"I Thought They Were Dancing!"

[Disclaimer: my posting of this video should in no way be taken to imply that I am making light of either epilepsy or dogs.]

North Korean Propaganda Art

[Translation: “Though the dog barks, the procession moves on!”]

[Translation: “Let’s extensively raise goats in all families!”]

Images courtesy of http://calitreview.com/875

Some things I really miss about Spain, France, and the Basque Country

My Funny Valentine

This poem began as a paean to your virtues,
A hymn to your body, brain, and being.
Sparkling images, each coolly reflecting your light,
every phrase and beat a gem your figure had cut.

But by the second stanza something had gone wrong.
The words lay crabbed and stricken on the page,
my thoughts confused, my metaphors limping along,
the whole thing lurching toward disaster.

When suddenly a sly tercet made a virtue of necessity,
my words' impotence became a tribute to your ineffable grace,
and my shortcomings served only to set off your perfection.

But now, at the end, I see irony cannot do you right,
and my words, as before, cannot utter your name,
not even in failure, not even in absence, not even.

Return of the Cyberpunk!

A former MA student of mine, Mike Wilson, was back in Provo after defending his doctoral dissertation at Cornell. For the last few years, Mike has been living in Chile with his family, where he has not only been teaching literature in the university system but has begun to develop a writing career of his own. His first novel, El púgil, has been warmly received and widely reviewed by a number of important newspapers and media outlets. In fact, Mike is very much at the vanguard of contemporary Chilean sci-fi and we were able to persuade him to give a talk at BYU on Southern Cone science fiction, which was absolutely fascinating. Kudos to Mike not only on his successful dissertation defense, but for having secured a tenure-track position at Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

Of course it's not like I've had a hand in Mike's success in any significant way, but it's been fantastic to see a former student go on to great things.

This is Not a Political Statement or Anything.

I just think it's kind of freaky.

25 Things You Might Not Have Known About Me

I'm not really a big Facebook fan. I check in maybe every two or three days or so. But I had been "tagged" by friends and asked to post a list of twenty-five random facts about myself. For the benefit of my readers without Facebook accounts, here is that list.

1. The right side of my body looks almost exactly like the left side. On the outside, at least. I don't know about the inside.
2. I think you have to admit that Chariots of the Gods gives you a lot to think about.
3. I have never eaten human flesh and I have no desire to do so.
4. I am not very good at making lists with more than 17 items on them.
5. My favorite day of the week is Thursday. Favorite time of the day: 5:21 pm.
6. I once dreamed that someone confused me with Judd Hirsch. I decided to just play along.
7. I used to wear a t-shirt with a picture of Wittgenstein on it.
8. I am fond of pointing out the parallels between Strange Brew and Hamlet. Just ask me.
9. If you get a couple of drinks in me, I get pretty wild. Wait. That's not me. I don't drink. Never mind.
10. I'm married to a woman who once arm wrestled the bass player from New Order. She won.
11. I guess I like Mickey Rooney okay but not as much as some people do.
12. I don't own a cell phone and I don't know anybody who does.
13. (This is an unlucky number so I don't have to do this one)
14. It's kind of hard to explain, but there's something about chocolate pudding that I find immensely satisfying.
15. I have eaten roasted guinea pig and enjoyed it. I have also eaten live guinea pig and didn't like it as much.
16. I have been known to wear a lady's suit to work (wait, that wasn't me. That was Michael Scott).
17. I have an unshakable testimony that Arrested Development is the greatest television show of all time.
18. When I was very young, I used to watch boring shows on PBS because I was afraid no one else was watching and I didn't want the people on TV to feel bad.
19. I sent Roddy Frame a wedding invitation. He couldn't make it but he sent a nice card (no money, though).
20. When I was about five years old, I would marvel for hours at the fact that my hand would move just because I would think of moving it. I still marvel for hours at this.
21. If the temple recommend questions are ever changed to forbid drinking Diet Coke, I'm going to have a hard choice to make.
22. I don't get the point of "texting." So that's what, like typing with your thumbs? Is that supposed to be funny?
23. I have finally come to grips with the fact that I probably will never make an NFL roster. I knew it was unlikely I would ever be drafted since I never played anything beyond Jr. High football. But a guy can dream, can't he? I guess not.
24. I can read with my eyes shut. That is very hard to do.
25. I have a short attention span, which has now been maxed out.