Random Thoughts Anew

[apl68]

We now have even more donated Danielle Steel books on hand, thanks to another big donation.  I have the sinking feeling that her local fans are largely dying off now.  That would help to explain why we are receiving so many more of her books than anybody is buying.

The book donation included quite a few of the former owner's bookmarks.  Since she had been a regular library patron, many of them looked familiar.  We had examples of old summer program-themed bookmarks, and even a couple that we'd printed ourselves.  And one that was hand-painted years ago by a local artist.  I should find a place to save that little collection somewhere.

[mamselle]

My local library has a display case, and a couple of times now, they've done displays of various, often rather odd, things they've found in returned books that were used as bookmarks...those that they could show, that is.

There was a note in the interpretive card saying that several had been returned to the owners--often named on receipts, letters, bills, etc.--to preserve anonymity, but I got the sense from one of the librarians I know well there, that there were a few interesting ones that the owners probably would never have put in the book if they'd realized that's where they'd leave it...

M.   

[apl68]

A staff member suggested doing a Danielle Steel sale--all her hardcovers marked down for three days only.  We'll see if that gets rid of any of the overstock.

[downer]

A student rightly complained after final grades were submitted that I'd failed to grade a piece of late work. I blame Canvas, since it didn't alert me to the submission of the work.

On checking the final grade I gave the student, I discovered another mistake. I gave them an A rather than A-. I'm tempted to correct that mistake too.

It makes me wonder how many other mistakes I made. Or Canvas made. But I don't think I want to know.

[ohnoes]

A staff member suggested doing a Danielle Steel sale--all her hardcovers marked down for three days only.  We'll see if that gets rid of any of the overstock.

A Danielle Steal?

[mamselle]

OOOhhhhhh--so bad it's good!

M.

[apl68]

The Danielle Steel sale had an underwhelming response.  We've extended it through this week.  I suspect that her local supply of fans is indeed diminishing.

[mamselle]

Bet they'd sell in Alaska...

M.

[mamselle]

New random thought...

I hope my friends who are taking off for Europe are safe for the next two weeks.

They don't seem to understand just how many things can go wrong with the plans they're making--like biking from Marseilles to Florence in a week--when they don't know the languages and don't seem to have thought about things like getting held up on lonely roads, etc.

They seem to want a 'deep experience' of some things without understanding what that really entails. You don't just show up at a convent or monastery and get to sing all the services with them...that's not usually done.

If you want to 'follow along' with the service, you need to have researched the kinds of singing, etc., that is done more specifically and understand how it works.

You can't really be a monastic tourist like that....it doesn't work.

As much work as I or others I know have done with those materials, you don't just 'pick them up' overnight.

The whole thing, sweetly whole-hearted as it's meant to be, is bothersome, even, really worrisome.

I have a feeling they're not going to "get" what they are "going for" and might either be injured or held up on the one hand, or disappointed/disdainful on the other.

Maybe it will work, I'll be very glad if it does, but I have serious forebodings that come from a fair bit of experience and seeing things fall apart unexpectedly because one doesn't understand the cultural context as well as the language(s).

To start with, they're planning on going in and out of Heathrow several times, in several different directions...pure torture.

M.

[apl68]

Hope your friends are safe.  And can avoid giving too much accidental offense.

[mamselle]

Thanks, yes, they're just a bit too cavalier about it, and giving offense is indeed another issue to consider.

M.

[mamselle]

^ Unrelated double, later...

Denotation matters.*

Not just yellow-sticky connotations that you can find or apply at will and play with--moving them about hither and yon through the texts--as you please, but actual meanings....they matter.

That is all.

M.

*Pax--or a pox--on Sassure, Derrida and all their flock, excepting, perhaps, Peirce, who seemed to get it.

[apl68]

A former book vendor who used to visit us once a year retired a while back.  She is from this area, and came back for a visit last week.  And decided to donate her leftover samples to us.  We counted 750 books--all hardcover, nearly all in like-new condition, all aimed at children through young adults.  This is a once-in-a-career donation!

I've spent a couple of days organizing them.  We plan to cherry-pick a few for our collection.  We're also going to get in touch with other school and public librarians and teachers around the region and offer them the chance to get anything they would like.  We can offer others for sale, or find other places to give them away.  At any rate, we plan to spread the good fortune as widely as possible.

This is soooooo much nicer than yet another batch of tattered paperbacks, or stale bestsellers, or ancient encyclopedias.  And so much better than yet more Danielle Steel!

[mamselle]

That is so cooolll!!!

M.

[mamselle]

Double a day later...

For those (like me) who originally haled, or still do, from NC, this is a fascinating new work:

   https://www.npr.org/2022/06/07/1102782509/the-debut-of-omar-a-thoroughly-american-opera

And opera is (finally, also,) making other amendments:

   https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2022/jun/05/royal-opera-madama-butterfly-japanese-culture

M.