News, A Free Download, and a YouTube Video

[eldritchhobbit]

* The always-eldritch Dwight MacPherson is offering the first chapter of his forthcoming Howard Lovecraft and the Undersea Kingdom for free download. It's Lovecraft! It's MacPherson! It's free! What's not to love? Check out the preview here.

* My paper on the literary ancestors of the TV series Fringe (including Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, H.P. Lovecraft, and the tradition of "SF investigator" literature) has been accepted for presentation in March at SONAR: The Symposium On Nerdy Academic Research (I love that name!), which should be loads of fun.


As you may recall, last May I went to DC to film some videos for The Institute for Humane Studies. Well, the first has gone live into the YouTube 'verse. More are forthcoming.

(For those of you who know me in real life, no, I don't know why I look like I haven't slept in six months. For those of you who don't know me in real life, meet the lisp that fought my childhood speech therapists and won!)

As usual, I'm far better via the written word than in person; FYI, this mini-talk is based on my article "Not the Same Old Hickory: The Contested Legacy of Andrew Jackson" in Reason.

"To read a poem in January is as lovely as to go for a walk in June."
- Jean-Paul Sartre

Comments

[st-crispins.livejournal.com]

Jackson was a genuine war hero ---he was also an early redneck racist tea-partier. As Tom Jefferson rightly pointed out, he had a lot of 'issues.' If there'd been a different president, perhaps the Cherokee situation would have been handled differently, thus setting a different precendent for policies toward Native Americans.

And PS: I prefer to express myself in print rther than person too. Hate to see myself in videos [you look a whole lot better]

And PSS: you grew your hair long!

[abbie (from livejournal.com)]

Congrats on the Nerdy Academic Research!

Great video! I especially like the way they did the illustrations. And the camera angle that showed your hand motions! And the fact that you're debunking the wonderfulness of Andrew Jackson. And pshhh! Your face and your lisp rock!

[sneezythesquid.livejournal.com]

Cool in informative video. You really are a scholar!

[alivion.livejournal.com]

Point A.) you don't have a lisp

Point 1.) you have lovely hair!

Point the first.) Is there anyone who is better with speaking than with writing? because if there is, he or she would be one of those elusive "normal" people I keep hearing about and never meeting.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Very true about the Cherokee situation; Jackson represented a massive departure from previous policy, a huge step backward - it's wrenching to read John Ross's and Elias Boudinot's writings on this at the time - and, as you say, it's tragic that his path ended up setting the precedent that was followed for the rest of the century.

I'm guessing some modern-day tea partiers wouldn't thank Jackson for the way he strengthened the executive branch, however.

Aw, thanks for your kind words! (I thought you looked and sounded great on the DVD interviews, though!)

I did! Somewhere along the way, my usual shoulder-length hair got longer somehow, and I just stuck with it.

Hey, thanks so much for watching - I really appreciate it.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I'm looking forward to it.

Oh, I appreciate your watching it. Thanks for the kind words! I'm really pleased with the illustrations, too; I think the producers did an amazing job.

Ahahaha, you're the one who rocks! I appreciate your kindness.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you, my friend!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Aw, thank you, and thank you again! ;)

because if there is, he or she would be one of those elusive "normal" people I keep hearing about and never meeting.

Bwahaha! Good point. And I'm glad to discover that I'm not the only one who suspects that "normal people" are actually mythical beings. *winks*

Thank you!

[dwight l. macpherson (from livejournal.com)]

You are too kind, my friend! Thank you for the wonderful compliment, and for sharing a link to my site on your wonderful blog. It is truly appreciated.

-D

Re: Thank you!

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

My pleasure! Thank you for sharing your work with us! :)

[divadiane1.livejournal.com]

OK, Amy, I don't think there's a hotter nerdy scholar out there. I would even say that your beauty transcends much outside of the circle of nerdy scholars!

It's interesting that you felt the need to point out your lisp, which is something I've never HEARD and you don't hear on the video but rather SEE vaguely (you purse your lips ever so slightly). I'm not convinced I or anyone else would have noticed it if you hadn't mentioned it. So, relax!! :-)

But most importantly, thank you for sharing this amazing video and fascinating lecture! Please don't ever forget to let us know when you are in another one.

[eldritchhobbit.livejournal.com]

Oh, you are far too kind, Diane! But thank you. You've put a huge grin on my face.

And thanks so much for your encouraging words about the video. There are several more to come - including my favorite, about the most successful slave rebellion in US history - and I'll be sure to post them. I am grateful for your interest, my friend!