The Birth of a Nation

If culture is made - an artifact at some level - what parts does cinema play? "Classic silent film, directed by D. W. Griffith in 1915. This is probably the first film constructed with the classic hollywood narrative style, that is attributed to Griffith. "Two brothers, Phil and Ted Stoneman, visit their friends in Piedmont, South Carolina: the family Cameron. This friendship is affected by the Civil War, as the Stonemans and the Camerons must join up opposite armies. The consequences of the War in their lives are shown in connection to major historical events, like the development of the Civil War itself, Lincoln's assassination, and the birth of the Ku Klux Klan."

"Kramer's" Racist Tirade - Caught on Tape

Richards, who played the wacky Cosmo Kramer on the hit TV show "Seinfeld," appeared onstage at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood. It appears two guys, both African-American, were in the cheap seats playfully heckling Richards when suddenly, the comedian lost it. http://www.tmz.com/2006/11/20/kramers-racist-tirade-caught-on-tape/ He later apologized on Letterman and was obviously struck. What is happening here? Is he really shpowing the audience their own underbelly or just freaking out on his own anger, or both, or ...?

Feeling particularly grateful for my soon to be official Dissertation Advisor/Reader,

Debra Knowles, Ph.D.

I finally shifted from emails to a simple phone call and now feel we are much more on the same team. A quote from her: "Everybody is living out their thoughts"
and from her work on Hannah Arendt: "All I ever tried to do with my writing is to explain it to myself."

further excellent advice...

Be clear about stating my unique hypothesis as though beginning (but not being obsessive about ) a scientific experiment. State the Process Arts shift as a given but be clear I don't intend to prove it unequivocally. It will substantiate itself as we go.
Don't stop mid sentence to comfort the reader re the vagaries of expression itself being indefinite. Just be clear what is meant.

On a different tangent, the dictionary definition of Empirical = 1. Relying on or derived from observation or experiment: empirical results that supported the hypothesis. 2. Verifiable or provable by means of observation or experiment: empirical laws. 3. Guided by practical experience and not theory, especially in medicine. James Hillman works Jung's "empirical event" such that he "refreshes a term that has shrunk into an encrusted cliche of scientism" (Healing Fiction p32). Does anybody know of any other specific places Hillman or Jung directly expand on the idea of non-scientistic empiricism?

Also in the news, I am grateful to Huston Smith for nominating me for membership in the Pacific Coast Theological Society. He called to inform me today that I am definitely accepted and expected at their Spring Meeting. They send out three papers from members and gather on a Friday from 2pm (2 papers) through dinner, and Saturday from 10-noon (1 paper). I'm looking forward to joining in and chewing on some lovely intellectual roughage.

Reminder to self: send dues to Secretary/Treasurer Sharon Burch