Bbenzon
Description
Humankind got its start on the African savannas some hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years ago. At various times in our cultural history we’ve moved to distinctly new cultural ground, as it were. And so we are moving now, and have been for the past half century. This blog is how I see that move. Intellectually, I'm broadly interested in culture and the brain. Within that compass, anything could show up here. Literature and films (including animation), certainly, music as well, and graffiti. But, other things may show up as well. It's a blog, don't you know, it moves.
MY BLOGS
-
New Savanna
http://new-savanna.blogspot.com/
Humankind got its start on the African savannas some hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of years ago. At various times in our cultural history we’ve moved to distinctly new cultural ground, as it were. And so we are moving now, and have been for the past half century. This blog is how I see that move. I'm broadly interested in culture and the brain. Within that compass, anything could show up here. Literature and films (including animation), certainly, music as well, and graffiti. But, other things may show up as well. It's a blog, don't you know, it moves.
LATEST ARTICLES ( 7356 )
-
Abstract Art and Photos, What?
Look at that photo. Like all but a very few photos, it’s representational in a straightforward way. There’s a pepper to the lower left, a leaf at center right,... Read more
Posted on 14 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Understanding That Falls Apart
A Case of Mental FluidityAlthough I can’t think of any particular examples, it’s happened often enough. Someone will explain something to me, often something... Read more
Posted on 14 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
When Did the Art World Jump the Shark?
Of course there's more than one art world. But one of them is dominated by wealthy collectors and institutions who compete for status by buying and selling... Read more
Posted on 14 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Intimate Knowledge
Posted on 13 October 2013
CULTURE,
PHILOSOPHY,
SOCIETY
-
The Hunt for Genius, Part 4: Gestalt Version
Think of this well-known image as a visual analog for the genius hunt:Because the MacArthur Fellowship Program is both grounded in and committed to... Read more
Posted on 13 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Comparison as Method in Description
This just a place-holder for a more thorough post I’ve been thinking about. Every day this week when I went to bed I figured on writing that post in the morning. Read more
Posted on 12 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
The Hunt for Genius Part 3: Cultural Factors
It does look like this topic has taken over my brain, at least a part of it, for a while. Things are condensing and compacting. Processing goes on. Read more
Posted on 12 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
The Hunt for Genius, Part 2
Part 1 is my post on the misguided MacArthur Fellows Program. And I thought that would be the end of it. I was wrong. Now that I’ve gotten my brain revved up... Read more
Posted on 11 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Your Brain on Poetry
Medical Xpress:...the team found activity in a "reading network" of brain areas which was activated in response to any written material. Read more
Posted on 10 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
From Two Geniuses to the Rest of Us
With “genius” as the topic du jour here on the new savanna I thought I’d republish this old double book review: “A Tale of Two Geniuses,” Journal of Social and... Read more
Posted on 10 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
MacArthur Fellowships: Let the Geniuses Free
I’ve been following the MacArthur Fellowship program from the beginning. Like many, I’ve thought it too conservative in its pick of fellows. Read more
Posted on 09 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
New York Graff, One Up, One Down
5Pointz is HistoryIt looks like 5Pointz, the omphalos (ὀμφαλός) of the graffiti world, is going to be demolished. NYC's City Council is expected to approve a... Read more
Posted on 09 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
A Birthplace of Spirits
The garden is empty now, at least empty of humans other than me, the photographer. But yesterday it was filled with people...young people, old people, in-betwee... Read more
Posted on 08 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Ethical Criticism and Digital Criticism Online
Yesterday I wrote in description, Some example descriptions: two poems, a novella, two manga texts, and two films. That’s a preliminary to today’s post, which i... Read more
Posted on 08 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Who's a Digital Native?
NYTimes:...in the developed world, there is hardly any generational gap anymore between Internet users. Most people in wealthy countries are online — more than... Read more
Posted on 08 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Is New York City Becoming a Ghost Town?
Not literally of course. But spiritually. David Byrne ponders that issue in The Guardian:What, then, is the future of New York, or really of any number of big... Read more
Posted on 08 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Some Example Descriptions: Two Poems, a Novella, Two Manga Texts, and Two Films
Having called for more and more systematic description of literary texts, just what do I have in mind? A variety of things, of course, a variety of things. Read more
Posted on 07 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Eat Your Chekov, It's Good for Your Social Skills
From the NYTimes:...after reading literary fiction, as opposed to popular fiction or serious nonfiction, people performed better on tests measuring empathy,... Read more
Posted on 04 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
Two Disciplines in Search of Love (Slight Return)
A week ago I published long guest post at Language Log, Two Disciplines in Search of Love. The two disciplines, of course, are literary criticism and... Read more
Posted on 04 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY -
An Hour with Dizzy Gillespie
Well 50 minutes or so. This is from the early days (1940s I'd guess) with his big band, plus vocalists and dancers. Very interesting as a period document, and... Read more
Posted on 03 October 2013 CULTURE, PHILOSOPHY, SOCIETY
