Posted by Mr. B.
You guys missed a seriously cool learning experience last night when you declined my invitation to go with me to the program at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth. (Not to mention that if you had gone we would have had time to visit the Ron Mueck exhibit and the rest of the museum and to eat a burger at Kincaid's!) AND I sent my van to Chicago today so I won't have as much room again.
First, there was something good about being in the museum after hours. No big deal, but a good thing. The program began with a lecture from Dr. David E. Whillock, Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Communications at TCU. He spoke in a sort of lecture-for-note-taking way that was easy to follow and arrange in outline form. And he repeated some phrases like he was dictating them to note-takers. (Members of his class at TCU were there and taking notes, and so was I.) So, he didn't speak to entertain; he spoke to inform. I was glad of this because I went there to gather information (which was very entertaining for me).
In the lecture, he outlined some of the history and characteristics of the literary genre "hard-boiled detective" novels, stories, and films. I'll publish my notes on tviewlalabplus.blogspot.com soon along with the announcement of the lecture and film series from the Modern. I also picked up copies of an essay "The Simple Art of Murder" by Raymond Chandler. Willock quoted liberally from the essay, and I will, too. READ THIS QUOTE:
In everything that can be called art there is a quality of redemption. It may be pure tragedy, if it is high tragedy, and it may be pity and irony, and it may be the raucous laughter of the strong man. But down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. The detective in this kind of story must be such a man. He is the hero; he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor- by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world. I do not care much about his private life; he is neither a eunuch or a satyr; I think he might seduce a duchess and I am quite sure he would not spoil a virgin; if he is a man of honor in one thing, he is that in all things.
He is a relatively poor man, or he would not be a detective at all. He is a common man or he could not go among common people. He has a sense of character or he would not know his job. He will take no man's money dishonestly and no man's insolence without a due and dispassionate revenge. He is a lonely man and his pride is that you will treat him as a proud man or be very sorry you ever saw him. He talks as the man of his age talks- that is, with rude wit, a lively sense of the grotesque, a disgust for sham, and a contempt for pettiness.
The story is this man's adventure in search of a hidden truth, and it would ne adventure if it did not happen to a man fit for adventure. He has a range of awareness that startles you, but it belongs to him by right, because it belongs to the world he lives in. If there were enough like him, the world would be a very safe place to live in, without becoming too dull to be worth living in.
The film that followed was "Murder, My Sweet" from 1944. It was entertaining and a perfect example of the remarks Dr. Whillock made about the genre. The nest session in the series will be September 26. Especially if you are taking "Mystery and Suspense" you will want to check out my notes on the resource blog and, if possible, make a reservation with me for next time.
Dr. Whillock told me the last session (November 7) when he screens "Body Heat" (1981) may have a little too much - what? - sex, violence, nudity for high school students' parents to want them to see. So, I won't extend the usual invitation for that night.
You guys missed a seriously cool learning experience last night when you declined my invitation to go with me to the program at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth. (Not to mention that if you had gone we would have had time to visit the Ron Mueck exhibit and the rest of the museum and to eat a burger at Kincaid's!) AND I sent my van to Chicago today so I won't have as much room again.
First, there was something good about being in the museum after hours. No big deal, but a good thing. The program began with a lecture from Dr. David E. Whillock, Professor and Associate Dean of the College of Communications at TCU. He spoke in a sort of lecture-for-note-taking way that was easy to follow and arrange in outline form. And he repeated some phrases like he was dictating them to note-takers. (Members of his class at TCU were there and taking notes, and so was I.) So, he didn't speak to entertain; he spoke to inform. I was glad of this because I went there to gather information (which was very entertaining for me).
In the lecture, he outlined some of the history and characteristics of the literary genre "hard-boiled detective" novels, stories, and films. I'll publish my notes on tviewlalabplus.blogspot.com soon along with the announcement of the lecture and film series from the Modern. I also picked up copies of an essay "The Simple Art of Murder" by Raymond Chandler. Willock quoted liberally from the essay, and I will, too. READ THIS QUOTE:
In everything that can be called art there is a quality of redemption. It may be pure tragedy, if it is high tragedy, and it may be pity and irony, and it may be the raucous laughter of the strong man. But down these mean streets a man must go who is not himself mean, who is neither tarnished nor afraid. The detective in this kind of story must be such a man. He is the hero; he is everything. He must be a complete man and a common man and yet an unusual man. He must be, to use a rather weathered phrase, a man of honor- by instinct, by inevitability, without thought of it, and certainly without saying it. He must be the best man in his world and a good enough man for any world. I do not care much about his private life; he is neither a eunuch or a satyr; I think he might seduce a duchess and I am quite sure he would not spoil a virgin; if he is a man of honor in one thing, he is that in all things.
He is a relatively poor man, or he would not be a detective at all. He is a common man or he could not go among common people. He has a sense of character or he would not know his job. He will take no man's money dishonestly and no man's insolence without a due and dispassionate revenge. He is a lonely man and his pride is that you will treat him as a proud man or be very sorry you ever saw him. He talks as the man of his age talks- that is, with rude wit, a lively sense of the grotesque, a disgust for sham, and a contempt for pettiness.
The story is this man's adventure in search of a hidden truth, and it would ne adventure if it did not happen to a man fit for adventure. He has a range of awareness that startles you, but it belongs to him by right, because it belongs to the world he lives in. If there were enough like him, the world would be a very safe place to live in, without becoming too dull to be worth living in.
The film that followed was "Murder, My Sweet" from 1944. It was entertaining and a perfect example of the remarks Dr. Whillock made about the genre. The nest session in the series will be September 26. Especially if you are taking "Mystery and Suspense" you will want to check out my notes on the resource blog and, if possible, make a reservation with me for next time.Dr. Whillock told me the last session (November 7) when he screens "Body Heat" (1981) may have a little too much - what? - sex, violence, nudity for high school students' parents to want them to see. So, I won't extend the usual invitation for that night.
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