Aye, Mark. Now the Guildhall is a good example of undeniable historical
presence: people here might for the many be unaware of the magnificent Iron
Age earthworks at Burrough-on-the-hill nearby but the Guildhall, yes, they
know about that.
Best
Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: "Mark Weiss" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 9:36 PM
Subject: Re: A Berkeley Reading - Geraldine Monk & A Halsey
> And there's that lovely guildhall you took me to, built in Chaucer's
> lifetime, and claimed to be the site of a Shakespeare production when
> the bard et al were out of London for the duration of a bout of
> plague. Hard to imagine all this not influencing the imaginations of
> growing girls and boys, whether positively or as a focus for
> resentment. Hell, the crenellations of the apartment house I grew up
> in plugged right into Ivanhoe and such for us kids, a decidedly
> ambiguous landscape for a bunch of postwar jews.
>
> Mark
>
> At 04:24 PM 2/22/2006, you wrote:
> > > Chaucer's wife was not John of Gaunt's daughter, David, but his
eventual
> > > sister-in-law.
> >
> >I think you're right, Joanna, tired somewhat after a long hard busy day
> >here. To be really correct one should say it is +believed+ (and usually
> >accepted) that Chaucer married in St Mary de Castro.
> >
> >As for Chaucer being in Leicester: more probably to do with Leicester
being
> >important in Gaunt's power network (there's a little, VERY little Leics
> >village called simply 'John o'Gaunt'). Leicester, like Norwich, was a
much
> >more important town in the mediaeval economy than in the present day.
> >
> >Best
> >
> >Dave
> >
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Joanna Boulter" <[log in to unmask]>
> >To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 9:08 PM
> >Subject: Re: A Berkeley Reading - Geraldine Monk & A Halsey
> >
> >
> > > Chaucer's wife was not John of Gaunt's daughter, David, but his
eventual
> > > sister-in-law.
> > >
> > > What on earth was he doing in Leicester, apart from getting married?
> > >
> > > best joanna
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "David Bircumshaw" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 8:48 PM
> > > Subject: Re: A Berkeley Reading - Geraldine Monk & A Halsey
> > >
> > >
> > > > Stephen
> > > >
> > > >> This transparency and dialog between past and present I find quite
> >rich -
> > > >> perhaps influenced but different than the Olson take.
> > > >
> > > > I doubt if Olson is a particular influence. It's hard not to notice
the
> > > > past
> > > > here: from where I sit now, in a not especially historical
provincial
> > > > English city, Richard tthe IIIrd's bones lie buried unmarked within
a
> > > > quarter-mile's walk, while Chaucer was married to a daughter of John
of
> > > > Gaunt in the local church. And the forbiding faced social housing
tower
> > > > block I live is named after a mediaeval baron.
> > > >
> > > >>Maybe because English
> > > >> history is so much longer and with more depth than chez here -
these
> > > >> folks
> > > >> (tho their English neighbors might ignore their works) are
genuinely
> > > > infused
> > > >
> > > > I'm lost among the pronouns here.
> > > >
> > > > Yes, btw, Geraldine +does+ read exceedingly well.
> > > >
> > > > Best
> > > >
> > > > Dave
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Stephen Vincent" <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> > > > Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 7:53 PM
> > > > Subject: A Berkeley Reading - Geraldine Monk & A Halsey
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >> Geraldine Halsey and Alan Halsey's reading last at Moe's Bookstore
in
> > > >> Berkeley (CA) did not disappoint. Geraldine has a great
> > > >> reading voice - particularly in reviving the body & voice behind
the
> > > >> Ghost
> > > >> of Mary Queen of Scots (imprisoned in Escafeld/Sheffield for 14
years -
> >a
> > > >> fact apparently ignored these days by the locals). Geraldine really
> > > > 'rolls'
> > > >> with it with lots of curious, inflected surprises along the way.
> > > >> Alan is equally, but different, in his historical 'made present
> > > >> 'investigations, including a rather wonderful account of
Guttenberg's
> > > > ghost,
> > > >> the printed book confronting the digital virtal mode - using Google
to
> > > >> search, and an automatic translation device to get at G's history,
> >mostly
> > > > in
> > > >> German. Guttenberg's original name apparently translates into
English
> >as
> > > >> "Goose Flesh", and Guttenberg translates into "Good Mountain." Alan
> > > > combines
> > > >> a wonderful sense of serious, research, intellection and
imaginative
> > > > passion
> > > >> to make the work quite present, compelling.
> > > >> This transparency and dialog between past and present I find quite
> >rich -
> > > >> perhaps influenced but different than the Olson take. Maybe because
> > > > English
> > > >> history is so much longer and with more depth than chez here -
these
> > > >> folks
> > > >> (tho their English neighbors might ignore their works) are
genuinely
> > > > infused
> > > >> - tho not at all oblivious to contemporary ironies, borderline
flarfy
> > > >> (Blair, Google et al).
> > > >>
> > > >> - SPD carries their West House Books imprint - quite beautifully
> > > > produced.
> > > >>
> > > >> They will be coming to NY/St. Marks sometime soon
> > > >>
> > > >> Stephen Vincent
> > > >> http://stephenvincent.net/blog/
> > > >
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