Well, since I am 70% percent auditory and not visually oriented I do admit visual literacy is something I have had to teach myself (the process is ongoing) to appreciate; especially since most children I teach are visually oriented.
When I was six years old, I had a severe case of measles which left my vision impaired, (mostly in my left eye), after I recovered. However, I have absolute pitch and have played the piano since I was three and consider myself to be artistic. My point in my post was socio-political in nature and perhaps suggested tongue-in-cheek, inbred in American culture, but not what I could consider Cultural Arts. I may be so bold. My deepest wish is that when someone sounded the alarm about this kid, it should have been heeded. Under different circumstances I believe it would. Now it's too late and logic and analysis did not work and may not foresee the next tragedy. Foresight and feeling was what was ignored and it is too bad. On 4/20/07 8:35 PM, "Mike V." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Ok. Well, would it not follow, then, that a post which deals with both > an art form and elements of our culture go on the culture list? > > - Mike V. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Wilma de Soto [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 8:37 PM > To: Mike V.; UnivCity listserv > Subject: Re: [UC] Richard Pryor and the Parables for the Virginia Tech > Killings > > > Yes, I feel they are an art form; just not constructive or uplifting. > What do I know except the effects I see on my students I am not an art > expert. > > > On 4/20/07 8:18 PM, "Mike V." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >> By what logic do you posit that video games, a fundamentally creative >> endeavor, are not an art form? >> >> And by what further logic do you assert that neither race nor violence > >> are elements of culture? It would seem patently obvious that they are. >> >> - Mike V. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Wilma de Soto [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >> Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 8:18 PM >> To: Mike V.; UnivCity listserv >> Subject: Re: [UC] Richard Pryor and the Parables for the Virginia Tech > >> Killings >> >> >> Hi Mike. >> >> I read your posts and respect what you say. >> >> However, what has this to do with culture unless you are intimating >> that race and violence are part of our society's culture. >> >> Still, I might agree with you. >> >> If I remember correctly, the UC Culture List was started for >> discussions regarding The Arts and Music. >> >> I must say I enjoy your posts and point of view and that will not >> change. >> >> Regards, >> >> -Wilma >> >> >> On 4/20/07 7:10 PM, "Mike V." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >>> SEND IT TO CULTURE! >>> >>> - Mike V. >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> From: Wilma de Soto [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>> Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 7:13 PM >>> To: Mike V.; UnivCity listserv >>> Subject: Re: [UC] Richard Pryor and the Parables for the Virginia >>> Tech >> >>> Killings >>> >>> >>> Actually, I was waiting for Gavin de Becker to appear on television. >>> >>> Mr. de Becker wrote a wonderful book called, "The Gift Of Fear". >>> >>> He is a former law officer and has been a bodyguard for many years to > >>> celebrities who have been stalked by crazies, etc. >>> >>> De Becker is firmly against coverage for these stalkers and serial >>> killers because it will only lead to to more of the same. >>> >>> His greatest lesson is to listen to one's gut instinct. >>> >>> with regard to the Virginia Tech killings, I had heard that a >>> "Creative Writing" professor sounded the alarm in 2005 and threatened > >>> to resign if the student was not removed from her class. >>> >>> The next day I learned the professor was Dr. Nikki Giovanni, the >>> famous African-American '60's Poet. >>> >>> I cannot help but think about the late Richard Pryor's comedy album >>> when the picture ,"The Exorcist" came out. He said the picture would > >>> only have been five minutes long if the cast was Black. As soon as >>> The Devil spoke, "Helloooo", we would have said, Good-bye." >>> >>> Giovanni felt his evil and did not want him around her OR her >>> students >> >>> who were spooked by him. >>> >>> Even though this student was removed from her class, he was tutored >>> privately and allowed to remain at the University. >>> >>> I must wonder had he had been a Black male student and had been >>> threatening a White female Professor with crazy work and belligerent >>> attitude and the students were afraid of him, would he have been >>> allowed to remain there? >>> >>> Some people would say, "Yes." but I have to confess that I would >>> think >> >>> not. >>> >>> Imagine the scenario with a Black male against a White professor. >>> There are enough professors on this listserv who could imagine if >>> they >> >>> had been put in that position what they would have done. >>> >>> I understand people seizing this opportunity to bring to the American > >>> people the casualties of the Iraq War. >>> >>> However, I do not appreciate their glossing over once again crazies >>> or >> >>> people with money who want to learn to fly planes but NOT land them, >>> as long as they are not Black to roam freely given the benefit of the > >>> doubt. >>> >>> Now we shall be subjected to another investigation, forum or panel >>> examining glaring neon sings, tooting horns they refused to see. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On 4/20/07 5:55 PM, "Mike V." <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> >>>> Send it to culture! >>>> >>>> - Mike V. >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >>>> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Clarke >>>> Sent: Friday, April 20, 2007 5:53 PM >>>> To: UnivCity@list.purple.com >>>> Subject: [UC] Parables for the Virginia Tech Killings >>>> >>>> >>>> From a very thoughtful friend. Joe >>>>>> Guys, >>>>>> >>>>>> I almost never forward stuff, but this reflection --- >>>>>> by the storyteller with whom we have traveled so many times ---- >>>>>> seems worth a wider transmission than just us. Judy/Judith >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> --- Travellersstorybook <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> To: Wilhelm Robert Béla <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>>>> Subject: Parables for the Virginia Tech Killings >>>>>>> From: Travellersstorybook >>>>>>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>>>> Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:42:11 -0400 >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Three weeks ago today I was at the Washington >>>>>>> Hospital Center for heart surgery. Yesterday I was sitting in >> the >>>>>>> cardiac waiting room, to see my surgeon for a final >>> post-operative >>>>>>> evaluation. That is when the news of the mass shooting at >>>>>>> Virginia >>> >>>>>>> Tech flashed on the video monitor. I had survived my physical >>>>>>> illness. Thirty young people had not survived the social >>>>>>> sickness >> >>>>>>> of our >>>> times. >>>>>>> As a storyteller, I was spellbound by the unfolding >>>>>>> of the fast-moving narrative. But as a human being I was >>>>>>> sickened >>> >>>>>>> with each image of violence, death, and grief. "Why so much >>>>>>> violence in our culture?" was my rhetorical question. The >>>>>>> answer, >>> >>>>>>> I knew, >>>> was >>>>>>> because of the nature of visual media today. >>>>>>> Verbal stories, told by actual tellers to actual listeners, in a >>>>>>> real storytelling circle, are not the same as contemporary >>>>>>> visual >> >>>>>>> stories -- virtual storytelling. Authentic storytelling filters > >>>>>>> and critiques violence. Traditional stories are cautionary >>>>>>> tales >> >>>>>>> that check the impulse to violence. Contemporary media simply >>>>>>> stokes the fire of primitive human passions. Today, >> virtual >>>>>>> phantasy eventually becomes historical nightmare. >>>>>>> Who was the anti-hero of this slaughter at Virginia Tech, I >>>>>>> wondered. The profile would surely be... a young male... a >>>>>>> solitary person... someone immersed in the virtual >>> worlds >>>> of >>>>>>> modern media. I was not surprised when he was identified. And >>>> then >>>>>>> the telltale clue, the single piece of information that puts all > >>>>>>> this madness in perspective: "Several Korean youths who knew Cho > >>>>>>> Seung Hui from his high school days said he was a fan of violent > >>>>>>> video games, particularly Counterstrike, a hugely popular online > >>>>>>> game published by Microsoft, in which players join terrorism or >>>>>>> counterterrorism groups and try to shoot each other using all >>>>>>> types of guns." The Washington Post (April 17, 2007) He wasn't >>>>>>> Beowulf slaying the monster, nor Sir George banishing the >>>>>>> dragon. No, he was the historical >>> incarnation >>>> of >>>>>>> Counterstrike, stepping from a Microsoft virtual world into our >>>>>>> real world, turning virtual death into real blood and bone. >>>>>>> *** >>>>>>> I look at the audio-stories I have prepared for this coming week. > >>>>>>> In the Lectionary Storybook, the story of "The Great Catch" is >>>>>>> about the violence of verbal deceit. It is a tale about >>>> how >>>>>>> one person's lies result in the death of the heroine. But the >>>>>>> lie >>>> is >>>>>>> undone when a seemingly helpless character (a little lamb) is >>>>>>> able >>> >>>>>>> to speak the truth. The heroine is brought from death back to >>>>>>> life because a truth has been spoken. In my other storybook, the > >>>>>>> Travelers Storybook, this week's tale of "Fatimah the Spinner" >>>>>>> is >> >>>>>>> about a heroine's refusal to accept the violence that has >>>>>>> wrenched >>> >>>>>>> her life. Every episode of her life is one of triumphant >>>>>>> struggle, and yet each episode ends with violence to her and the > >>>>>>> unravelling of her hopes and dreams. But in the end, she is able > >>>>>>> to create a story -- and a magnificent Sultan's Palace -- out of > >>>>>>> what she has learned from each episode >>> of >>>>>>> violence and destruction. >>>>>>> Did Cho Seung Hui ever hear these kinds of tales? Did he ever >>>>>>> know >> >>>>>>> the beautiful Korean stories of "The Butterfly Widow" or "Love >>>>>>> Always Endures," two of my favorite tales for the telling? >>>>>>> Butterfly Widow is a cautionary tale about overcoming >>> loss >>>> >>>>>>> and >>>>>>> depression. Love Always Endures is about ways of reponding to >>>> sorrow >>>>>>> and loneliness in ones life. >>>>>>> How many hours in his short life did Cho Seung Hui >>>>>>> pass listening to tales that heal? And how many hours did he >>>>>>> play >>> >>>>>>> media games that kill? >>>>>>> --- Robert Bela Wilhelm, Th.D. >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>> - >>>>> - >>>>> - >>>>> -- >>>>> >>>>> Subject: >>>>> Fwd: Parables for the Virginia Tech Killings >>>>> From: >>>>> Judith Bruder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>> Date: >>>>> Wed, 18 Apr 2007 13:40:01 -0700 (PDT) >>>>> To: >>>>> Franklin Bruder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>> >>>>> To: >>>>> Franklin Bruder <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Guys, >>>>> >>>>> I almost never forward stuff, but this reflection --- >>>>> by the storyteller with whom we have traveled so many times ---- >>>>> seems worth a wider transmission than just us. >>>>> >>>>> Judy/Judith >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> --- Travellersstorybook <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> >>>>> >>>>>> To: Wilhelm Robert Béla <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>>> Subject: Parables for the Virginia Tech Killings >>>>>> From: Travellersstorybook >>>>>> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >>>>>> Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 20:42:11 -0400 >>>>>> >>>>>> Three weeks ago today I was at the Washington >>>>>> Hospital Center for >>>>>> heart surgery. Yesterday I was sitting in the >>>>>> cardiac waiting room, >>>>>> to see my surgeon for a final post-operative >>>>>> evaluation. That is when >>>>>> the news of the mass shooting at Virginia Tech >>>>>> flashed on the video >>>>>> monitor. I had survived my physical illness. >>>>>> Thirty young people >>>>>> had not survived the social sickness of our times. >>>>>> As a storyteller, I was spellbound by the unfolding >>>>>> of the fast-moving >>>>>> narrative. But as a human being I was sickened with >>>>>> each image of >>>>>> violence, death, and grief. "Why so much violence >>>>>> in our culture?" >>>>>> was my rhetorical question. The answer, I knew, was because of >>>>>> the nature of visual media today. Verbal stories, told by actual >>>>>> tellers to actual listeners, in a real >>>>>> storytelling circle, are not the same as >>>>>> contemporary visual stories >>>>>> -- virtual storytelling. Authentic storytelling >>>>>> filters and >>>>>> critiques violence. Traditional stories are >>>>>> cautionary tales that >>>>>> check the impulse to violence. Contemporary media >>>>>> simply stokes the >>>>>> fire of primitive human passions. Today, virtual >>>>>> phantasy eventually >>>>>> becomes historical nightmare. >>>>>> Who was the anti-hero of this slaughter at Virginia >>>>>> Tech, I >>>>>> wondered. The profile would surely be... a young >>>>>> male... a solitary >>>>>> person... someone immersed in the virtual worlds of >>>>>> modern media. I >>>>>> was not surprised when he was identified. And then >>>>>> the telltale >>>>>> clue, the single piece of information that puts all >>>>>> this madness in >>>>>> perspective: >>>>>> "Several Korean youths who knew Cho Seung Hui from >>>>>> his high school >>>>>> days said he was a fan of violent video games, >>>>>> particularly >>>>>> Counterstrike, a hugely popular online game >>>>>> published by Microsoft, >>>>>> in which players join terrorism or counterterrorism >>>>>> groups and try to >>>>>> shoot each other using all types of guns." The >>>>>> Washington Post (April >>>>>> 17, 2007) >>>>>> He wasn't Beowulf slaying the monster, nor Sir >>>>>> George banishing the >>>>>> dragon. No, he was the historical incarnation of >>>>>> Counterstrike, >>>>>> stepping from a Microsoft virtual world into our >>>>>> real world, turning >>>>>> virtual death into real blood and bone. >>>>>> *** >>>>>> I look at the audio-stories I have prepared for this >>>>>> coming week. In >>>>>> the Lectionary Storybook, the story of "The Great >>>>>> Catch" is about the >>>>>> violence of verbal deceit. It is a tale about how >>>>>> one person's lies >>>>>> result in the death of the heroine. But the lie is >>>>>> undone when a >>>>>> seemingly helpless character (a little lamb) is able >>>>>> to speak the >>>>>> truth. The heroine is brought from death back to >>>>>> life because a >>>>>> truth has been spoken. >>>>>> In my other storybook, the Travelers Storybook, this >>>>>> week's tale of >>>>>> "Fatimah the Spinner" is about a heroine's refusal >>>>>> to accept the >>>>>> violence that has wrenched her life. Every episode >>>>>> of her life is >>>>>> one of triumphant struggle, and yet each episode >>>>>> ends with violence >>>>>> to her and the unravelling of her hopes and dreams. >>>>>> But in the end, >>>>>> she is able to create a story -- and a magnificent >>>>>> Sultan's Palace -- >>>>>> out of what she has learned from each episode of >>>>>> violence and >>>>>> destruction. >>>>>> Did Cho Seung Hui ever hear these kinds of tales? >>>>>> Did he ever know >>>>>> the beautiful Korean stories of "The Butterfly >>>>>> Widow" or "Love Always >>>>>> Endures," two of my favorite tales for the telling? >>>>>> Butterfly Widow >>>>>> is a cautionary tale about overcoming loss and >>>>>> depression. Love >>>>>> Always Endures is about ways of reponding to sorrow >>>>>> and loneliness in >>>>>> ones life. >>>>>> How many hours in his short life did Cho Seung Hui >>>>>> pass listening to >>>>>> tales that heal? And how many hours did he play >>>>>> media games that kill? >>>>>> --- Robert Bela Wilhelm, Th.D. >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> __________________________________________________ >>>>> Do You Yahoo!? >>>>> Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around >>>>> http://mail.yahoo.com >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> ---- >>>> You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named >>>> "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see >>>> <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. >>> >>> >>> >>> ---- >>> You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named >>> "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see >>> <http://www.purple.com/list.html>. >> >> > > ---- You are receiving this because you are subscribed to the list named "UnivCity." To unsubscribe or for archive information, see <http://www.purple.com/list.html>.
