Murray Smith'd Out
I have broken all of my personal records for time spent at school in the past two days. Yesterday was really one for the record books, I was at school at 7:30 (to reserve a camera to do my video project this weekend) and I stayed until 11:30, for an extra screening. During the day, I had a one-hour break in which I ate and prepared for teaching. It actually wasn't too bad of a day, all things considered. I got my paper on "coherence" done and I turned it in in what I think is coherent shape. I stayed for a screening of British Landscape Films - a spin-off of Structural films from the 1970s from England by Chris Welsby and John Smith. The first set was lyrical and beautiful nature-inspired photography that was then reduced to violent-Peter Sharits-inspired flickering. Honestly, the Welsby films were just mesmorizing - the cinematography and shots were gorgeous and nearly surpassed the shots in
Rivers and Tides (my current candidate for most beautiful film). The second set, four films by John Smith, were easily, the most clever / funny things I've seen in ages. Such a delight - despite the late hour and the very long day - last night was the perfect way to come back from break. After class, I went with Eric for a much needed drink and collapsed in my bed.
Just because I am a glutton for punishment, I decided to sit in on a class by our visiting scholar, Murray Smith. He is a maverick - a great writer, important film theoretician, funny, attractive, clever, stylish - and British. I sat in on a great meeting of minds in which we discussed article trying to bridge evolutionary psychology (the way humans universally can read emotion from facial expressions) and the impact of this scientific truth on arts, namely film. After a quick dinner, I came back for his paper on the British Landscape films. Another tour de force in film scholarship - but it's gotten me home later than I wanted, and perhaps, more mentally exhausted than I had planned. But today was a stimulating day in film scholarship and I felt engaged, curious, and mesmorized with interest. If all days could only be this way.
Now it's approaching bedtime, an early morning tomorrow, and I still have plans to finish the draft of my conference paper to give to my advisor in the afternoon...
I already need another vacation.
posted by lmjasinski at 9:18 PM
