“Who is Don Draper?” With the season finale of Doctor Who conveniently falling on the same weekend as the premiere of Mad Men season 4, I’ve been recruited to add it to the Arts & Culture rotation. First, here’s a link to a quick recap of seasons 1-3 courtesy of Gawker TV. It’s November 1964 and almost a year has passed since the events of the season 3 finale. “Public Relations” begins with an interview, but Don is typically reluctant to talk about himself. In his old life, he could get away with this; he was mysterious...
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Doctor Who, "The Big Bang"
Doctor: “We’re all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?” “The Big Bang” opens not where we left off last week, but rather on a scene repeated from the season’s first episode: Amelia Pond praying for someone to come and close the crack in her bedroom wall. This time, however, there is no Doctor. In a therapy session, Amelia paints a picture of the night sky, the moon surrounded by stars — her own version of van Gogh’s The Starry Night. When asked what she’s drawn, Amelia calmly explains that they’re stars. “Oh,...
Continue reading...Poem of the Week
One of my all-time favorites. The Summer Day by Mary Oliver Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper? This grasshopper, I mean– the one who has flung herself out of the grass, the one who is eating sugar out of my hand, who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down– who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face. Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away. I don\’t know...
Continue reading...Doctor Who, "The Lodger" and "The Pandorica Opens"
Craig: “Has anyone ever told you you’re a bit weird?” Doctor: “They never really stop.” So. I’m a little behind on these Doctor Who posts, and I apologize. It’s been a bit of a week for the Viola household. The season is finishing on a strong note, however, as we’ve had three great episodes in a row if we include “Vincent and the Doctor” from a few weeks ago. Let’s start with “The Lodger,” shall we? I adored this episode — it’s probably my favorite of the season so far. The episode that airs in this slot...
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Billy Collins is one of my very favorite poets. His writing is accessible and readable, and I appreciate those things, along with his wit and good humor and insight. Litany by Billy Collins You are the bread and the knife, The crystal goblet and the wine . . . Jacques Crickillon You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet and the wine. You are the dew on the morning grass and the burning wheel of the sun. You are the white apron of the baker and the marsh birds suddenly in flight. However, you are...
Continue reading...Summer Reading
I’ve been intending for a while to start writing some book reviews for the blog, but hadn’t gotten to it yet. And now it’s summer, which is always the Season of Reading for me, because in my mind if not reality, summer is still vacation time, which obviously means curling up with a good book on the couch, on the beach, in the car, and so forth. If you’re casting about for something to read, here are a couple I’ve read recently and highly recommend: Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. This book is superb, and I don’t say...
Continue reading...Poem of the Week
Hi (virtual) friends, I’m sorry for my recent absence, but not TOO sorry — I’ve been in sunny California, and it is marvelous. Mountains, oceans, cool breezes, lots of good food… it’s been wonderfully vacation-y. And yet, I am still making time to share this gorgeous poem with you. It is by W.S. Merwin, who was just named the new U.S. Poet Laureate, a job the Library of Congress describes as “the nation’s official lightning rod for the poetic impulse of Americans.” Merwin currently lives atop a dormant volcano in Maui; it’s unclear whether he will relocate...
Continue reading...Doctor Who, "Vincent and the Doctor"
Doctor: “Is this how time normally passes? Really slowly, and in the proper order?” “Vincent and the Doctor” was a lovely episode, full of great moments, and the tone felt appropriate after last week’s loss of Rory. Amy is in mourning though she doesn’t even realize it, and she finally makes a human connection with Vincent that I think has been lacking for her all season. As the Doctor joked, a child produced by Amy and Vincent would have been the ultimate ginger… Written by Richard Curtis (Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, etc.), this episode...
Continue reading...Poem of the Week
A friend suggested this week’s poetry pick, telling me that a) it is her favorite and b) she has it memorized. So did I! Said friend also offered me homemade baked goods today, so obviously I would have been obliged to post her favorite poem even if I did not also like it. Which I do. Point being, if anyone else would like to share a poem with the many, many readers of V&V, please note that I take well to bribery, especially when it involves food. If Rudyard Kipling If you can keep your head when...
Continue reading...Doctor Who, "Cold Blood"
Doctor, to Ambrose: “You are so much less than the best of humanity!” While I enjoyed “Cold Blood” much more than part one, “The Hungry Earth,” I don’t have much to say about it save for the final scene. After Ambrose kills Alaya, negotiations between the Silurians and the humans fall apart. The Doctor forces the Silurians to go back into hibernation for another 1,000 years and hopes that when they wake, the humans will be ready to make peace. The Doctor, Amy, and Rory rush back to the surface to escape in the TARDIS, but when...
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