Thanks to Antrobiótica we have learned of a marvelous book: The Zombie of Greater Peru, or, The Countess of Cockaigne, by Pierre-Corneille Blessebois (1646-~1700). It has 145 pages, and was published in Rouen in 1697; its existence indicates that zombies were already being discussed in Europe then. The book is catalogued in the French National … More Des livres
I had thought I would recover from the semester via a manicure, a professional cleaning of the house, and a pair of shoes. However, the manicurist is on vacation, the cleaning lady did not show up, and I did not see any attractive shoes. Therefore when I go to town, meaning New Orleans next week, … More Escape Art(ist)
The last two days have been exceedingly unpleasant, for exceedingly silly reasons – reasons on the order of the background to the letter I paste in below. The reason for the error this letter hopes to correct is the basic illiteracy and laziness of the employees of Subaru Roadside Assistance Plus, and especially their desire … More Irate Customer
Setting the tone for these uneven notes on various forms of subtle and unsubtle abuse and resistance is Morphological Confetti’s fascinating post on the 1741 New York slave rebellion, in which poor whites were co-conspirators. 1. The good news this week, of course, is that Jerry Falwell is dead. The Field Negro has a picture … More Seven Forms of Resistance
Summer being here, I am moved to repost my “Whiteman Abroad,” originally created June 11, 2006 and still relevant in 2007. It was conceived as an aid for professors on research trips, but it is also applicable more generally. Remember that ‘whitemen’ are not all male, and not all white. 1. You have a professional … More Travel Tips for Whitemen
According to Stephen Gregory in The Devil Behind the Mirror: Globalization and Politics in the Dominican Republic (U of California P, 2006), citizenship is a “technology of power” that enables the tourism police to enforce a kind of social hygiene on the behalf of tourists, who do not want to be irritated by vendors or … More Illegal at Home
This is what Ernesto Cardenal said in El Nuevo Diario (Managua), August 31, 2001, on abstention from voting. It was republished in La Insignia (Madrid) two days later, and that is where I have found it now. Motivated by the declarations Sergio Ramírez has just given, that he neither shared nor supported the electoral pact … More No hay por quién votar
Here to entertain you is an English translation of the preface to my unfinished novel, Madrid. As you can see, it is an avant-garde text. DANGER! Madrid is a place in your mind, or your body, we do not know which. The encyclopedia of our historical moment is Madrid. That song you cannot get out … More Madrid
It appears that being a nationally recognized wetlands expert and working to save the coastline is not good for an academic career in Louisiana. We can read all about it in the Baton Rouge Daily Advocate. Paul Keddy’s university issued the following press release about him May 2: Southeastern Louisiana University wetlands expert Paul Keddy … More On Academic Freedom
I am working on my new auxiliary site and I would like feedback on the header image. Meanwhile, one of my correspondents says this: Rumors are flying that the VP Dick Cheney may be part of Hookergate. If so, Washington D.C. Madam Deborah Jeane Palfrey‘s call-list may be the WMD that does in the Bush … More On Dick Cheney and ‘Hookergate’
coldhearted scientist وداد 