In terms of my research project on Ottoman Architecture, things are going well. I started on a new book called 1453 by Roger Crowley. This book is about the fall of Constantinople and the birth of Istanbul under Ottoman rule. I really enjoy this book because, instead of reading from an informational book that tends to usually be dry, this is written as a story which is beneficial because, not only do I hope to get his opinions, but it will keep me engaged and eager to learn. From this book, I hoped to find some of the Byzantine influences in Istanbul and how this changed the Ottomans view on architecture. Also, it will help me understand the defensive fortifications that the Byzantines used and that the Ottomans (I would hope) have improved on to make sure that no one else takes their great city. Plus, it will help me understand the points of view of both the Byzantines under the rule of Emperor Constantine XI and the Ottomans under the rule of Sultan Mehmet II.
Though I am not exactly far into the book, I already have some information I can be able to use for my paper. One of the most reoccurring references in the book is the layout of the city and the army camps. In the book, he describes why certain fortifications were made, why certain buildings were at their present location, and to describe how the buildings had to gear up for the siege and the preparations each made. Another interesting subject of information (that I didn't even consider) is the Churches and Mosques. In the novel, the author describes a specific Church of Constantinople and how it changes to be a Ottoman Mosque. An example of this transformation is the Hagia Sophia, a once prized Byzantine landmark that eventually becomes the ultimate landmark for the Ottomans by just setting up 4 minarets and some interior work to make it a true Islamic building. Also, the book vividly mentions the value of seaways and the precautions needed to properly use and protect them. I found this topic quite interesting for it stressed the importance of sea trade on Constantinople's economy and the fact that they had a chain to prevent invaders from entering the seaways! Lastly, another main topic that I should put into my paper from what I have learned in my reading so far is the little Genoese town of Galata. I always knew that Galata was a famous tower in Istanbul, but I never would've expected it to be its own little city state. That seems remarkable to me and I am now curious to see if the Ottomans also picked up on Italian motifs in the architecture as well.
Overall, this book is providing me with a multitude of subtopics that would greatly enrich my paper. Though it could be more descriptive on the key buildings, I still find this book a valuable source to my research. Hopefully, as I read more, I can be able to figure out more about the original layout of Constantinople and eventually learn of the Ottoman invasion on the city.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Never Alone
During my last blog post, I didn't really reference social media or my topic. This post should be more relevant and the goal is to give a sort of skeleton of my paper. This post will include excerpts from iDisorder by Larry Rosen, The Courage to be Catholic by George Weigel, Roman Catholicism in America by Chester Gillis, and You Are Not a Gadget by Jaron Lanier, as well as a few online sources, all of which may be found below.
The first source of Catholic media I ever came across was LifeTeen. This is essentially a website for Catholic high-schoolers containing blogs written about young adults to help teenagers figure out their faith in terms and stories they will understand. Since last year, I have been a youth minister at my parish and volunteer for hours a week to prepare students for Confirmation. Over these two years, I have noticed that the teens' favorite speaker consistently is Mart Hart. He is the Vice President of LifeTeen, self proclaimed "Bible Geek," and may use social media better than any other contemporary Evangelist. His twitter ranges from anecdotes about his family (most recently, his 5 year old daughter discovering that he couldn't breastfeed his son) to reminders to pray often.
Still, many Catholics seem to fear social media. The presence of Catholics on various networking sites is feeble and, in some instances, nonexistent, though this has improved in the past few years. There is a strong Catholic community on both Tumblr and Facebook. There are many Catholics on Twitter, including nine accounts for the Pope (all in different languages). There are some relatively popular Christians on YouTube, but few Catholics, if any. The reason Social Media is so addictive is that it invokes a sense of community, something Catholicism is known for.
I want to explore this more, but I think the connection between Catholicism and Social Media is the sense of community invoked by both. The reason everyone freaks out when Facebook changes is because something comfortable to them - the place where they feel that they belong - is suddenly different. The same is true of the church. In Roman Catholicism in America, a therapist remarks that "the reason people stay has little to do with the organization of the church and more to do with ritual and spiritual aspects...The Catholic tradition is familiar [and] comfortable."
I'm excited about this paper, I think. I know it will be possible to write, but I'm slightly concerned about organizing my thoughts down to a single thesis.
The first source of Catholic media I ever came across was LifeTeen. This is essentially a website for Catholic high-schoolers containing blogs written about young adults to help teenagers figure out their faith in terms and stories they will understand. Since last year, I have been a youth minister at my parish and volunteer for hours a week to prepare students for Confirmation. Over these two years, I have noticed that the teens' favorite speaker consistently is Mart Hart. He is the Vice President of LifeTeen, self proclaimed "Bible Geek," and may use social media better than any other contemporary Evangelist. His twitter ranges from anecdotes about his family (most recently, his 5 year old daughter discovering that he couldn't breastfeed his son) to reminders to pray often.
Still, many Catholics seem to fear social media. The presence of Catholics on various networking sites is feeble and, in some instances, nonexistent, though this has improved in the past few years. There is a strong Catholic community on both Tumblr and Facebook. There are many Catholics on Twitter, including nine accounts for the Pope (all in different languages). There are some relatively popular Christians on YouTube, but few Catholics, if any. The reason Social Media is so addictive is that it invokes a sense of community, something Catholicism is known for.
I want to explore this more, but I think the connection between Catholicism and Social Media is the sense of community invoked by both. The reason everyone freaks out when Facebook changes is because something comfortable to them - the place where they feel that they belong - is suddenly different. The same is true of the church. In Roman Catholicism in America, a therapist remarks that "the reason people stay has little to do with the organization of the church and more to do with ritual and spiritual aspects...The Catholic tradition is familiar [and] comfortable."
I'm excited about this paper, I think. I know it will be possible to write, but I'm slightly concerned about organizing my thoughts down to a single thesis.
Works Consulted
Gillis, Chester. Roman Catholicism in America. New York: Columbia UP, 1999. Print.
Cornwell, John. Breaking Faith: The Pope, the People, and the Fate of Catholicism. New York: Viking Compass, 2001. Print
Hart, Mark. (LT_TheBibleGeek) "My 5 yr old had this epiphany while watching my wife breastfeed:
'So Daddy, your nipples don't do anything? At all? Ever ask God why not?'" 10 Nov 2013, 9:24 PM. Tweet.
Lanier, Jaron. You Are Not a Gadget: A Manifesto. New York: Alfred A. Knoph, 2010. Print.
Rosen, Larry D., Nancy A. Cheever, and L. Mark. Carrier, iDisorder: Understanding Our Obsession with Technology and Overcoming Its Hold on Us. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2012. Print
Weigel, George. The Courage to be Catholic: Crisis, Reform, and the Future of the Church. New York: Basic, 2002. Print.
Fun fact:
The patron saint of the Internet is Isidore of Seville.
Free Expression, but Only For Men
The first book I read really went in depth of individual artists. In my second book, it really showed the more negative aspects of the Abstract Expressionist movement. It discussed the heavy influence of the Depression, and how many of the artists had their best work feeding off of the past expirences of being broke in New York and being an under appreciated artist. Another topic emphasised was the death of the image of the romanitc distraught artist. The Abstract Expressionists consisted of heavy drinkers from teenage ages, "defiantly intransigent behavior"(Still), violent deaths, suicide, and general bohemianism all together became a hardened image.
Not uncommon in many professions, but something I didn't really expect to learn because I being heavily involved in the arts have always found it being largely female dominated, but prejudice was prevalent during the height of Abstract Expressionism. Lee Krasner in particular, her whole career was undermined by her husband. Before marriage though, she would be ignored by the art community, not being invited to invitationals, gallery viewings, ect. that Pollock would, because her fellow artists were no different than the large majority of Americans, and had the same assumptions abbout gender.
Not uncommon in many professions, but something I didn't really expect to learn because I being heavily involved in the arts have always found it being largely female dominated, but prejudice was prevalent during the height of Abstract Expressionism. Lee Krasner in particular, her whole career was undermined by her husband. Before marriage though, she would be ignored by the art community, not being invited to invitationals, gallery viewings, ect. that Pollock would, because her fellow artists were no different than the large majority of Americans, and had the same assumptions abbout gender.
Frida Kahlo Book # 2
My second book for my research paper was Frida Kahlo: An Open Life by Raquel Tibol and translated by Elinor Randall. Tibol writes on Kahlo's life including the time she met the artist, but it also includes many passages from Kahlo's private diary. These were by far the most interesting part of the biography because they gave insight into her mind and her feelings. The events of her life that I learned about in the first book like her relationship with Diego Rivera and her bus accident that gave her pain for the rest of her life became much more real. I got to hear her accounts of her personal life and how they effected her thoughts and emotions. I definitely want to incorporate how her life experiences and extreme pain can be seen in her artwork into my research paper.
The most interesting diary entry was when Kahlo described the bus accident that left her in extreme pain, with a limp, and unable to have children. She talks about the terrible conditions of the hospital she was in for three months and how her own mother never once visited her. This accident changed her life and clearly affected her art and the way she saw/depicted herself. Tibol also writes about aspects of Kahlo's life that are usually overlooked but still show a great deal of who she was. One part of the book talks about her bedroom and how sad it was because of the great deal of time she was forced to spend there due to her injuries. The walls were stamped with the names of her friends and lovers, small Hispanic sculptures were everywhere, and her beloved dog Xolotl was often present, who Rivera had once tried to kill after it urinated on one of his paintings. These small details and stories made Frida Kahlo much more real to me and gave me a much better idea of her life and who she was, and I'm excited to learn even more about her.
The most interesting diary entry was when Kahlo described the bus accident that left her in extreme pain, with a limp, and unable to have children. She talks about the terrible conditions of the hospital she was in for three months and how her own mother never once visited her. This accident changed her life and clearly affected her art and the way she saw/depicted herself. Tibol also writes about aspects of Kahlo's life that are usually overlooked but still show a great deal of who she was. One part of the book talks about her bedroom and how sad it was because of the great deal of time she was forced to spend there due to her injuries. The walls were stamped with the names of her friends and lovers, small Hispanic sculptures were everywhere, and her beloved dog Xolotl was often present, who Rivera had once tried to kill after it urinated on one of his paintings. These small details and stories made Frida Kahlo much more real to me and gave me a much better idea of her life and who she was, and I'm excited to learn even more about her.
Greek Art, Goddesses, Gender Expectations
I am doing my research paper on Greek Art. Specifically art about goddess and how they effected gender expectations in ancient Greece. The first book I read was interesting but not extraordinarily helpful with my topic. My second book was a bit better because I had a more specific idea of what I was researching. Women in Greece were the property of their fathers until they were married and became the property of their husband. This is interesting to me because this kind of treatment suggests women were not respected and seen as less superior, yet the Greeks had powerful, cunning, strong, goddesses. Diana, the Greek goddess of the hunt, was unique in being the hunter instead of the gatherer as women are usually depicted. They gave her this strong role, that in other cultures are seen as a man's. There are other myths of goddesses outsmarting or helping men, showing women on the same intellectual level as men. It's difficult to form a thesis around this because I don't know how men could portray these goddesses as equals and not treat their own women the same, and books and websites don't have an answer either. Further research must be done.
Ella Fitzgerald
My next book, Ella Fitzgerald: up close tells the story of one of the most famous female jazz singers of all time. Fitzgerald was known for her smooth, silky voice that captivated thousands of people all over the world. Her unique voice was the key to her success as a jazz singer. She managed to create a career for herself at a time when female musicians weren't taken seriously and many music venues were segregated. Her obsession for jazz music and constantly performing led to distant relationships with friends and family. But she never wanted to end the career she made for herself, because she put pleasing her fans above everything else.
It is going to be hard to get concrete information about her, especially information about her childhood because Fitzgerald was an extremely private person. Parts of her life have been misreported because so little information about her is available. She is also known for altering the truth, often about her rough childhood. She grew up in the streets of Harlem and she ran away from home at the age of sixteen. She sang at local clubs and music venues to earn money. If it wasn't for a last-minute decision at an amateur night contest in 1934, the world might never have heard her inspiring voice.
I will focus on more of her influence on jazz music and what she added to the music industry at the time. She did many duets with Louis Armstrong, like "Dream a Little Dream of Me" and many others. I want to write about their relationship together as jazz musicians. I also want to dig a little deeper about her struggle to making a living as an African American, female jazz singer. Life was hard on the road and I want to share into greater detail in my research paper of how she overcame her struggles in the music industry, dealing with segregation. She earned respect and I want to share how she earned it.
The History of Ballet
For my more "generalized" book I read The History of Ballet by Judith Steeh. It goes from the very beginning of classical dance up to the mid 1900's. I knew quite a bit of what the book covered already, but not in such detail. It was interesting to read a source that compiles all of ballet's history into one place. It also had really amazing photographs that I wish I could share here. It would be impossible to condense all of the history of ballet into under five paragraphs so I'm just going to go in detail about a few key points.
The book begins with the conception of ballet at Louis XIV's court in France. He used it as entertainment by linking the dances in small ways to create a story-- this provided a basis for many ballets popular today. They wore elaborate costumes and golden, mesh masks and were originally danced in a ballroom. Throughout his rein from 1643 to 1715 it moved to the stage and matured. It slowly became more refined and difficult, causing the first "professionals" to emerge. In the beginning, only men could dance. It took several decades until women were given small parts that were more akin to acting than dancing. This was because of the clothing they had to wear (it's hard to do a pas-de-chat in ankle-length petticoats). Louis XIV was an accomplished dance, but he struggled with some beats and small jumps. A step practiced today, the "royale", is an easier version of the tricky entrechat-quatre and was made especially for the king.
The ballet dancer herself/himself has changed significantly from the early days. In the past, dancers were not paid well and often had to find rich lovers to support them. Now, dancers are paid fairly well and have all expenses (costumes, shoes, travel, etc.) paid for them. They are now respected artists and members of society. In the past, they were treated as outcasts who wanted to live in a fantasy world. For men, the public opinion has flipped. In Louis XIV's time, men who danced were seen as very masculine and desirable. Today, there is the unfortunate stereotype that all male ballet dancers are gay. This is, for the majority, not true. In fact, male ballet dancers are very smart-- they get to spend hours on end with pretty girls in leotards. With the help of powerful male dancers such as Nureyev, male dancers are beginning to be taken more seriously.
The history of ballet is an intriguing topic, one I'm happy I get an excuse to learn more about. I was lucky enough to be able to visit the birthplace of ballet (Versailles Palace right outside of Paris) and I could just imagine it there. All the extravagantly decorated halls and ballrooms yearn to be filled with classical dance. Here are some photos to help clarify my post:
Inside Versailles, the bithplace of ballet:
http://mcwattb.com/Images/File0053.jpg
A typical female dancer in the 1800's:
http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5545296/il_570xN.150150801.jpg
The book begins with the conception of ballet at Louis XIV's court in France. He used it as entertainment by linking the dances in small ways to create a story-- this provided a basis for many ballets popular today. They wore elaborate costumes and golden, mesh masks and were originally danced in a ballroom. Throughout his rein from 1643 to 1715 it moved to the stage and matured. It slowly became more refined and difficult, causing the first "professionals" to emerge. In the beginning, only men could dance. It took several decades until women were given small parts that were more akin to acting than dancing. This was because of the clothing they had to wear (it's hard to do a pas-de-chat in ankle-length petticoats). Louis XIV was an accomplished dance, but he struggled with some beats and small jumps. A step practiced today, the "royale", is an easier version of the tricky entrechat-quatre and was made especially for the king.
The ballet dancer herself/himself has changed significantly from the early days. In the past, dancers were not paid well and often had to find rich lovers to support them. Now, dancers are paid fairly well and have all expenses (costumes, shoes, travel, etc.) paid for them. They are now respected artists and members of society. In the past, they were treated as outcasts who wanted to live in a fantasy world. For men, the public opinion has flipped. In Louis XIV's time, men who danced were seen as very masculine and desirable. Today, there is the unfortunate stereotype that all male ballet dancers are gay. This is, for the majority, not true. In fact, male ballet dancers are very smart-- they get to spend hours on end with pretty girls in leotards. With the help of powerful male dancers such as Nureyev, male dancers are beginning to be taken more seriously.
The history of ballet is an intriguing topic, one I'm happy I get an excuse to learn more about. I was lucky enough to be able to visit the birthplace of ballet (Versailles Palace right outside of Paris) and I could just imagine it there. All the extravagantly decorated halls and ballrooms yearn to be filled with classical dance. Here are some photos to help clarify my post:
Inside Versailles, the bithplace of ballet:
http://mcwattb.com/Images/File0053.jpg
A typical female dancer in the 1800's:
http://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/5545296/il_570xN.150150801.jpg
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
A Walk on the Wilde Side
So, after reading more critical work about Gauguin, I began to feel like, despite my aesthetic appreciation for his art, my paper would be dry and half-hearted at best. While I was getting this sense, we were reading The Picture of Dorian Gray in class; I loved Wilde's sense of style and wit. Also, I have written about gay man for two other research papers, and I thought it would be a fun trend to continue.
For my first work (other than the one we read in class), I chose The Importance of Being Earnest. I found reading this work (a play) to be a somewhat lighter compliment to the heaviness of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Picture of Dorian Gray centers around an archetypal fall from innocence and moral decay, but The Importance of Being Earnest takes a much more humorous approach to satire. (If you have not read/seen the play giving this a quick skim might be helpful: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/earnest/summary.html) The play follows a sequence in the life of Jack (Ernest) Worthing, through a series of hi-jinxes Wilde explores marriage in Victorian England, the shallow nature of high society, and deception. While PDG touches on the nature of marriage, the play explores it more fully. There are two proposals in the play and both are set forth under false pretenses (the men who proposed had false identities). It also shows the how marriage, when conducted as a property transaction, is ridiculous. In Victorian times, it lead to rampant infidelity which fueled the fiery gossip of the era, not to mention sexism.
On the note of sexism, one major difference between the two is their respective portrayal of women. The only prominent female in PDG was Sybil Vane who killed herself for Dorian. In TIOBE, the women are sometimes more powerful than men, like one of the characters, Lady Bracknell, who prevents Jack Worthing from marrying her daughter, Gwendolyn. Women not only hold more power in parts of the play, but also characterize more moral behavior. Wilde portrays two kinds of decpetion -- what we would call a harmless fantasy and then deception that crosses that line and is hurtful. He uses Cecily to show a harmless fantasy when she claims she was proposed to Algernon before they even met. This directly contrasts Mr. Worthing's deception in which he creates a fake brother who he then kills off, showing women on a moral high ground.
For my first work (other than the one we read in class), I chose The Importance of Being Earnest. I found reading this work (a play) to be a somewhat lighter compliment to the heaviness of The Picture of Dorian Gray. The Picture of Dorian Gray centers around an archetypal fall from innocence and moral decay, but The Importance of Being Earnest takes a much more humorous approach to satire. (If you have not read/seen the play giving this a quick skim might be helpful: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/earnest/summary.html) The play follows a sequence in the life of Jack (Ernest) Worthing, through a series of hi-jinxes Wilde explores marriage in Victorian England, the shallow nature of high society, and deception. While PDG touches on the nature of marriage, the play explores it more fully. There are two proposals in the play and both are set forth under false pretenses (the men who proposed had false identities). It also shows the how marriage, when conducted as a property transaction, is ridiculous. In Victorian times, it lead to rampant infidelity which fueled the fiery gossip of the era, not to mention sexism.
On the note of sexism, one major difference between the two is their respective portrayal of women. The only prominent female in PDG was Sybil Vane who killed herself for Dorian. In TIOBE, the women are sometimes more powerful than men, like one of the characters, Lady Bracknell, who prevents Jack Worthing from marrying her daughter, Gwendolyn. Women not only hold more power in parts of the play, but also characterize more moral behavior. Wilde portrays two kinds of decpetion -- what we would call a harmless fantasy and then deception that crosses that line and is hurtful. He uses Cecily to show a harmless fantasy when she claims she was proposed to Algernon before they even met. This directly contrasts Mr. Worthing's deception in which he creates a fake brother who he then kills off, showing women on a moral high ground.
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