Great newsletter! I’m super interested in psychogeography and personal maps. Are you acquainted with the concept of the ‘lieu de memoire?’ - I think that has a lot in common
Thank you :) I have come across that term many times but I admit I've never quite understood the nuances of the meaning. Please do share more if you have the time!
My understanding is based entirely on a module I did through the ‘German as a foreign language’ department when studying in Germany 8 years ago - in German it translates to Erinnerungsorte. It’s about places - whether physical or cultural - that hold great value and cultural tradition. To give you an idea, each of the seminar students had to give a presentation on a place of memory in their culture. I did ‘literature’ and the other British student did ‘tea’; the Ukrainian student talked about the Maidan Square and Euromaidan.
In the States, this time of year is “ataraxic time.” It is the much-anticipated return of American football in all it’s forms: from grade-school, high-school, college and professional level. This time of year, induces a feeling of ataraxia, especially in the male population, which induces a feeling of ataraxia among females from having the males occupied and distracted. Ataraxia is a calmness untroubled by mental or emotional disquiet; the highest goal of an Epicurean disciple was ataraxia—tranquility of mind. Ataraxic time lasts from the end of August until the end of February the next year. Then we will have the opposite, which is Trumptrée time, where the rational among us will be cheering for a conviction and prison time for Herr Trump.
“Instead we’ve all been schvitzing up a storm…”
Wonderful word, “schvitzing!”
“…perfect storm of anti-British crimes, namely, a badly managed queue…”
Mind the queue!!!
“…an exhibition at the Cinémathèque française, starting in October, dedicated to legendary French director Agnès Varda.”
Born in 1953, I was coming of age during the turbulent 1960’s in the States. I grew up poor, White and Male, in a diverse neighborhood and I was exposed to racism, especially targeting Blacks. The exposure must have traumatized me because I gravitated towards the world of Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, who stood both proudly and defiantly against institutionalized racism, even though I was White. In 1968, Agnès Varda did a documentary, “Black Panthers,” which was current and serves as a time-capsule against oppression. Needed more than ever today with the hate that has been enflamed by the likes of Marine Le Pen and Donald Trump. https://youtu.be/vrJsiykuEVA?si=7SqKHxP23COYfV0L
Thank you for reading and for writing back, I really appreciate it! Trumptrée time...oh dear oh dear. Cheering the trial here along with you, it's quite upsetting to see that person back on screens again. I really thought he would have fallen off the political map by now, but sadly not. Thank you for sharing, I haven't seen this and didn't know it was on Youtube -- I'll watch. The normalisation of Le Pen and co. is alarming and sad.
Take care and have a lovely week.
p.s. I can't wait to see what you and lovely Karen talk about this week! I love that one letter has sparked more.
Thank you for reading my ramblings. At age 70, I find your newsletter exposes me to such interesting topics that I may have been exposed to only tangentially, if at all; tidbits to explore and discuss.
Hate has never gone away; scapegoating, it seems, is expressed in the human DNA and events like Barack Obama's election in the States was too much for White Republicans. When times are hard, which is most of the time, the populace cast about for scapegoats and Trump and Le Pen are too happy to oblige. Not even 1930's Germany and the horror that followed was lesson enough. It seems the US Civil War was never resolved; in fact, by losing, the South won. Demographics will win the day, coupled with the actions of the large corporations, which have a lot at stake in keeping a nation unified. There's the old man in me talking (and memories of my younger days as a labor activist!).
As for Karen, she wrote on of the funniest replies ever. I'm still laughing!
I do love a good map and there's something quite romantic these days when navigating manually from one.
Crazy about the weather. My dad has been complaining back in England, saying it's too hot to sleep.
Meanwhile, here in Melbourne, I am all SPRING SPRING SPRING! Give me the warmth and the sun. We've got an incredible series of 20C+ days ahead as of today and it makes me so excited.
Aw enjoy the spring springing! I’ve been using my paper map to navigate today and a few people have looked at me with pity haha! But it really helps me understand where I am better
I can’t think of two worse anti-British crimes! Both give me the creeping horrors despite not currently drinking beer. Mon absolute dieu!!!
Mon absolute dieu!!!!
Great newsletter! I’m super interested in psychogeography and personal maps. Are you acquainted with the concept of the ‘lieu de memoire?’ - I think that has a lot in common
Thank you :) I have come across that term many times but I admit I've never quite understood the nuances of the meaning. Please do share more if you have the time!
My understanding is based entirely on a module I did through the ‘German as a foreign language’ department when studying in Germany 8 years ago - in German it translates to Erinnerungsorte. It’s about places - whether physical or cultural - that hold great value and cultural tradition. To give you an idea, each of the seminar students had to give a presentation on a place of memory in their culture. I did ‘literature’ and the other British student did ‘tea’; the Ukrainian student talked about the Maidan Square and Euromaidan.
I see, thank you for explaining! Do you recall what your literature lieu de mémoire was?
“This is, after all, Rentrée time…”
In the States, this time of year is “ataraxic time.” It is the much-anticipated return of American football in all it’s forms: from grade-school, high-school, college and professional level. This time of year, induces a feeling of ataraxia, especially in the male population, which induces a feeling of ataraxia among females from having the males occupied and distracted. Ataraxia is a calmness untroubled by mental or emotional disquiet; the highest goal of an Epicurean disciple was ataraxia—tranquility of mind. Ataraxic time lasts from the end of August until the end of February the next year. Then we will have the opposite, which is Trumptrée time, where the rational among us will be cheering for a conviction and prison time for Herr Trump.
“Instead we’ve all been schvitzing up a storm…”
Wonderful word, “schvitzing!”
“…perfect storm of anti-British crimes, namely, a badly managed queue…”
Mind the queue!!!
“…an exhibition at the Cinémathèque française, starting in October, dedicated to legendary French director Agnès Varda.”
Born in 1953, I was coming of age during the turbulent 1960’s in the States. I grew up poor, White and Male, in a diverse neighborhood and I was exposed to racism, especially targeting Blacks. The exposure must have traumatized me because I gravitated towards the world of Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X and the Black Panthers, who stood both proudly and defiantly against institutionalized racism, even though I was White. In 1968, Agnès Varda did a documentary, “Black Panthers,” which was current and serves as a time-capsule against oppression. Needed more than ever today with the hate that has been enflamed by the likes of Marine Le Pen and Donald Trump. https://youtu.be/vrJsiykuEVA?si=7SqKHxP23COYfV0L
“The Bird Woman in Mary Poppins”
Great choice!!
Thank you for reading and for writing back, I really appreciate it! Trumptrée time...oh dear oh dear. Cheering the trial here along with you, it's quite upsetting to see that person back on screens again. I really thought he would have fallen off the political map by now, but sadly not. Thank you for sharing, I haven't seen this and didn't know it was on Youtube -- I'll watch. The normalisation of Le Pen and co. is alarming and sad.
Take care and have a lovely week.
p.s. I can't wait to see what you and lovely Karen talk about this week! I love that one letter has sparked more.
Thank you for reading my ramblings. At age 70, I find your newsletter exposes me to such interesting topics that I may have been exposed to only tangentially, if at all; tidbits to explore and discuss.
Hate has never gone away; scapegoating, it seems, is expressed in the human DNA and events like Barack Obama's election in the States was too much for White Republicans. When times are hard, which is most of the time, the populace cast about for scapegoats and Trump and Le Pen are too happy to oblige. Not even 1930's Germany and the horror that followed was lesson enough. It seems the US Civil War was never resolved; in fact, by losing, the South won. Demographics will win the day, coupled with the actions of the large corporations, which have a lot at stake in keeping a nation unified. There's the old man in me talking (and memories of my younger days as a labor activist!).
As for Karen, she wrote on of the funniest replies ever. I'm still laughing!
Yes! to mapping a city by interest or topic. It is a lovely way to anchor the layout of a place to your memory.
Great to read of your Rentrée, Hannah.
I do love a good map and there's something quite romantic these days when navigating manually from one.
Crazy about the weather. My dad has been complaining back in England, saying it's too hot to sleep.
Meanwhile, here in Melbourne, I am all SPRING SPRING SPRING! Give me the warmth and the sun. We've got an incredible series of 20C+ days ahead as of today and it makes me so excited.
Aw enjoy the spring springing! I’ve been using my paper map to navigate today and a few people have looked at me with pity haha! But it really helps me understand where I am better