So this is apparently old news but it's the first time I've seen it, and it's just as wonderful as it sounds:

Peter Dinklage and Lena Headly hula-hoop in a Canadian gay bar.

So glad everything went well, Teppy!

I usually have something in my closet appropriate for a funeral. The exception was Rob's. I had appropriate clothing, but I wanted to be able to wear it again. I haven't worn the dress I bought for his funeral since that day. It's now four sizes too big, but even if I could, I wouldn't. Too many memories. Too much baggage. Too much everything.

The workshop is not a waste of time as I feared. But the current presenter is saying something controversial:

in dance and art and other creative endeavors, research may not be as important.

Uh...half the faculty in the room started objecting strongly to this statement. Good grief.

even if I could, I wouldn't. Too many memories. Too much baggage. Too much everything.

I completely get that.

in dance and art and other creative endeavors, research may not be as important

I'm not sure what he means. Like ... researching an area or a time period for a particular novel? Or simply knowing the history of your medium?

Amy,

it was a woman and I am not sure what she meant either. She subsequently talked about examples you gave (if you are writing a novel set in x, research that), but I feel even that is too narrow a definition of research.

I'm reminded by the lead singer of Smash Mouth who claimed he didn't listen to other pop music and just "created' the songs. But if you listen to their songs, they are reminiscent of 1960s & 1970s music. Part of creativity, it seems to me, is learning what has been done before - no matter your field or discipline.

Well, art and music aren't "real" disciplines, so obviously the rules are lax. Also, artists shouldn't expect to get paid or valued as highly as any other professions.

I do think the creative process can be largely sub-/unconscious, and people can "just do stuff" without being aware of all the influences that are affecting their work.

Teppy - excellent news.

Matt,

I agree with you, but I think that's the role of higher education: to make the implicit explicit. If we (as faculty) aren't here in part to do that, then why the fuck do I have this job?

What we do in the classroom are a series of intellectual exercises - as well as creative.

I wore black trousers and a black-and-white striped shirt, both things I already had, to my mother's funeral. After the funeral, I threw the shirt away.