Category Archives: Littademia

All the reasons I didn’t do a PhD in medieval lit, and all the reasons I still occasionally wish I had.

“Where I live, everything is so small!”

Posted on January 28, 2012 by cicada

APOD’s photo of the day is, in the words of my boyfriend, “very The Little Prince.” How wonderfully whimsical.

Posted in Littademia, Photography | Comments Off

Typnostalgia

Posted on December 24, 2011 by cicada

“People are practically printing books with their smartphones,” Mr. Fletcher said, in a tone suggesting that he did not think this was such a good idea. Delightful. From the New York Times review of the Grolier Club exhibition “Printing for … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Ephemera, Littademia, Museum Lust, Retrotechnology | Comments Off

Myopia

Posted on December 17, 2011 by cicada

“I fear that the character of my knowledge is from year to year becoming more distinct and scientific; that, in exchange for vistas wide as heaven’s scope, I am being narrowed down to the field of the microscope. I see … Continue reading →

Posted in Biology, Department of the Drama, Ephemera, History of Science, Littademia | Comments Off

A story of art, generosity and books

Posted on December 8, 2011 by cicada

My friend Libby sent me this inspiring story from one of my favorite cities, Edinburgh, where an anonymous artist has been leaving intricate book sculptures in local libraries. First, in March, the Scottish Poetry Library (which uses the wonderful institutional … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Books, Littademia, Poetry, Random Acts of Altruism | Comments Off

“Womanspace,” sex stereotypes, and things that are “bad for” science

Posted on November 23, 2011 by cicada

Ed Rybicki’s “tongue-in-cheek” sci-fi vignette, “Womanspace”, has provoked quite the controversy in the weeks since it was published.  Various critics are calling the story sexist, anti-science, and unworthy of publication in a science journal (it appeared in Nature). Some have even … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Ephemera, Gender Issues, Littademia | Comments Off

SF/F as a lens for looking at the law

Posted on November 1, 2011 by cicada

As Arthur C. Clarke once put it, technology is — at some sufficiently advanced tipping point — “indistinguishable from magic”.  An interesting question that follows from that realization is this: how big a difference is there, really, between the law … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Film, Video & Music, Gender Issues, Littademia, Neuroscience, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

“A masterful congress of word and image, science and art”: I think Darwin would approve

Posted on October 30, 2011 by cicada

Artist, naturalist and calligrapher Kelly Houle is seeking support through Kickstarter for her “Illuminated Origin of Species” project: Houle promises “a masterful congress of word and image, science and art, in celebration of the grandeur in this view of life.”  … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Books, Ephemera, History of Science, Littademia, Medical Illustration and History, Random Acts of Altruism, Retrotechnology | Comments Off

The Mona Lisa, Genes, and Money

Posted on February 13, 2008 by cicada

One of the questions an artist hates most is what is your artwork worth? Price is a subjective, unsatisfactory proxy for emotional angst, frustration, eyestrain, and time. Sometimes I find that NO (reasonable) value can compensate for the emotional investment … Continue reading →

Posted in Artists & Art, Ephemera, Film, Video & Music, Littademia, Photography, Science in culture & policy | Comments Off

This would be my third-favorite show

Posted on January 17, 2008 by cicada

Geoffrey Chaucer is back on his blog after a hiatus almost as long as Lost‘s, with a comment on the television writers’ strike. He proposes some shows of his own which sound a tad familiar, perhaps – but in literature, … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs and Blogging, Frivolity, Littademia | 2 Comments

The Five Living Poets Challenge

Posted on October 31, 2007 by cicada

Over at his blog, Jeff Prucher has challenged readers to think of five major LIVING poets. Can you do it? No cheating, no Googling, no looking at your bookshelf or New Yorkers! For verisimilitude, pretend Alex Trebek is staring smugly … Continue reading →

Posted in Frivolity, Littademia, Poetry | 4 Comments