Auto Capitalization

[Peter T. Daniels]

What;s Flying Ace?

Asimov lived for many years in Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston not
convenient to any univesity library -- he was allowed to use the
Professor at Boston University title forever even though he only
taught there for a year or two but apparently this didn't include any
of the rights or privileges of the position. When he moved to New
York, they lived in one of those fabulous Upper West Side apartment
houses.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I haven't by any stretch of the imagination read all (or even a small
fraction) of Asimov's incredible oeuvre, but I did very much enjoy his
two-volume memoir, "In Memory Yet Green" and "In Joy Still Felt," which has
provided me at least one anecdote I cite frequently. He admits he has a
photographic memory, but even so, he was a very quick study (I believe he
discusses this in connection with writing a book on Shakespeare starting
from square one).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

What;s Flying Ace?

Asimov lived for many years in Newton, Mass., a suburb of Boston not
convenient to any univesity library -- he was allowed to use the
Professor at Boston University title forever even though he only
taught there for a year or two but apparently this didn't include any
of the rights or privileges of the position. When he moved to New
York, they lived in one of those fabulous Upper West Side apartment
houses.

 

[Peter T. Daniels]

I've actually seen *Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare* recommended in a
college Shakespeare text. He simply goes through every word of every
play explaining the historical references, the unfamiliar realia,
etc., with (not unexpectedly) not the slightest concern for the
"meaning" of the text, literary quality, etc.

And, like a scientist, he orders them in supposed chronological order
of the events depicted. Which means the mythic ones (Midsummer Night's
Dream, Tempest) come before the Greek history ones.

Idiosyncratic.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Perhaps idiosyncratic, but I think that would actually be quite helpful.
While we were in Stratford-upon-Avon a few weeks ago, we saw a RSC
performance of "As You Like It." In preparation, I had read the play in a
small leatherbound pocket-sized edition (ancient, part of a set passed along
to me by a great-aunt along with reams of literature "proving" that Sir
Francis Bacon had written the plays) with only a very few notes, all on
textual matters (ms variants). My husband borrowed from our daughter a
college edition with a few more notes, though mostly on the vocabulary
(which I mostly didn't need). But more explanation of the jokes would have
been helpful. In the event, I had trouble hearing and understanding the
dialog (we were in the gallery, i.e., second balcony) and eventually,
inevitably dozed off. <g>

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

I've actually seen *Asimov's Guide to Shakespeare* recommended in a
college Shakespeare text. He simply goes through every word of every
play explaining the historical references, the unfamiliar realia,
etc., with (not unexpectedly) not the slightest concern for the
"meaning" of the text, literary quality, etc.

And, like a scientist, he orders them in supposed chronological order
of the events depicted. Which means the mythic ones (Midsummer Night's
Dream, Tempest) come before the Greek history ones.

Idiosyncratic.

 

[Peter T. Daniels]

How quaint! It's not Bacon, it's the Earl of Oxford.

I suppose the thicker single-play editions available these days have
the Asimov-like info.

Last month there turned up in the Bargain Books at Borders Hamlet, R &
J, and Richard III in a well-done edition (aimed more at actors than
at Eng Lit students) that includes a wide variety of production photos
and a CD of contrasted performances of selected celebrated passages,
including some historic ones. Turns out that the publisher, in
Chicago, has over 3 or 4 years done nearly all the plays in that
format, but only those three were $2.99. The rest can be ordered at
$14.95 - $17.95.

My "idiosyncratic" referred only to the arrangement of the plays,
which are usually either grouped into comedies/tragedies/histories/
romances, or given in order of creation.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Ah, yes, I agree that the "chronological" order is odd.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

How quaint! It's not Bacon, it's the Earl of Oxford.

I suppose the thicker single-play editions available these days have
the Asimov-like info.

Last month there turned up in the Bargain Books at Borders Hamlet, R &
J, and Richard III in a well-done edition (aimed more at actors than
at Eng Lit students) that includes a wide variety of production photos
and a CD of contrasted performances of selected celebrated passages,
including some historic ones. Turns out that the publisher, in
Chicago, has over 3 or 4 years done nearly all the plays in that
format, but only those three were $2.99. The rest can be ordered at
$14.95 - $17.95.

My "idiosyncratic" referred only to the arrangement of the plays,
which are usually either grouped into comedies/tragedies/histories/
romances, or given in order of creation.