Neil Gaiman in Philadelphia and Penn Museum

[whafford]

I recently had the honor and privilege of having dinner with perhaps the most inspiring couple I've ever met, Amanda Palmer and Neil Gaiman (I say perhaps because that award should equally go to Jennifer Summerfield and Kyle Cassidy, who were also at the dinner). Amanda is a singer/song-writer/musician whose kickstarter for her new album and art

Comments

[trillian_stars]

Nicely done, Brad! It was wonderful to be a part of this experience!

Recapping the uncappable

[livejournal]

User trillian_stars referenced to your post from Recapping the uncappable saying: [...] ay artifacts so many thousands of years ago. Brad writes about it beautifully in his blog here. [...]

[valya_dl]

Nice post, Brad.
I hope to get a peek at some of those artifacts someday, on a future visit to see Kyle & Trillian.
xo
~Valya

[kylecassidy]

I always love seeing what's not on display, and hearing you talk about what things might have been used for, how they were found, what they were found near -- and the care with which they're studied.

[ext_814403]

I love being behind the scenes. My favorite part of being in collections (for the brief period I was there) at the Ft Sill Field Artillery Museum was when we had to inventory the entire collection. It took four months, but being able to see and handle all of the history was a first-rate history-dork buzz.

[whafford]

I agree. I love being around history--seeing things in museums is great, but to be actually there with the objects or in the trenches is terrific. I should simply embrace that, but I am also aware that scholars are expected to be somber. Seriousness often trumps enthusiasm and can result in ivory tower people who seem both secluded and unapproachable, and sometimes perhaps dull. I'm beginning to think about how to convey a scholarly elan, a perpatetic ebullience that eschews ennui yet carries the appropriate gravitas (or something like that)..

[ext_814403]

Enthusiasm trumps all. I'd much rather hear from someone who is clearly passionate about their subject than someone who knows all there is to know but has the personality of toast.