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 to...
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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…
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...
Continue reading...Poem of the Week
I first discovered this poem freshman year of college in a Comparative Studies class that sometimes met outside (it was spring quarter). I loved that we would go outside, and that otherwise we would all sit around a huge table instead of at desks, but the class itself was only so-so. Still, thank you to the professor whose name I don’t remember for introducing me to Rita Dove. This poem is from Dove’s collection Grace Notes. And it definitely makes me yearn for tree-climbing days of yore. HORSE AND TREE by Rita Dove Everybody who’s anybody longs...
Continue reading...Doctor Who, "Amy's Choice"
Doctor: “This is going to be a tricky one.” Doctor Who returned this weekend after a short break with a strong episode that I’m late reviewing because my laptop was in the laptop hospital for most of the weekend. “Amy’s Choice” was an exploration of one of the major ongoing conflicts this season: will Amy choose a life of adventure with the Doctor or settle down for a quiet country life with Rory?
Continue reading...Airplane! and Zero Hour!
Surely, you can’t be serious. Honestly, until finding this clip today, I had no idea how much of a connection Zero Hour! (straight outta 1957) has with far more widely known Airplane! (1980). I am serious…and don’t call me Shirley. Apparently, it’s a sort-of remake, and the makers actually bought the rights to Zero Hour. Who knew? Brought to you with hopes of encouraging appreciation for the finer comedies.
Continue reading...Poem of the Week
I can’t believe it’s already the end of May. Or that it’s almost 90 degrees here in DC. Anyway, despite the August-like-heat, it’s peak wedding season: I went to one last weekend and am going another this weekend, and pretty much everyone I know seems to be attending weddings as well. Yay for newlyweds! And hideous bridesmaids’ dresses! And personalized napkins! And sentimental speeches! And, you know, love and all that. So for this week’s dose of poetry, I picked out this sweet one by former US Poet Laureate Ted Kooser. It appears in his 2008 collection...
Continue reading...Doctor Who, "The Vampires of Venice"
Rory: \”You have no idea how dangerous you make people to themselves when you\’re around.\” First off, apologies to any readers (cue the sound of crickets) for the late recap. The alien story this week was mostly forgettable, save for the wonderful performance from Helen McCrory as Rosanna, but the interaction between the Doctor and Rory was a highlight. I was expecting the Doctor-Amy-Rory triangle to be a retread of the Doctor-Rose-Mickey situation, but Rory is much more of a Jackie Tyler than a Mickey Smith. Rory calls the Doctor out on exactly what makes him so...
Continue reading...Doctor Who, "Flesh and Stone"
Doctor: “I’ll be back for you as soon as I can, I promise.” Amy: “You always say that.” Doctor: “I always come back.” We’re five episodes into this season, and I feel like I need some sort of flow chart to keep track of what’s going on. This was a great conclusion to the new chapter of the Weeping Angels story, but many other questions were brought up in this hour that we likely won’t get an answer to until the season finale.
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