Monthly Archives: January 2014

Celebration

Posted on January 31, 2014 by jyourist

I went to a funeral this morning for an old friend. She was 96, had a full and rich life, and was fairly healthy until the last couple of years. She was able to live pretty much independently in her … Continue reading →

Posted in death, school | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

“A Story Can Change Your Life” by Peter Everwine

Posted on January 30, 2014 by jyourist

On the morning she became a young widow, my grandmother, startled by a sudden shadow, looked up from her work to see a hawk turn her prized rooster into a cloud of feathers. That same moment, halfway around the world … Continue reading →

Posted in poetry, story | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Trampolines and chopping wood

Posted on January 29, 2014 by jyourist

In the midst of studying complex primary source documents of Reconstruction, experiencing incredibly frigid tempera- tures, and maneuvering our way through massive and very noisy  construction work being done at school, EK and MG provided the perfect distraction— trampolines and … Continue reading →

Posted in animation, school, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

“So long. It’s been good to know ya.”

Posted on January 28, 2014 by jyourist

The words on the front of Pete Seeger’s banjo say, “This machine surrounds hate and forces it to surrender.” And that is the legacy of Pete Seeger’s music and activism for the last seventy plus years. He has inspired musicians … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, music | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Time for a little Mozart

Posted on January 27, 2014 by jyourist

I have always loved Mozart. His vitality, joy, cleverness, and unmitigated exuberance attract and hold me. In fact, I have found myself trying to impart this love for Mozart to my students who often raise their eyebrows and look blankly … Continue reading →

Posted in music, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Dishu: Ground Calligraphy

Posted on January 26, 2014 by jyourist

The word dishu comes from di meaning “square” or “earth” and shu meaning “book” or “writing,” hence “earth writing” or “ground calligraphy,” writing on the ground using water as ink. Thousands of calligraphers are at work daily all through China, … Continue reading →

Posted in calligraphy, China | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

…sigh…

Posted on January 25, 2014 by jyourist

…only January 25…

Posted in photography, summer, winter | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Saigo Takamori (1828-1877)

Posted on January 23, 2014 by jyourist

Today is the birthday of Saigo Takamori (1828-1877), also known as the Last Samurai. He was born in Kagoshima in the south of Japan on Kyushu island. Though born into a poor samurai family, he still received the requisite military … Continue reading →

Posted in Japan | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Extending the moment

Posted on January 22, 2014 by jyourist

Adam Magyar, a Hungarian born photographer and videographer, has found a way to truly extend the moment. Using a specially designed industrial camera ($16,000) used to shoot high resolution images at incredibly high speeds -100,000 frames per second (film is … Continue reading →

Posted in film, photography, short films, videos | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

“Fictional Characters” by Danusha Lameris

Posted on January 21, 2014 by jyourist

Do they ever want to escape? Climb out of the white pages and enter our world? Holden Caulfield slipping in the movie theater to catch the two o’clock Anna Karenina sitting in a diner, reading the paper as the waitress … Continue reading →

Posted in poetry, story | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment