Shakespeare 2010 – Introductory Call Questions
Dear Friends,
I have enjoyed getting to know you during the last couple of weeks through your kind replies to my last email. Thank you for taking the time to write back. I’m really looking forward to our first conference call on April 20. Many of you have quite a bit of experience reading Shakespeare; some of you even have experience teaching Shakespeare! I think we’re all going to learn a lot from each other.
This email contains some important information about first discussion. Please read it carefully, and email me if you have any questions or concerns.
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Goals of Our First Discussion
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Our first discussion on April 20 will serve as an introduction to the reading group. To that end, I’ve identified five goals:
1. Introduce ourselves and get to know one another a bit
2. Discuss our hopes and expectations for the reading group
3. Go over the schedule of discussions and readings
4. Introduce the main themes of the reading group and begin thinking about them by looking at the beginning of Hamlet
5. Familiarize ourselves and become comfortable with the conference call format
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Assignment
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In order to make our first discussion as productive as possible, I’d like to suggest we all do the following:
1. Prepare a brief (2- or 3-sentence) self-introduction to share with the reading group at the beginning of the discussion. (Later, I will collect and distribute these.)
2. Read “Shakespeare’s Career in the Theater” (pp. 217-31 in the Modern Library edition), “Introduction” (pp. vii.xxiii), and Act One of Hamlet (pp. 4-34).
3. Think about the Reading Questions, listed below. (For future discussions, I will ask one or two participants to prepare answers to each Reading Question to help kick-off discussions.)
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Reading Questions
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1. What mood does Shakespeare create for the play in 1.1 (Act 1, scene 1)? How does he create it? Try to pinpoint specific words or phrases to back up your observations.
2. Imagine that I am producing Hamlet on Broadway this spring, and that I have hired YOU to direct the play. How would you stage the first scene? To put this another way, what specific directorial choices would you make to translate your “reading” of the scene and its mood to the stage?
3 One of the perennial debates in Shakespearean studies is whether we should consider Shakespeare a writer or an entertainer, a composer of literary masterpieces or a creator of wildly successful and popular stage productions. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of each view? Which do you find more convincing? Is it possible to hold both views simultaneously?
4. Consider the relationship between Hamlet and the Ghost. How would you characterize it? What does it tell us about Hamlet? Does anything about the relationship or the encounter trouble you? “Rest, rest, perturbed spirit” (1.5.200). Why does Hamlet call the Ghost a “perturbed” spirit? How does Hamlet think he can bring him “rest”?
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That’s it! I can’t wait for our first discussion. In the meantime, have a happy spring, and feel free to email me with questions.
All best,
Rich
Slow Art Day 2010 “fantastic” in Australia
Michelle Fracaro reports that Slow Art Day 2010 was “fantastic” at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.
Michelle says:
“The program was fantastic!! We had a 2 hour discussion with 21 participants.”
Thanks, MIchelle for being a great host in Australia. I look forward to your photos and more details of what happened.
Thanks!
Phil
Slow Art Day Jakarta – “a good experience”
Radju Munusamy reports that Slow Art Day went well in Jakarta at the National Museum of Indonesia.
Raj says:
“It was a good experience considering this is the first time we have such event here.
Earlier in the week, I had selected three collections from the Jakarta National Museum’s Gold item collections, and today, in the discussion, we narrowed it down to 3 items:
1. The Human Symbol used in the ritual of life cycle passage. This is made of gold sheets bound together to shape like a human with length equals to the person’s height while alive. This item is from late 19th/ early 20th century.
2. The Mask used in palace performance, also from the late 19th century. The mask made of clay, has teeth made of diamonds, real hair as moustache and gold plated crown. The mask is supposed to represent a king from foreign kingdom who are hated by local people for his desire to marry their beloved princess.
3. A modesty plate made of gold supposedly used to protect the private part of woman taking part in war. The item is part of Gowa-Bone military exhibition item (circa 1900).
The four of us had a great time and shared the different views we had on the arts, namely: the first thought that came to our mind when we saw the items, the after thought upon observing the items, and why we changed the views (for those who did). It was a free-flow discussions.”
He concludes by saying:
“Slow Art makes arts lively and make life artful.”
Thanks, Raj.
Phil
Reports from Slow Art Day 2010 Helsinki
Reports from Slow Art Day 2010 in Helsinki at Ateneum are beginning to come in.
I feel very calm after viewing my selected two paintings. Relaxed and ready for lunch at #Mt.Everest at 2 pm. #SlowArt #Helsinki
@vehmassembly Sat, 17 Apr 2010 10:34:52 +0000 Permalink
Slow Art Day seems to be going well all over the world.
Phil
Twitter posts for Slow Art Day 2010
Slow Art Day 2010 twittering has begun.
Hosts and participants are using the hashtag #slowart
Here’s a sample of some recent posts:
From the Art Gallery of New South Wales –@ArtGalleryofNSW:
“Interested in slowing it down? This Saturday join us for a free #slowart Day tour with intense, slow looking http://bit.ly/bp4i5d“
From @SYPSays hosting at The Getty in Los Angeles:
“2 more people are joining us for #slowart LA. We’re up to almost 40 people!”
From @TuscanyArt hosting at The Church of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy:
“#slowart good luck to hosts @sampsa @philterry @sypsays @vehmassembly @sannimaarit. 30 participants signed up for #Florence &i’m psyched.”
Phil
Slow Art Day 2010 has begun in Jakarta
Slow Art Day 2010 has moved west from Australia to Jakarta where it is now starting at the National Museum of Indonesia.
I look forward to the reports from host Raj.
Phil
Slow Art Day 2010 has begun in Australia
Slow Art Day 2010 has begun in Australia. Hosts at the National Gallery in Canberra and the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the NGV Melbourne have planned great events.
We look forward to their reports as they officially kickoff Slow Art Day 2010.
Phil
Slow Art Day 2010 completes its mission
Two days before more than 50 museums and galleries and churches around the world celebrate Slow Art Day 2010, the Reading Odyssey has already completed its 2010 Slow Art Day mission: to organize volunteers to host events on every continent except Antarctica.
Across North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa (Cape Town just signed on today), Slow Art Day 2010 will help people learn the art of looking slowly and discovering the ‘secret’ that many in the art world have known for centuries: if you look slowly, you see. And can then walk away “inspired, not tired.”
This map above of all the Slow Art Day sites comes from our new website – http://SlowArtDay.com – which we launched just in time for Slow Art Day 2010 with the help of our sponsors, ADS Software, who built the site for us free of charge.
Word is getting out. A growing number of newspapers, blogs and other media are covering Slow Art Day.
Here’s a sample just from the last few days:
– “Slow down for Slow Art“
Eye Level – Smithsonian American Art Museum April 15, 2010
“Six months ago American Art, along with twelve other museums around the world, invited people to spend an afternoon taking a long look at art as part of Slow Art day. It was the antithesis of the fast-paced social networking world personified by Twitter and Facebook. Afterward, participants sat down and talked about what we’d seen. On April 17, starting at 11:30 a.m., American Art will be hosting Slow Art’s second event here in DC. This time 48 museums from around the world are participating (and the number is still growing).”
– “Loitering Is Encouraged Saturday at the Hood Museum“
Valley News, April 15, 2010
“Enter Slow Art Day, an experience that’s meant to change the way we relate to museums. The Hood Museum is one of 50 sites around the world that Slow Art will invite the public into on Saturday.”
– “Slow down! Peabody Essex Museum wants visitors to take a good look”
Salem News, April 15, 2010
“SALEM — People hurry past the paintings in museums as if they were subway posters. In fact, “the typical museum visitor looks, on average, for only eight seconds or so” at each work of art, Phil Terry says. A lot is lost in that rush.”
– “Grand Rapids Art Museum promotes Slow Art Day, encouraging visitors to study works”
Michigan Live April 14, 2010
“On Saturday, the GRAM presents and ArtPrize hosts the official localized celebration of Slow Art Day, a global event run by volunteers designed to draw participants to existing art institutions to see, to think, to experience a few pieces of art in new ways by slowing down and taking time with each piece…”
– “Blanton Museum to participate in ‘Slow Art Day’”
austin360.com April 14, 2010
“Time for everyone to chill. After all, who doesn’t need an antidote to our hyper-speed lifestyle? On Saturday, try slow art. Arts institutions in more than 45 cities around the world are participating in Slow Art Day 2010…”
– “Flavorpill: Slow Art Day”
Flavorpill April 13, 2010
“After a slow-poke trip through MoMA last fall, Slow Art Day returns, around the world and here in NYC. Instead of rushing through the museum, ticking masterpieces off your bucket list of art-appreciation, try slowing down dramatically…”
– Slow it down at the American Art Museum
Smithsonian Magazine April 12, 2010
– “Slow Art in a Fast City”
NYC Arts April 2010
“The nascent and grassroots Slow Art movement echoes the philosophy of Slow Food, but focuses on how we view art, not on how it is made…”
You can see all of the press for Slow Art Day here on our Slow Art Day press page.
Jim Janicki, longtime Reading Odyssey reader, interviewed on Blog Talk Radio
Jim Janicki, longtime member and reader with the Reading Odyssey (and General Manager at Life Technologies Corporation), is interviewed here by VP of Human Resources at Life Technologies, Alison Jameson.
Jim talks about why he’s a longtime member and reader with the Reading Odyssey.
He says that the Reading Odyssey has made him a “better thinker, a better decision maker and a better competitor.”
Alison Jameson also encourages employees of Life Technologies to participate in the Reading Odyssey – as a way to help develop their intellectual curiosity and improve their lives.
Listen to the full interview here:
Sign-up for or get more information on the following projects:
Xenophon Quotes
Dear fellow Xenophon readers:
Nota Bene:
Did you know…
that Spartiates (full Spartan male citizens) served in the army till they reached the age of sixty? (4.5.14c)
Book 4 concerns itself mostly with the land battles still raging in Greece itself. Agesilaos is recalled from Asia Minor to help Sparta neutralize various Greek city-states rebelling against Spartan hegemony in Greece (4.1-4.2). Greek city-states like Athens, Argos, Thebes, and Corinth are all being funded and encouraged by the Persian king to attack Sparta. Xenophon describes these conflicts at the Nemea River in the Peloponnese (4.2) and in Agesilaos’ march from the other direction through Boeotia and Thessaly (4.3). Much of the fighting between Sparta and the other Greeks in alliance in Book 4.4-5 centers around Corinth, which is tenaciously held under siege by the anti-Spartan alliance and which Sparta is not able to completely subdue. I always thought that the Spartans were able to conquer what they set their minds to. Now I am not so sure. As I have recently read through the Corinthian operations in Book 4, these quotes caught my attention.
“Some Spartans from the camp, holding their spears, were following as guards, and they were being closely watched by those present, for those who are fortunate and victorious always seem for some reason to be worth looking at.” (p. 149)(4.5.6)
“Now inasmuch as such a defeat was most unusual for the Spartans, there was much grieving throughout the army – except for those whose sons, fathers, or brothers had died in that battle: these men went around with beaming faces, delighting in their personal misfortune, as if they had been victors.” (p. 151) (4.5.10)
We will talk about these quotes (and other questions I plan to send out) on our next conference call on Monday May 10 @8pm EST.
*Also, check out one of our reader’s, Jim Janicki’s, interview on the Reading Odyssey website. He shares his experience with reading books through Reading Odyssey (he’s read quite a few with us so far) and how he applies his readings to his business and his life.*
Andre
07. April 2010 by Arrian
Categories: Commentary, Xenophon | Tags: Xenophon | Comments Off on Xenophon Quotes