Gender Specificity and the Wonders of Brotherhood

Last updated on: January 18, 2015 at 4:47 pm By Joseph Susanka

In the first 14+ years of the Susanka Horde’s adventurous existence, we have had little-to-no use for feminine pronouns. That’s not a misogynistic tendency (I hope); it’s just a practical fact. My wife is “Mama” to the boys and “Sarah” to me. Never “She.” Likewise, the various other feminine influences in/on the boys’ lives have nearly always been discussed with specificity. The boys speak of one another in pronoun form all the time, but I assume that’s because opportunities abound. Women-folk are rare enough occurrences... Read more

SSF: “Space Cat HOB”

Last updated on: January 15, 2015 at 2:02 pm By Joseph Susanka

Today’s short didn’t catch my interest for its strong story sense. In fact, it feels more like a catchy snippet lifted from a much larger story than a self-contained offering. It caught my attention because it’s a fantastic adventure in world-building. And because it’s incredibly vibrant (especially in terms of its colors). And because it was made “without money” and in someone’s “spare time.” Yet another reminder that patience and talent can produce some astonishing stuff. Space Cat HOB is an independent project done without money,... Read more

SVS: “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir”

Last updated on: January 16, 2015 at 11:09 am By Joseph Susanka

My dear, since Eve picked the apple, no woman ‘s ever been taken entirely unawares. I tend to be less critical of Netflix Instant’s selection than many of my friends and compatriots because I like obscure and foreign stuff — Aspiring Snob, remember? — and I have gradually moved away from high-profile releases and blockbusters in the last ten years or so. The latter two categories are things Netflix does poorly, and the first two are ones it does well. (Yes,... Read more

Who Needs Words, Anyway?

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 2:57 pm By Joseph Susanka

You know how they say a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, this one feels like it’s worth more than a thousand, to me. Way more. (Priceless, really. Just stunning.) Via “National Geographic’s” Photo of the Day (almost exactly one year ago): Trees stand like guardians at the top of Lake Wakatipu on New Zealand’s South Island. Says Brad Grove, a member of our Your Shot community: “I first discovered these trees by the Glenorchy jetty back in April 2011 and... Read more

The Weird and Wonderful in the Midst of the Mundane

Last updated on: March 24, 2015 at 4:04 pm By Joseph Susanka

I’ve been involved with institutions of higher education for most of my adult life. (Actually, higher education has been a near-constant presence in my life, adult and no. Which might explain a lot. Keep moving.) As someone who has been thus involved, my weeks/months/years are almost entirely governed by the peculiar rhythms of academia — rhythms found (perhaps blessedly) nowhere else. And as late August gives way to September, the rhythm of this moment is probably best described as “Slammed... Read more

A Scarry Podcast Experience; Richard, That Is

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 2:57 pm By Joseph Susanka

A few weeks ago, I was listening to a podcast — the particular podcast in question shall remain nameless in an effort to protect the innocent but *cough, cough* PCHH — and one of the show’s contributors brought up Richard Scarry. And then had to explain who he was to her audience, because they (apparently) had no idea. Suddenly and without warning, I allowed myself to assume the form of Walt Kowalski. OK, that’s a trifle harsh. And probably not the... Read more

SVS: “Rashomon”

Last updated on: January 13, 2015 at 12:11 pm By Joseph Susanka

I could easily imagine myself recommending today’s film for no other reason than the torrential brilliance of its opening scene. Or the otherworldly effectiveness of its “Medium Sequence,” which is just about the most terrifying thing I’ve ever seen. Heck, I could even imagine myself recommending it for nothing more than the stylistic way it simultaneously mimics and enhances its themes — always shooting through and around and past things so you never get a good, clean look at what’s actually taking place. Everything’s always a... Read more

“Miserere” by Henryk Górecki

Last updated on: March 11, 2015 at 9:59 am By Joseph Susanka

In the past, I have written about the terrible tragedy memorialized today. As the years pass, though, I find myself less and less inclined to do so. Not because the day’s events have faded from my memory or because they seem somehow less significant today than they did then, but because my words seems increasingly faded and insignificant in comparison. So, once again, I find myself turning to music rather than the written word. More specifically, I’m spending this morning with Henryk Górecki’s work of political protest, re-purposing it into a... Read more

The Science Behind Repetitive Music

Last updated on: March 17, 2017 at 2:57 pm By Joseph Susanka

Extreme susceptibility to earworms is a fact of life for me. As it is for most of us, I suspect. Just something we’ve come to accept without why or wherefore. Now, though, I’ve got a bit of a scientific account to help explain their constant presence. And if this little TED tidbit from Dr. Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis is right, they’re nothing to be ashamed of. In fact, they should be encouraged. How many times does the chorus repeat in your favorite song?... Read more

What Life in Small-Town America Looks Like to Me

Last updated on: January 18, 2015 at 1:13 pm By Joseph Susanka

My wife and I are still in the “giddy with excitement” stage. …a stage which is pretty much indistinguishable from the “really not getting anywhere near enough sleep from now until forever or at least 2030” stage, come to think of it. So I guess I’m not entirely sure what stage we’re in at the moment. It sure feels giddy, though. The boys are giddy, too. Mostly because of Phoebe, but also because of this picture. Which appeared on Sunday and which reminds me... Read more