The introduction
Posted on 29 June 2011 by k. a. gardner
JACKSONVILLE — My last post ended on a rather vague note: ”To advance The Nitrogen Project, I will let it will take on a life of its own and tie into Florida’s race for ‘green oil’”.
‘Green oil’ was written in 2009, shortly after Florida State University received a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Energy for bioenergy research. More precisely, the grant established FSU’s Center for Marine Bioenergy Research to study process conversion of algae to biofuels. Today, FSU has made significant advances in this research since the City of Tallahassee provided space for algae ponds at its Storm Water Treatment Facility. But, FSU’s algal story is meant for another post.
Meet Mrs Weirsdo
Weirsdo has been a commenter at Flipside Florida since mid – 2009. She is, in reality, Dr. Lorna Wood and we are virtual friends. Through her comment on Florida’s race for “green oil,” I discovered that Auburn University was, at the time, also researching algal biofuels. (This is just another coincidence relating to algae and has nothing to do with this post.) She also asked why bacteria liked glycerin in comments on The Nitrogen Project. I didn’t know but Casey Nettles did. Please see his reply in comments on that post for the answer.
Weirsdo’s blog, by the way, is called Stuffed Animal Tales (The Chronicles of Stuffed Animal Planet. Not for the Faint of Heart.) It’s story-telling with photos – currently stuffed bears perform a thinly-disguised version of Margaret Mitchell’s Gone With The Wind. There are also celebratory posts for events such as William (her son) placing as a finalist at the June 12 – 16 National History Day Contest, or when Sylvia (her daughter) won the Auburn Concerto Competition in May.
Stuffed Animal Tales: Hobbes, Jr. and his pampered daughter, Penny, play in the nursery (photo credit: Mall Diva)
I am introducing Dr. Wood (actually, Dr. Wood is introducing herself) because I asked her to write a “guest post” on a subject near and dear to her heart, which I will cross-post on my Flipped again … pages in arts history blog. Incidentally, Flipped again was the original Flipside Florida before it moved to this site.
And now, here without further ado is Dr. Wood:
I graduated from Oberlin College with a B. A. in English and a B. M. in Violin Performance. After receiving my Ph. D. from Yale University, I taught as an Instructor for six years at Auburn University. Currently I am a member of Columbus (GA) Symphony, and Concertmaster of the LaGrange (GA) and Auburn orchestras. My students have won local, state, and national honors, and I have just been hired as an instructor in Columbus State University’s Schwob School of Music Preparatory Division’s Young Artist Program.
I have homeschooled my daughter, who is now studying violin with Sergiu Schwartz and piano with Alexander Kobrin, and am still homeschooling my son, who just became the first finalist ever from Alabama at the National History Day contest. [The Trial of Andrew Johnson: How He Survived Day Spring Academy]
I am also the author of “Emmanuel Levinas and the American Renaissance Canon,” in Donald R. Wehrs and David P. Haney, eds., LEVINAS AND NINETEENTH-CENTURY LITERATURE: ETHICS AND OTHERNESS FROM ROMANTICISM THROUGH REALISM, and am currently working on “Milne and the Tonstant Weaders: A Levinasian Case for WINNIE-THE-POOH and THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER.”
Weirsdo’s husband, Donald R. Wehrs, may be writing the guest post. He has published extensively on Levinas and has just written an interesting piece on Levinas’ relationship to literature, philosophy, and Judaism. Weirsdo would be drawing on that anyway. Dr Wehrs is much more knowledgeable, she says, and has a much more extensive record of publication, besides being a full professor of English at Auburn. Don won Auburn’s Diversity Research Award last year (2010) and Honors Professor of the Year (2007-08).
So, either Dr. Wood or Dr. Wehrs will write a post on the philosopher Emmanuel Levinas. I’m looking forward to the surprise!
Published in 2009 by University of Delaware Press
MEANWHILE, back at FSU’s Center for Marine Bioenergy Research … or possibly to Jacksonville University’s Marine Science Research Institute. …
Very heart-warming. It’s good to keep track of the Woods and algae.
Thanks. I’ll do my best to keep track of algae, too.
What a nice honor. Oh, and something brilliant!
Brilliant!
Thanks for the lovely intro.
Actually, Mall Diva takes the photos.
It was my pleasure, weirsdo. I’ll attribute photo credits to Mall Diva cette minute!
Lorna (aka Mrs Weirsdo) is not only a gifted lady but with one infinite amounts of patience; capable of fiddling a mean note on a violin whilst writing an impromptu essay on the life of bears and others. But then again she is a girl and girls always can multi-task.
You may ask what I mean about her patience… I once, before I had nosed around a bit to discover who Lorna Wood was, had the audacity, as a Britt, to question her ability as a yank to edit some of my Fekenham stuff. She, with all courtesy, told me of her qualifications and then went on to polish my coal like story into, if not a diamond as she only has so much talent, a cleaner lump of anthracite.
Looking forward already to reading the essay on Levinas.
Some folks just make you want to spit don’t they?
Russell a.k.a. C.J.D., Your ode to Mrs. Weirsdo is a lovely tribute to the life of bears (in essay format.) As a girl, I question your ability to multi-task. Please try to do justice to masterymystery’s last post. The Mapleleaf Literary Orchestra awaits with abated breath!!
Thanks, Russell. I was actually wondering if you minded my bossy intrusiveness, since you didn’t ask me to do another volume. . . .
Oh all right, Karen. Their real names are Sylvia and William Wehrs.
Hi weirsdo,
I didn’t like to push my way into your hectic life. I guess I felt as though I was taking liberties. I have a chap who I work with now, a good friend, who isn’t as qualified as you but who does a good job.
Karen,
A mere male maybe but I have bathed, fed, played with three daughters and one son all of whom tell you what a great househusband I am (he lied through gritted teeth!)
Enjoyed the post, but more so the comments: it’s great to have a good revelation every now and again.
Weirsdo, As a “tryhard” pantheist, I’d like to see a post on Spinoza. Many’s the time I’ve started reading his stuff, but found it heavy going. No rush ;-)
Russell, I’ve done the househusband thing too, so I know where you’re coming from (not the North Pole!) . I’m amazed you have any time left at all.
And I enjoy your posts, MM, but more so your comments. Cheers.
Weirsdo, Of course I assume that anyone who knows a lot about a particular philosopher also knows a lot about any philosopher of the same name, even if they’re spelled differently…
Alright, enough is enough already! Could we all PLEASE continue this conversation at the First Trial Interlude??? Personally, I would enjoy listening to the soulful (and mournful) sounds of El Mariachi as the Mapleleaf Orchestra looks for two specific clues as to the Location of the First Trial.
Last note…
OMPAH pa pa OMPAH!
You’re out of tune.
Sorry, MM. I don’t know much about Spinoza, except that Levinas borrows the term “conatus” from him.