Wednesday, 22 September1999
READING MATTERS Vol V, No 5
Jim Harris sends this note from PW Daily for Booksellers from Publishers Weekly--
While publishers weep about the performance of many of their midlist books, Norton has can only shed tears of happiness for Crying, Tom Lutz's nonfiction narrative on tears.
Pubbed on August 30, the book attracted good word early, with a starred review in PW (June 28) and a July 18 interview in the New York Times Magazine with Lutz, a professor of English at the University of Iowa, along with Barry Sanders, author of the 1995 Beacon Press title Sudden Glory: A Brief History of Laughter. This week Crying is the surprise lead title featured in People magazine's book section (more below).
All the attention, along with other favorable writeups and reviews throughout the country, is putting a healthy dent in what Norton publicity chief Louise Brockett termed an "ambitious first printing." Crying also is included in the Talk 10 book list in the second issue of Tina Brown's high-profile Talk magazine, which guarantees that the book is displayed at Barnes & Noble stores.
Thanks in part to the Chicago Tribune making the book its cover choice in its September 5 Sunday review section, Norton has expanded Lutz's tour, which previously focused on New York, Iowa City and Los Angeles, to include the Windy City. In addition to an NPR radio interview that has already run, Lutz, who wrote the well-reviewed American Nervousness, 1903: A History of Nervous Illness at the Turn of the Century (Cornell University Press), is set to get some TV time with newsman Jim Lehrer. All in all, nothing to cry about.--Judy Quinn
The People review ("Bottom Line: Not just another sob story") cites a number of Tom's contemporary anecdotes about public crying and concludes: "Written with intelligence and wit, this is one book you can read without having to weep." But, the real story of this review is that it appears directly under an eye-catching quarter-page size shot of a dramatically grieving Leo DiCaprio. "Men (like Leo DiCaprio in Romeo & Juliet) are also having a bawl, says expert Lutz.
The Sep 24 Chronicle has a featured review of Crying in its New Scholarly Books section:
TEARS. Welling up, spilling over, striping the face, salting the tongue. They are one of the few human universals. Everyone, everywhere, has cried at some time, notes Tom Lutz in Crying: The Natural and Cultural History of Tears (W. W. Norton). But tears, he adds, often resist interpretation, confounding people across cultures and within relationships. "An explanation that is obvious to the crier may be lost on the person whose shoulder is getting wet."
The book is an engaging study of how, when, and why we weep, linking the views of philosophers, physiologists, psychologists, and anthropologists with the experiences of colicky babies, morose lovers, sniffling filmgoers, and other accomplished boo-hooers.
The release of a "good cry" may be familiar to most of us. Less familiar, perhaps, are the "tears of grace" shed by medieval Christian fathers, or the weeping warriors of literature. "Heroic epics from Greek times through the Middle Ages are soggy with weeping of all sorts," writes Mr. Lutz, an associate professor of English at the University of Iowa. "Tearlessness has not been the standard of manliness through most of history."
In 19th-century America, it was common for political orators to shed a tear or two in liquid punctuation. But in 1972, after Edmund Muskie cried in front of the press during the New Hampshire Presidential primary campaign, he soon felt compelled to leave the race. Nowadays, tearing up is okay for male politicians, but not for their female counterparts, who must remain stoic lest they be branded weak or unstable.
Funerary practices around the world reveal a complex mixture of sorrowful tears and the performative weeping of social expectation. Often the ritual itself provokes heartfelt crying, writes Mr. Lutz, regardless of one's link to the deceased.
Truly feigned or "crocodile tears" have long provoked social rebuke. The metaphor, Mr. Lutz says, refers to crocodiles' fully extending their jaws to swallow a victim. Their "lacrimal ducts are squeezed, and excess lubricating tears are produced." Feigned tears drew the wrath of one medieval saint, Peter Damien, who wrote of tears that were not "heavenly dew" but "the bilge-water of hell." Manufactured tears also draw comment in Hamlet, when the hero bitterly marvels at an actor's ability to shed tears at will: "What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba, that he should weep for her?" Maybe the players at Elsinore were early Method actors, plumbing their "affective memories. ' ' --NINA C. AYOUB
Here's what I have so far on our committee work outside of that for the department. Please e-mail me additions to this almost certainly less than complete list.
Morris--IWP Advisory Committee in the Vice President's Office
Boos--International Scholarship Committee, the Faculty Welfare Committee and the Faculty Senate
Folsom--Educational Policy Committee, through 2001 (on leave, this fall) UI Press Board Vice President for Research's Ad Hoc Committee on Arts & Humanities Initiative
Hamilton--POROI Executive Committee; and I've just been named to the Board of Directors for the new Iowa Center for Human Rights
Landon--UI Center for the Book
Eckstein--chair the U. Librarian search. I'm also on something called the Provost's committee on interdisciplinarity
Mangum--Faculty Senate, Faculty Advisory Committee for Interdepartmental Studies, Aging Studies Executive Committee, Affiliate with Aging Studies
Pascoe-- Liberal Arts Scholarship Committee
Snider--Faculty Assembly
Wilcox--Director, Undergraduate Certificate Program in Medieval Studies (term ends 01) Chair, Advisory Board, UI Center for the Book (term ends 01) Member LA Faculty Assembly (term ends 00)
Adams--Faculty Assembly
Bass--Faculty Assembly, Council for the Status of Women, University Diversity Committee (awards fellowships and scholarships)
Latham--Executive Committee of the Sexuality Studies program
Witt--AAWS steering committee
Creekmur--board of the Institute for Cinema and Culture, and the Program in Sexuality Studies
Harper--Board of the School of Religion
Wittenberg--faculty assembly
Marshall--Liberal Arts Executive Committee
Donaldson--Educational Policy Committee and am also a member of the Interdepartmental Studies Advisory Board
Rigal--represent American Studies on the Faculty Assembly
DiPardo--Council on Teaching
Nagel--EPC in fall '99, chairs Campus Planning Committee
Raeburn--University Press Board
This Friday, September 24 at 7:00 PM John Harper will present a lecture on "The History and Mystery of Anna Madrigal" at Hancher. This precedes the 8PM concert of Chanticleer, which will perform a new work based on Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City series, with Frederica von Stade singing the role of Anna Madrigal.
The Central Investment Fund for Research Enhancement (CIFRE) has announced the seventh annual competition for scholarly project support, with a deadline of October 11. Eligibility includes all tenured and tenure-track faculty (but not applicants who received a CIFRE award during academic year 1997-98 or 1998-99. Preference given to applicants in the early stages of their careers. Each of us was sent a CIFRE MEMORANDUM--a packet containing eligibility guidelines, deadlines, forms, procedures, etc. For more information, check the web at http://www.uiowa.edu/~vpr/research/gb1.htm#Multi1
For other research resources (on-line funding searches, administrative/academic contacts, electronic forms, funding statistics, regulations/procedures, etc.) go to the main UI research Web page: http://www.uiowa.edu/~vpr/
Jay Semel has just called for proposals for Summer 2000 for the Obermann Center for Advanced Studies Interdisciplinary Research Grants. This program provides $5000 per person for a 4-week summer research residency for interdisciplinary collaborations with scholars from UI or other institutions. For more information, read the flyer with the bridge on it, or contact Jay Semel (jay-semel@uiowa.edu), Obermann Center, N134 Oakdale Hall, 335-4034. The deadline for proposals is December 1, 1999.
Columbia University has just announced the Society of Fellows in the Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowhips 2000-2001. This is a $30,000 stipend, half for independent research and half for teaching in the undergraduate program in general education. Application materials and instructions can be obtained from the College of Liberal Arts Administrative Office, 240 Schaeffer Hall, or call Ginny at 335-2611 or e-mail ginny-ockenfels@uiowa.edu. The deadline for receipt of completed application forms is October 15, 1999.
The University of Iowa Council on Teaching has announced that proposals are being accepted from faculty and those staff directly involved with instructional support for special funding to support the costs of instructional projects that will make exceptional and specific contributions to in-class instruction. Two categories of proposals offer a maximum funding level of $5000 for Category I and of $1500 for Category II. You should have gotten this announcement and necessary application forms in campus mail. For more information contact David Manderscheid, Chair of the Council on Teaching at (335-0763). The deadline for applications is 4:00 pm on October 29, 1999.
And JoAnn Castagna writes. . .
Dean Antczak, on behalf of the First Year Seminar Committee, has asked me to ask you to please let your faculty know that the Committee is still accepting proposals for Spring 2000 first-year seminar courses. We are offering a $2,500 honorarium to instructors who teach first-year seminars, paid as "extra compensation" at the end of the semester. Faculty who have taught in the past are welcome to submit proposals, as, of course, are faculty who have not yet taken this opportunity to explore a topic with 15 first-year students. Almost all the facuty who have taught in the program have enjoyed the experience--students tend to be interested, motivated, and enthusiastic.
Information on the program, and a proposal cover sheet are available from the "For Faculty" page of the College web site: http://www.uiowa.edu/~libarts
I'd be happy to talk with any faculty member with questions.
Meeting for all untenured faculty and for members of this year's tenure committees on Thursday, September 23 at 3:45 in the Gerber Lounge. Huston and I and Cheryl will go over and try to make sense of the Provost's changes to promotion and tenure procedures.
Web Matters: Women Writers Online Project and Info Arcade News
Helen Ryan writes . . .
The Libraries have a trial subscription to The Women Writers Online Project at Brown University. This project is an attempt to identify and enter into the computer everything written in English by women prior to the Victorian era. Its scope includes printed books and manuscripts, the traditional literary genres of fiction, poetry, and drama, as well as sermons, prayers, household manuals, translations, letters, diaries, and whatever else women can be found writing.
The trial period lasts till Oct. 15. Please take a look and send your opinions to Helen-Ryan@uiowa.edu. Women Writers Online can be reached at:
http://www.wwp.brown.edu/texts/wwoentry.html
and Paul Soderdahl of the Info Arcade writes. . .
RSVP FOR THE ARCADE CLASSROOM - SPRING 2000
The Spring 2000 schedule for the Information Arcade classroom is filling quickly, but space is still available. The classroom is equipped with 24 PowerMac Blue G3s student workstations, two instructor stations and a Tech Commander video switching system that allows the instructor to route a display to any one student, group of students or the entire class. Information Arcade staff support is available to instructors teaching in the classroom. Reservations may be made by visiting the classroom web page at: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/arcade/classroom, using Corporate Time classroom reservation system, or by contacting Ann Khan at 355-5447 or annadora-kahn@uiowa.edu.
FREE WEB CLINICS HELP BUILD BETTER WEB SITES The Information Arcade this month launched a series of free Web clinics to help students, faculty and staff learn to create and manage Web sites. To register for any of the clinics, please complete a registration form at: http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/arcade/cwc or call the Arcade at (319) 335-6465.
** WEB PAGE DESIGN FOR BEGINNERS - SESSION I
Friday, Sept. 24, 3 - 5 p.m.
This introductory class will demonstrate the basics of Web design using Dreamweaver 2.0 and Adobe Photoshop. Students will create a simple Web page, apply images to the page and add links to other sites. Students will learn about HTML editors, photo scanning and manipulation of images. The class will also cover how to obtain server space from the University of Iowa and how to publish the project to server space.
**ADVANCED WEB PAGE DESIGN - SESSION II
Monday, Oct. 18, 2-4 p.m.
This intermediate class builds on the first session and will focus on more complicated Web design techniques including rollovers and animation. Students will use Dreamweaver 2.0 and Fireworks graphics software.
**ADVANCED WEB PAGE DESIGN - SESSION III
Monday, Nov. 15, 2-4pm
This intermediate class will demonstrate how to create forms and templates for your Web page using Dreamweaver 2.0. Students will also learn how to apply sound to a Web site.
**ADVANCED WEB DESIGN - SESSION IV
Monday, Dec. 6, 2-4 p.m.
This advanced class will cover the implementation of video and audio on a Web site. Students will use Dreamweaver 2.0, Premiere and Movie Player software.
Human Resources units moving September 23-27.
Several Human Resources units--University Benefits, Employment, Payroll, Immigration Services, and Faculty and Staff Disability Services--will be moving from Eastlawn to the new University Services Building in the next two weeks. The new University Services Building is located at 1 West Prentiss, between Capitol and Madison streets.
As a consequence of the move, University Benefits and Employment offices will have limited phone and computer access Thursday and Friday, September 23 and 24. The deadline for advertising merit positions for the week of Sept. 27-Oct. 1 is 11 a.m., September 22. Both offices expect to be fully relocated and open for business Monday, September 27.
Payroll, Immigration Services, and Faculty and Staff Disability Services are scheduled to move Monday, September 27 and expect to be fully operational again in the new location on Wednesday, September 29.
All telephone numbers and e-mail addresses will remain as currently listed.
The remaining Human Resources units, which are primarily located in other buildings on campus, will follow at an as yet undetermined date.
Please advise your colleagues that Human Resources services during these times will be limited. Thank you for your patience.
Sep 23 Full-Text Research Seminar: Helen Ryan says: I will conduct three short seminars this Fall to describe ways in which students and scholars throughout higher education have conducted research in full texts. These seminars will be held in the Information Arcade Classroom on the first floor of the Main Library. There is no registration required-just show up. I urge you to announce these sessions to your students and other interested colleagues. Other seminar dates and times are: Oct 1. 3:00-3:50 PM and Oct 14. 12:00 Noon-12:50. If you are unable to attend a session and wish to know more, call me at 335-5945 or email me at helen-ryan@uiowa.edu and I can meet with you individually.
Sep 24 John Harper will present a lecture on "The History and Mystery of Anna Madrigal" at 7PM at Hancher. This precedes the 8PM concert of Chanticleer, which will perform a new work based on Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City series, with Frederica von Stade singing the role of Anna Madrigal.
Sep 29 Jonathan Lethem will read from his new novel Motherless Brooklyn at Prairie Lights at 8:00 pm. Lethem is one of the most celebrated of a new era of "slipstream" authors who work the territory between mainstream and science fiction writing. He's an exciting writer well worth your attention (unsolicited editorial comment from Landon).
Oct 1 Freya Manfred will read from her Frederick Manfred: A Daughter Remembers at Prairie Lights at 8:00 pm
Oct 7 The Office of Affirmative Action invites you to the first annual Honoring Diversity: The 1999 Catalyst Awards Reception, October 7, 1999, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. North Room, Iowa Memorial Union. The Catalyst Award is an annual award designed to honor creative initiatives by UI faculty, staff, units or departments to promote an inclusive, diverse community. The 1999 Catalyst Award recipients, Ms. Billie Townsend (Individual Recipient) and the Department of Mathematics (Departmental Recipient), will be honored at the event.
Oct 13-14 Houston Baker visit and lecture Oct 13 8pm in Buchanan Auditorium. Future Reading Matters will contain more information about this visit.
Oct 15 The Center for the Book will sponsor a lecture by Robert Darnton on Friday night, October 15, at 8PM in Tippie Aud, with a reception to follow in the Anderson Galeria in PBAB. His Saturday AM discussion may have a different topic, perhaps concerning e-texts, and will be open to all those interested.
Nov 12-13 Barry Moser will be on campus as an Ida Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor, his visit to coincide the publication of the Pennyroyal Caxton Bible that he has designed and illustrated. Barry Moser is considered the foremost wood engraver in the United States and one of our finest book designers and illustrators. When the Pennyroyal Caxton Press Bible, which he has been working on for twelve years, reaches completion, it will be the first Bible illustrated by a siingle author since Gustave Dore's famous Bible published as the Civil War was coming to a close. A recent interview with Barry Moser can be read at http://www.staff.interport.net/~hdu/moser.htm a site describing connections between painting and writing and Moser's work can be seen at http://funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~estes/illumine.html and information about the Pennyroyal Caxton Bible can be found at http://www.pennyroyal-caxton.com/
(From 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Friday, November 12, Mr. Moser is available for scheduling two or three sessions with students, either within regularly scheduled courses or as separate sessions. On Saturday afternoon, November 13, Mr. Moser will give a hands on demonstration of new engraving techniques for faculty and students. Please contact me (Brooks) if you would like to try to arrange time with Mr. Moser with one of your classes or with your students on November 12.)
Nov 12 Barry Moser Ida Beam Public Lecture: "Tanakh and Testament: A Reprobate Tinkers with Holy Writ" 8:00pm Shambaugh Auditorium, Main Library
Oct 1 Proposals for Faculty and Global Scholars due in chair's office
Oct 1 Application Deadline for NEH 2000 Summer Stipends. NEH Summer Stipends support two months of full-time work on projects that will make a significant contribution to the humanities. For more information about this and other NEH programs please see http://www.neh.gov
Oct 11 Central Investment Fund for Research Enhancement (CIFRE) applications due by 5:00 in the Office of the Vice President, 201 Gilmore Hall
Oct 15 Columbia University Society of Fellows in the Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowships 2000-2001 applications due
Oct 15 End of trial period for UI Library subscription to Women Writers Online Project
Oct 29 Council on Teaching Instructional Improvement Award proposals due by 4:00 pm in 111 Jessup
Dec 1 Obermann Center Summer 2000 Interdisciplinary Research Grants proposals due