The plan is to have this site updated by Christmas. This will include all sorts of show pictures from last September’s Marginalia Exhibition.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Jimmy
October 4, 2009
Feast Day
Today is Saint Francis of Assisi’s feast day. Take your animals to your local church and get them blessed.
September 17, 2009
MARGINALIA
Opening reception Friday September 18th at MTS Gallery in Anchorage. Details about the show can be found on this site under the heading Marginalia. More information about the gallery is on its website www.mtsgallery.wordpress.com.
September 8, 2009
Mobile Library
Books related to Le Roman Du Lievre (kind of) are being traded from Alaska’s only mobile take a book / leave a book bicycle library in downtown Anchorage. One week only, the library will be available 24/7.
September 2, 2009
one last anecdote to end the note…
I have been listening to Podcasts from the Australian Buddhist society. They are spoken every Friday night by this monk named Ajahn Brahm. He talks about all kinds of things like patience and procrastination and love and reincarnation. And in one talk a story came up about a Franciscan monk who was the height of selflessness. So this monk ( having taken a vow of poverty) would walk around the city in his robe with an empty bowl. But one day a beggar told the monk he was cold and asked him for his robe. So the monk undressed, gave the beggar his robe and returned to the monastery naked. At first they sent him away thinking he was a pervert, and then they recognized him and allowed him back in. He explained what had happened, they gave him a new robe and the next day came. Well, at the end of the next day the monk came back naked again. So this happened three or four days in a row. It was clear that this monk was becoming known as a sucker, so the abbot called the monk into his office and has a stern talk with him. He told him that charity is good, but to be such a dummy.Their robes were bought by parishoners, who themselves weren’t rich, and that he shouldn’t be so foolish. So the lecture went on for a good hour until it was apparent that the monk understood. So he left the abbots office and within a few minutes came a knock on the door. When the abbot opened it, there was the same monk standing with a bowl of hot soup. He told the abbot that he had brought it for him because he wanted to soothe his throat that must be dry from yelling at him for the last hour……… So this story illustrated the ultimate kindness and conciliatory nature of the monk. Even after being scolded for an entire hour, all he could think about was how the abbot had worn out his throat.
Anna Raupp
August 20, 2009
Re: Consider the Skvader (Shope Papilloma/ Malaria)
A recent string of posts initiated by Kayla Spaan focus on mythical hares, the most famous of which being the Jackalope.
While reading about these creatures I found a common thread, one that extends beyond these monster hares.
The desire to explain what was once seen as magic through science and medicine.
The best example being the Jackalope itself. No longer an elusive hybrid between a hare and antelope, but the sad result of an often fatal disease. The Shope papilloma virus is a type I virus possessing a nonsegmented dsDNA genome. It infects rabbits and hares, causing keratinous carcinomas, typically on or near the animal’s head. These tumors can become large enough that they interfere with the host’s ability to eat, eventually causing starvation.
This desire to demystify does not limit itself to fairy tales and folklore. Scientists have explanations for religious miracles as well,including the stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi.
The following was taken from Wikipedia’s entry on Stigmata:
From the records of St. Francis’ physical ailments and symptoms modern doctors believe they know what health problems plagued the holy man. Doctors believe that he had an eye ailment known as trachoma, but also had quartan malaria. Quartan malaria causes the liver, spleen, and stomach to be infected causing the victim intense pain. One complication of quartan malaria occasionally seen around Francis’ time period is known as purpura. Purpura is a purple hemorrhage of blood into the skin. Purpuras usually occur symmetrically, which means each hand and foot would have been affected equally. If this were the case of St. Francis he would have been afflicted by ecchymoses, an exceedingly large purpura. The purple spots of blood may have been punctured while in the wilderness and therefore appear as an open wound like that of Christ’s. This is not historically supported, only a speculation by some present day physicians.
August 16, 2009
MOMA
MOMA has agreed to purchase copies of all of the Appendices of Le Roman Du Lievre.
