What to Write About?

I haven't been posting much--not sure what to write about. I sit and read Jeremias Gotthelf all morning. Then after lunch I either read a little more Gotthelf or work on my online classes. Late afternoon, weather permitting, I go out and mow the yard or pull out weeds and giant thorny shrubs. And in the evening its posting to the forum for an online class, or grading some exams, or reading a bit more. Not a lot of variety! Which is fine with me, but not very interesting to write about.

I suppose I could comment on public affairs. There might be a few things going on these days, like a country exploding in insanity. But that is less interesting than Gotthelf, frankly.

We did have a slight diversion this afternoon when a fellow showed up to replace the windshield on our minivan. Right about the time we went on lockdown, a truck kicked up a rock that put a crack in the windshield. I was trying to avoid unnecessary contacts, and I was hardly driving at all anyway, so I hadn't done anything about it yet. But it had grown, and it was time. So Allstate sent someone to our house, and it was out with the old windshield, in with the new. Not bad. That doesn't happen every day, fortunately.

(not my daughters)

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A Warning Against Drink

I have gotten several things read over the last few days, but I keep forgetting to post any of it. Some more Gotthelf, but also a couple of other things. I'll try to break them up in order to get a few more posts out of them! Last Friday I finished another Gotthelf novella, Wie fünf Mädchen im Branntwein jämmerlich umkommen . That title does not translate very well into English, or at least I don't think so. Something like, How Five Young Women Perish Miserably Due to Brandy (or literally "in brandy"). It is an early work of Gotthelf's and a piece of social criticism. When Gotthelf was writing (1838), the canton of Bern had recently liberalized its system for granting licenses to operate a pub. At the same time, new methods of producing cheap brandy from different sources, including even the ubiquitous potato, were developed. As a consequence, inns and pubs sprang up throughout the countryside, creating a new temptation for poor...

"Plague Time" Essay Contest

If you are a major or minor in History, Political Science, Augmented History, Humanities, or German Studies, you are eligible to enter a brand-new essay contest being sponsored by the Department of History and Political Science. Details available here . And if you aren't a major or minor in one of those areas... it is not too late to become one now !

Titian Exhibition at the National Gallery, Live on BBC

London's National Gallery currently has an exhibition of Titian's work -- one that unfortunately cannot be seen right now due to the coronavirus shutdown. But on Saturday, the BBC will air a one-hour documentary about the exhibition -- a chance to "see" it in spite of the plague. According to the webpage, it should be available shortly after its broadcast. Update (4/4): Rats--it looks as though you can only see it in the UK. Very disappointing.

Plague Time

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