fresh hell

happy holiday wishes all around!

kora in hell | sciences also provides some commentary on siamese cat behavior

happy holidays

fresh hell

kora in hell | extra-curricular :

not one, not two, but three posts on the tara conner scandal

• stephen colbert asks, "how dare she?
• the most hilarious press conference ever
• attention john waters: your next film is calling

fresh hell : dec 11

kora in hell | letters :

• the ian mcewan plagiarism nonsense &
  
• thomas pynchon's letter re: ian mcewan

kora in hell | extra-curricular :

• narcissistic celebrities: shocking but true

fresh hell : dec 8

home

• Order is restored. Each page has its own topic but all are organized in the same way.

arts

• I've started an entry on the arts and crafts and art nouveau movements
• shameless commerce: items in the arts and crafts style

letters

• a discussion of the myth of persephone and why pomegranates are significant this time of year
• shameless commerce: items for writers, readers, and sullen teenagers.

sciences

• home ec: mulled pomegranate cider recipe
• more shameless commerce

extra-curricular

• name change: project runway has switched to extra-curricular
• my excuse for my shameless commercialism

giving

• The one thing I'm not ashamed to sell on my blog my t-shirt that supports the New Orleans/Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. All profits for these shirts (there is a men's and a women's version) go the the NOLA SPCA for the support of animals, and especially the many abandoned dogs following the Katrina disaster. The cameras are gone but they are still there and need our help all the more.

click on the image above to go to the kora in hell shop

fresh hell : dec 3

kora in hell | project runway site renaming / rethinking

I've decided to widen the focus of this page to include more general discussions of popular culture. Keeping with my theme, I'm calling it extra-curricular.

kora in hell | sciences

Idiotic ideas about science are not limited to one political or religious group. At least this one is more amusing than most.

kora in hell | letters

gifts for writers, writing ideas for writers

fresh hell : dec 2

Sorry to harp on this but as a public service I just wanted to emphasize the three reasons why you should check out my kora in hell shop:

1. Since my shop is new my prices are at the lowest markup level.
   
2. CafePress is currently offering a deal on free shipping until December 20th.
3. I have t-shirts available that benefits the NOLA SPCA (New Orleans/Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).

fresh hell : nov 28

Some more information about the new kora in hell shop:

• I have two image motifs that I'm using just for the holiday season:

1. pomegranates
2. siamese cat in the hat

• There are t-shirts that benefit the New Orleans/Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

• There are gifts for kids.
  

• There are some black t-shirts that are perfect for that disaffected college student on everyone's shopping list.

• All art is original and it may not be genius but at least it is better than most of the crap that you see out there.
  

• If this seems like shameless promotion, it is, but click here to read my excuse.

fresh hell : nov 27

the kora in hell shop is now open!

fresh hell : nov 14

kora in hell |arts | fashion | project runway : uli's collection

fresh hell : nov 10

kora in hell |arts | fashion | project runway : michael's collection

fresh hell : nov 5

kora in hell |arts | fashion | project runway : laura's collection (all posts)

part 1 : a review of the individual pieces and the collection as a whole
part 2 : a discussion of Laura's design style and technique as it relates to the work of two of the major fashion designers of the past century: Madeline Vionnet and Valentino.
part 3 : odds and ends

fresh hell : oct 23

kora in hell |arts | fashion | project runway : this past week has been all about jeffrey

• why I don't want jeffrey to win : because it's the obvious choice
  
• what jeffrey has to show for himself : piece by piece survey of the collection with discussions of : how jeffrey's collection includes an homage to angela; the market segment for baby doll dresses that don't cover the tootie; what the strings were for on jeffrey's bathing suit; why jeffrey wanted to use those blond wigs
  
• what jeffrey has to show for himself continued : what jeffrey's collection has to do with japanese ghost and demon stories (hint: nothing)
• recommended reading : on japanese ghost and demon stories and related topics
• last (slam) dance : getting that punk out of my system

fresh hell

kora's makeover : I've switched to beta -- some formatting and more links will be added in the next week or so but most of the site has been updated.

kora in hell |arts | fashion | project runway

• what the critics are saying
• the unbearable cuteness of being : all my alisons reconfigured and expanded

episode 13:

• you're sapping my strength : the outsourcing controversy & the last of my patience
• be still my heart : the handsome mr. b., & thoughts on being adored

fresh hell : oct 8

kih | arts | fashion | project runway :

episode 12 | the reunion :

• blame it on kayne : keith's secret to success
• precious moments : treasure them always
• all my alisons : a meditation
• behind the masks : serious ugly -- and just in time for halloween!

fresh hell : oct 2

kih | arts | fashion | project runway

• kih on episode 11 : hippy-cuteness, holly hobbie returns, and more!
• insouciance & apéritif commentary on episode 11
  
• runway model theatre presents: J'Accuse . . . !
13 questions : for episode 12
what if pr used a point system?

fresh hell : sept 27

more information on modernism than you ever wanted . . .

- kih | arts | fashion
early 20th century fashion, design, and culture

• orientalism in brief
  
• paul poiret
  
• the ballet russe
  
• josephine baker and modern dance history
  

- kih | arts | fashion | project runway
malan, laura and early 20th century fashion

• the runway shows of laura & malan
  
• flappers, follies & feathers 2 : collages
  
• harem pants
  
• flappers, follies & feathers 1 : contexts
  
• josephine baker
  

fresh hell : sept 22

- arts | fashion: flappers, follies & feathers

• the new woman : the flapper & all that jazz (including Josephine Baker)
• the new shape : from the curve to the line -- the dramatic change in fashion during the early 20th century
• folies & follies : what are they, where do they come from and what do they have to do with fashion?
• josephine baker : who was she and why was she so fascinating?

These are still in need of some tweaking and editing but the basic information is now up. To check these out as separate pages click on individual topics or just click on arts | fashion and read them all at once.

fresh hell : sept 20

kih | arts | fashion | project runway

• mug shot chic : the latest trend in men's fashion
• repeat offenders : episode 10 -- thoughts on bringing back various designers
• stuck in the past : is it impossible to update jackie o?

kih | arts | modernism/dance/fashion

• josephine baker : a brief bio (more to come . . . )
  

fresh hell : sept 18

• kih | arts | fashion | project runway : jay mccarroll runway review ; josephine baker teaser & more!

fresh hell : sept 14

• kih | fashion | project runway : episode 10 -- this installment includes laura's triumph, the return of the repressed, another e-z sew pattern, and an insouciance & apéritif retrospective
  
• kih | letters : the french department -- kih presents a new resource entitled "pretend to speak french"

fresh hell : sept 13

• kih | letters : who in hell is kora in hell? (a description of William Carlos Williams' Kora in Hell, 1920)
  

fresh hell : sept 12

• kih | arts | fashion : project runway 10
  

- Speculation on tomorrow night's "special guests" +
- Insouciance & Apéritif (at right) are back!

advertisement for myself

I have a Ph.D. in English and twenty years of experience working in academia as both a teacher and an administrator. My scholarship examines various intersections between literature and the visual arts. As an administrator I did advanced research development including grant writing in nearly every area of the humanities and social sciences. I also worked in medicine and in the technology industry. I now work freelance as a writer and researcher. I specialize in developing materials for presentation and publication such as teaching, lectures, and exhibits. Please send me an email if you would like to know more about my work and what I might be able to do for you.

fresh hell : sept 9

• kih | arts | fashion : project runway: 9 -- the nightmare is over -- remarks on episode 9, now with "first responders"
• kih | sciences : the dunning kruger effect
• kih | letters : kora in hell (1920) excerpts

fresh hell : sept 5

kih | arts | fashion | project runway
there's a fine line between holly hobbie and haute couture . . .
the hh chronicles
the hobbien mysteries
when hh hits the runway
circa 1974

guidelines

1. Critics and Connoisseurs

What is
there in being able
to say that one has dominated the stream in an attitude of self-defense;
in proving that one has had the experience
of carrying a stick?


2. Those Various Scalpels

Are they weapons or scalpels?
Whetted to brilliance
by the hard majesty of that sophistication which is superior to opportunity,

these things are rich instruments with which to experiment
But why dissect destiny with instruments
more highly specialized than components of destiny itself?

--Marianne Moore