Nabokov, Shirley Temple, and Shakespeare: Add a Bit of Chilson for Good Measure

Tonight (or rather April 23rd night) my 406 class gave me an interesting birthday present (besides bring some delicious cake [rainbow with a lazor-eyed unicorn, and chocolate] and carrot-cake-cupcakes, and brownies). They "discovered" that Nabokov "shares" the same birthday. When looking this up after class, I dicovered the following interesting tidbit (thanks to our dear Wiki):

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Birth date

Nabokov was born on April 10, 1899 according to the Julian calendar in use in Russia at that time. The Gregorian equivalent is April 22, which is achieved by adding 12 days to the Julian date. Some sources have incorrectly calculated a date of April 23, by inappropriately using the 13-day difference in the calendars that applied only after February 28, 1900. In Speak, Memory Nabokov explains the cause of the error and confirms the correct date of April 22. But he himself celebrated his birthday on April 23, and stated in an interview with The New York Times, "That is also Shakespeare’s and Shirley Temple’s, so I have nothing to lose by saying I was born on the 23rd."

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Indeed, dear Nabokov, indeed. Miss Temple and Senor Shakespeare do make good buddies, good company with which to celebrate one's day o' birth. I'll share them with you. :-) Three might make a crowd, but four is a hella good time, I tell you what. Bring Bunny along when you come over for dinner, wine, and discussion (which might also include watching some funky cartoons, and a bum who believes himself to be a German philosopher); the others won't mind.

:-)

Media & ID chips: What do you all think of this?

Power to the Pronk, For the Pronk, By the Pronk, and Pronk Pronk

Onion on CBS

Beckett: Unnamable

Beckett: Malloy, sucking stones

Happy Birthday Beckett!!!

Beckett: counting down

I know all you all are counting down...

Beckett's Birthday is in two days, so hold your horses. The thirteenth of April is on its way.

Semester and books

Not sure how to prepare for next semester yet. Funny, we have to select texts for the next semester, which always makes me feel like I actually have to have next semester completely planned as well. This next year seems as unpredicateable, neigh, more so, than, previous years. I'm thinking through what to teach in terms of the 305 I'm assigned. The real question will be whether I ask for two more classes, or none at all. Regardless, for the 305 I'm thinking about teaching a few more books I've always wanted to read/teach, or that I've taught before but would like to teach again, in a different context. Namely, I'm thinking about the Cantos; Dream Songs; and a few others. More importantly, I'm needing to write more. Writing more might also give me more opportunity in the future in terms of what classes I might get. Also, in addition to Cantos, I was thinking of a poem by Auden; a play or six by Yeats; and others, like Valery; maybe even Baudelaire. Not sure yet. This is a picture of Charles Olson at Black Mountain.