I post what I like « Closed Stacks

09Jul08

Paper Cuts blogs about The Chimurenga Library, a web archive that profiles African literary periodicals, magazines, and zines. Coverage is not full text nor is it comprehensive; rather, Chimurenga Magazine aims to bring attention to “objects we read and admire.” The hovering design features on the homepage make searching a game. More importantly, I value the project for opening my eyes to a body of literary and artistic work of which I hadn’t much of a clue (Transition was my one and only). Last I checked, Borders doesn’t stock the Moroccan quarterly, Souffles. According to the editors of Chimurenga, Souffles began in 1966 through the efforts of “self-professed linguistic guerrillas.” Yeah, it’s neat stuff.

InsideHigherEd has the nerdiest reporting on the ways in which scholars manipulate their citations. Anyone that prefers footnotes to body should read the commentary. Or you could could go directly to the March 2008 Interfaces study that called-out academics arguing that “the prevalence of faulty citations impedes the growth of scientific knowledge.”

Anne of Green Gables, that extraverted redhead, gets a little RESPECT from the Modern Library on her 100th birthday. Slate brought the gift of feminist criticism to the party.

Historian Daniel Mark Epstein has blown the lid off the secrets of the Lincoln marriage. Apparently, Abe and Mary betrayed mutual body insecurities, and disagreed over Mary’s addiction to retail therapy. Somehow they made it work.
NYT has a review of Epstein’s book The Real Lincoln Bedroom.

Biomapping is a technology that reveals how geography and place affects people’s states of emotional arousal. Measurements are recorded with Galvanic Skin Response (GSR) indicators worn by people walking through cities. I’m just imaging what my GSR would look like the day my sandaled foot stepped on a human tooth (roots!) by the homeless shelter while heading downtown…

1 Joe on July 9, 2008 said:

I think Anne of GG is a bit of a gay icon. That Gilbert Blithe always had a little sugar in him, too, come to think of it.
2 Librarian About Town on July 9, 2008 said:

Dream on, puppy. GB was as boyish as they come.

Self-Promotion