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Oh, cool. I just got an e-mail saying the feminist studies reading group is tackling Kostova's The Historian this month. Apparently she's originally from Knoxville and knows one of the faculty, who is attempting to have her there over Skype. I'll have to actually show up for that meeting!

Hmmm. I should re-read the book, too. It's been a few years.

Biweekly Music Links

Matt Wertz
Red Meets Blue. Not, as I thought at first, a love song concerning a Republic and a Democrat, but catchy and pretty nevertheless. (The lyrics about red and blue are fairly nonsensical, though.)
Everything's Right. Catchy. Catchy, catchy, catchy. It makes me want to choreograph a dance that includes a lot of leaps and acrobatics. Again, the lyrics lack much of any meaning, but did I mention that it's catchy?

Patty Griffin
When It Don't Come Easy. I liked to play this one in the car last semester when I was driving home from campus after my evening class. Something about it is just perfect for that situation.
Burgundy Shoes. I already linked this some time ago, but if anyone missed it, go take a listen. Stay at least until the bridge, which is incredibly beautiful.

Beegie Adair
Pick Yourself Up. A jazz piano version of the jaunty little song from Swing Time. I find the lyrics a bit insipid, so I like that this is an instrumental.

Constance Amiot
Clashes in the Air and Clash dans le Tempo. Okay, I can't find a full-length stream of either song, but I did find samples of the whole album . It's also on iTunes. It's the same song, but one is in English and one in French. I think I prefer the French version, but the English one is very nice as well. I'd still categorize both as singer/songwriter, but with a bit more energy than one usually finds in that field.

Leigh Nash
Need to Be Next to You. (I make no recommendation for or against the associated fanvid, as I didn't actually watch it except to see that it used the whole song.) More pop-ish than I usually go for, but I've liked her voice since she sang for Sixpence None the Richer.

Holly Brook
Heavy. She reminds me a tiny bit of Sarah McLachlan, but less...something, and more something else. I'm not sure. It's a good song, though.

Vitamin(?) String Quartet
Cover of Coldplay's Yellow. I'm not actually sure what the group is called, but the cover is fabulous. (Apparently it was used on a TV show recently? I dunno. I've had an mp3 of it for years and years, probably thanks to Kenster.)

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And for no particular reason but the fact that I read it today and thought it was beautiful, here's ( 'Horses and Men in Rain,' by Carl Sandburg )