for me. I knew that American children are clueless as to the Bible and other great literature, but I guess I had a cozy little idea that children were still taught in the UK. I was raised by an agnostic or skeptic, but he made sure we got to Sunday school to learn the Bible and got to know great literature at home. He knew we weren't getting much of an education at school. (I myself believe that  the Bible is true, but I'm a skeptic about much that is being told me today--in the newspapers, for instance.) If children knew the Bible, reading Shakespeare would be almost easy for them.

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Choisya wrote:
Our outgoing Poet Laureate, an atheist, has called for children to be taught to read the Bible and other important works of literature.  I agree with him - as long as they are taught that the Bible is just stories, like other classical stories.     Running now.......... 

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[Choisya]

Folks here, particularly religious ones, may like to read this (long) speech given by the Archbishop of Canterbury on the economic downturn.  Scroll down to i - v for a summary of his 'ethically defensible global policy'. 

This is a shorter press report.

Message Edited by Choisya on 03-09-2009 07:34 AM

[Laurel]

First link didn't work, but second is enough.

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Choisya wrote:

Folks here, particularly religious ones, may like to read this (long) speech given by the Archbishop of Canterbury on the economic downturn.  Scroll down to i - v for a summary of his 'ethically defensible global policy'. 

This is a shorter press report.

Message Edited by Choisya on 03-09-2009 07:34 AM

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[rbehr]

Thanks for noticing and posting this.  I skimmed the press release and will read the entire speech later when I can focus on it.  Dante also has something to say about the nature of "Fortune" in Canto VII.  My Barnes and Noble comments say he's appropriated a pagan god to the status of Angel - I think that Angel might reside in the city of Dis!

Here's another link to the entire text of the speech.  I couldn't get through to the one below. 

Rae

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Choisya wrote:

Folks here, particularly religious ones, may like to read this (long) speech given by the Archbishop of Canterbury on the economic downturn.  Scroll down to i - v for a summary of his 'ethically defensible global policy'. 

This is a shorter press report.

Message Edited by Choisya on 03-09-2009 07:34 AM

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[LuvReading]

Here's a fascinating find which I'm sure many of you have seen.  This picture looks much like the picture of Shakespeare on the cover of the Riverside Shakespeare.  What say you??

Tammie

Message Edited by LuvReading on 03-10-2009 06:58 AM

[Choisya]

There has been a lot of discussion about its authenticity over here. Some think it is his portrait but others are sceptical. 

The site of Shakespeare's first theatre has also recently been found.

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LuvReading wrote:

Here's a fascinating find which I'm sure many of you have seen.  This picture looks much like the picture of Shakespeare on the cover of the Riverside Shakespeare.  What say you??

Tammie

Message Edited by LuvReading on 03-10-2009 06:58 AM

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[LuvReading]

That's fascinating Choisya!  I look forward to seeing any artifacts they fnd in that theatre.  What a landmark!

I'm sure there will be much debate as to the authenticity of that portrait.  What I find odd is that nobody noticed it until now! 

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Choisya wrote:

There has been a lot of discussion about its authenticity over here. Some think it is his portrait but others are sceptical. 

The site of Shakespeare's first theatre has also recently been found.

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LuvReading wrote:

Here's a fascinating find which I'm sure many of you have seen.  This picture looks much like the picture of Shakespeare on the cover of the Riverside Shakespeare.  What say you??

Tammie

Message Edited by LuvReading on 03-10-2009 06:58 AM

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[Peppermill]

See the Shakespeare board for a picture of a shard of a cup with a likeness of the bard.  I believe it was found at the recently excavated site.

[Laurel]

That one really looks like a hoax to me.

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Peppermill wrote:
See the Shakespeare board for a picture of a shard of a cup with a likeness of the bard.  I believe it was found at the recently excavated site.

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Message Edited by Laurel on 03-11-2009 08:44 AM

[Choisya]

I saw a TV shot of the portrait on the wall of the rather neglected Irish mansion it was formerly in and there were so many old paintings crowded together it could have easily been overlooked.  What interests me is that they have done some of those 'identikit' computer graphics which they use to identify criminals, and they certainly showed up a likeness to the print in the First Folio, which has long been thought to be authentic.     

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LuvReading wrote:

That's fascinating Choisya!  I look forward to seeing any artifacts they fnd in that theatre.  What a landmark!

I'm sure there will be much debate as to the authenticity of that portrait.  What I find odd is that nobody noticed it until now! 

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Choisya wrote:

There has been a lot of discussion about its authenticity over here. Some think it is his portrait but others are sceptical. 

The site of Shakespeare's first theatre has also recently been found.

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LuvReading wrote:

Here's a fascinating find which I'm sure many of you have seen.  This picture looks much like the picture of Shakespeare on the cover of the Riverside Shakespeare.  What say you??

Tammie

Message Edited by LuvReading on 03-10-2009 06:58 AM

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[Laurel]

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21 (Old Style), 1685. He was not much of a traveler, but his music reaches across the continents and into Paradise. This clickable map on a site in The Netherlands can take you through the journey of his life. You can listen to his music all day long at the American Bach Soloists site.

[Choisya]

Thanks for reminding us Laurel - great websites! 

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Laurel wrote:
Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21 (Old Style), 1685. He was not much of a traveler, but his music reaches across the continents and into Paradise. This clickable map on a site in The Netherlands can take you through the journey of his life. You can listen to his music all day long at the American Bach Soloists site.

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[Laurel]

Happy Mothering Sunday to Choisya and all the other mothers in the UK.

[Laurel]

This painting by Isabel Bishop just came up on my daily Art Knowledge News e-mail newsletter. Here's another photo of it. And a note from the author.

[Peppermill]

Thanks for these links, Laurel.

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Laurel wrote:
This painting by Isabel Bishop just came up on my daily Art Knowledge News e-mail newsletter. Here's another photo of it. And a note from the author.

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[Choisya]

Thanks Laurel - great painting!  So is New York Hell or Purgatory?  I believe Virgil didn't get to Heaven with Dante. 

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Laurel wrote:
This painting by Isabel Bishop just came up on my daily Art Knowledge News e-mail newsletter. Here's another photo of it. And a note from the author.

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[Choisya]

Thanks a lot Laurel and the same to US Mothers!  I went over to my daughter's for tea and my other daughter came up.  They bought me a huge basket of fruit and some exotic flowers.  My sons telephoned.  

Which reminds me to tell you that it is my grand-daughter's 18th next Monday and we are all going to the West End to see the musical Wicked, which should be a fun evening.   

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Laurel wrote:
Happy Mothering Sunday to Choisya and all the other mothers in the UK.

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