Monday, September 28, 2009

Nattering Nabobs of Negativism

For years, I thought this phrase was attributable to Spiro Agnew. It turns out, as I discovered in a radio eulogy for columnist and speechwriter William Safire, that it was he who coined the alliterative epithet. This may mean I'll have to rethink my estimation of Safire; for years I've wondered, "What special qualifications does this cranky old conservative possess that suit him for writing On Language?" Well, now I know.
Historical regret is like a phantom limb or an aching joint; it's ever-present, but recedes into the background because immediate matters are more demanding of attention, but every once in a while it twinges or throbs on a cold morning or in a sudden rainstorm. If only Safire's talent could have been directed to a worthy cause, say, ridiculing the opponents of liberal politicians, or libeling the architects of the Vietnam war instead of its critics... ah, well, I suppose that's the crux of why I became an artist instead of an historian. Too many things have gone the wrong way, and I don't think I have the fortitude to report it all accurately, without giving in to the temptation to improve it by rewriting.
R.I.P., William Safire, right-wing writer of withering witticisms. My grudging respects to perhaps the last man I can remember who made political invective worth listening to.

If you're fighting a robot...

...don't try to win with blunt force. This is a common fallacy I've seen in many movies, and, in terms of effectiveness, it ranks right up there with hiding under the bed to evade a masked killer. Unless you are extraordinarily strong or plan to amplify your own strength with power tools, don't try to punch or kick the robot or beat it with a stick. Most robots don't feel pain, so it is extremely unlikely that you will weaken one to the point of submission in this way. No, when fighting a robot there's really only one sure way to go - bodily dismemberment.

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Goin' down d'Ocean, hon!


I'm leaving this morning for my family's condo in Ocean City, Maryland. I'm planning on coming back to Penland on Saturday. I haven't been there since Melanie's wedding in 2001, but I have fond memories of the place. Hopefully, it will be the thing to slow down my heart-rate. I plan on listening to Daniel Defoe's "Moll Flanders" on tape in the car.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

More recent artwork











Here are some drawings I did in my final class of the summer, "Illustrating the Personal Narrative," with Ruth Marten. She's most famous for her cover illustrations for Peter Mayle's "Year in Provence" novels. Many students in the class made books; I had just finished a books class, so I decided to draw storyboard panels as though I were making a movie. The story is an imaginary version of the death of Renaissance anatomist Andreas Vesalius, who drowned in a shipwreck off the coast of Greece on his way back from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.