Author Archives: Kathy

Good Docs

Posted on October 8, 2012 by Kathy

Two documentaries at the Cleveland Museum of Art sound interesting this weekend. Booker’s Place: A Mississippi Story revisits a 1965 NBC interview, in which an African-American waiter named Booker Wright spoke openly to TV reporters and later paid the price. The … Continue reading →

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Hands Down, It’s “Madame de…”

Posted on October 7, 2012 by Kathy

No zombies or giant man-eating sandworms for me this weekend. I’ll pass over Juan of the Dead (Cuba’s first zombie movie) and Dune, David Lynch’s version of the Frank Herbert science-fiction novel, for Max Ophuls’s exquisite 1953 gem, The Earrings … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | 7 Comments

La Grande Illusion

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Kathy

It happened again tonight. As I was tearing up watching Jean Renoir’s great 1937 anti-war film La Grande Illusion at the Cinematheque, I was thinking that I should have told everyone I know to come and see it. John didn’t … Continue reading →

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Frustules, not Frustrating

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Kathy

My friend Jerry, a scientist who studies Lake Erie algae, visited the GED class where I tutor to talk about his work. I learned a lot about his research, and I also learned some new words, which I’ve had fun … Continue reading →

Posted in Teaching | 2 Comments

Moby and Me

Posted on September 8, 2012 by Kathy

Howard Vincent, author of two books about Herman Melville, The Trying-Out of Moby-Dick (1949) and The Tailoring of Melville’s White Jacket (1970), was my favorite professor at Kent State University. He had, in my memory, an elfin appearance: white of hair, bushy of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Teaching | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Difficult Moms

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Kathy

Whenever I talk about the subject of my book, at parties or with other groups, a few women around me begin to nod and then chime in with stories of their own mothers. I hate to malign moms, being one … Continue reading →

Posted in BPD-Related | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

Tootle Your Horn with Vigor

Posted on August 11, 2012 by Kathy

Many people will recognize “tootle your horn” as a weirdly wonderful translation, from Japanese to English, of an admonition to drivers. When one translates from one language to another, normal usage sometimes falls by the wayside, and screwy translations result. (Find more funny examples here.) In … Continue reading →

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Ad Astra Per Errores Multos

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Kathy

Caleb’s Crossing by Gwendolyn Brooks, a recent selection of my book group, concerns young Puritans in early America, growing up and getting educated. The Latin they were studying contained a number of errors, showing exceeding carelessness, I thought, on the part … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Teaching | 5 Comments

Ignore Reviews, Except for This One

Posted on July 9, 2012 by Kathy

Women should see the new Pixar film, Brave, especially women with problematic relationships with their mothers, or, as my friends say, women. Girls should see it, too. That’s my opinion. (And it’s fun for men, too. At least my husband … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | 2 Comments

Forgiveness

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Kathy

Forgiveness is giving up the hope that the past could’ve been any different. I’ve heard this quote about forgiveness many times. It’s one of Oprah’s favorites and apparently originated with the Buddhist teacher and writer Jack Kornfeld. I’ve always thought it was catchy … Continue reading →

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