"Tone and color, frost and fire"

[eldritchhobbit]

Happy birthday to otoselkie. May you have a fantastic day and many more to come! Happy birthday to sailingwest, as well, with hugs and best wishes. I hope to catch up with you one of these days soon in person, my friend!


* Representatives of the Graduate Organization for Students in the Humanities, which will host Tennessee Tech University's third annual English Studies Symposium, have asked me to be the Keynote Speaker for their 2009 event, and I have accepted their kind invitation. I will be giving my presentation on March 21 at the Tennessee Tech campus in Cookeville, Tennessee. The conference theme is "Pandora's Box: Pushing the Boundaries of English Studies."


* My parents' visit was great fun. One of the highlights was taking the Ghost and Haunt Tour of historic downtown Asheville, NC. Here is my favorite picture from the tour, showing an autumn moon in an overcast sky above an abandoned dance hall:




"There is music in the meadows, in the air --
Autumn is here;
Skies are gray, but hearts are mellow,
Leaves are crimson, brown, and yellow;
Pines are soughing, birches stir,
And the Gipsy trail is fresh beneath the fir.

There is rhythm in the woods, and in the fields,
Nature yields:
And the harvest voices crying,
Blend with Autumn zephyrs sighing;
Tone and color, frost and fire,
Wings the nocturne Nature plays upon her lyre."

- William Stanley Braithwaite, Lyric of Autumn

Comments

[estellye.livejournal.com]

How lovely to be asked to be the keynote speaker at the symposium! I am sure you'll be among friends there, too, so it should be a fun time as well as very intellectually engaging.

That photo is so perfectly otherworldly for your tour! Actually it sort of reminds me of Steam Punk for some reason.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much for your kind words and encouragement! :)

[serpentcoils.livejournal.com]

Amazing picture!!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

[thepirateship.livejournal.com]

I love that picture!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much!

[magicwondershow.livejournal.com]

the picture is GORGEOUS!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! :)

[witchcat07.livejournal.com]

Lovely pic! And can we come see you talk when you're in Cookeville? We might be able to drag most of the Smial along as well. ;~)

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thanks! :)

It would be SO fabulous to see you in Cookeville and get to catch up with you in person! Thanks for considering it. I know that right now you can register for the entire day's events for $20, and that includes a fully catered lunch. I'll check about whether or not the keynote talk is open to the non-registered public. Thanks again for thinking of this.

[witchcat07.livejournal.com]

That certainly sounds like a doable idea. Will have to propose it tomorrow at our reading discussion.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :) Sarah S. from the smial (aka. Nomi Sunrider) is also at Tennessee Tech, so we could have a whole reunion! :)

[maidoforange.livejournal.com]

Beautiful poem and picture! You know, I've never done the haunted tours they have in the FQ. I did live in a haunted house when I was little, though. It was/is the oldest house in Covington, built in 1821. There were footsteps up and down the stairs when everyone was abed, locked doors opening, etc.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. :)

That sounds like an amazing experience, especially in a house with so much history. You could've led your own haunted tour!