the essence of the humanities

"If the mind of the woodcarver or calligrapher is not at the edge where tool meets material -- or, more accurately, is recreated at their meeting -- then the job is botched. Whatever was originally meant by the term, crafts are 'mysteries' for that reason (OED sv 'mystery' 1,2)...We cannot, therefore, rest content with the comfortably simple definition of humanities computing as the application of the computer to the disciplines of the humanities, for it omits the very heart of the matter. It fails us by deleting the agent-scholar from the scene and, in the spatial metaphor implied by the preposition to (as in 'apply pencil to paper'), by overlooking the mediation of thought that his or her use of the computer implies..."

"...Pauline Yu [says], 'Without a persistent willingness to rethink traditional categories, we may only delude ourselves about what it means to cross disciplines. And without a conviction to adjust modes of analysis to newly perceived realities, to question what seems obvious or without question, and to reaffirm what seems of enduring value, we risk forgetting...the essence of the humanities. We cannot afford to take the risk of losing the insights into ourselves, our pasts, and our futures...'"

words from the work of dr. w. mccarty, king's college

there and back again

two day trip.

drove down the five, and back home on 101.

saw five colleges. quickly witnessed a bit of

football (very well played) on skateboards.

let it be noted that the last week of school

makes a university campus (especially one

on the beach) look awfully good. bikes lined

up in candy-colored columns. kids in swim-

suits sauntering toward the water. nary a

book in sight. happy faces all around. just

sayin'--one of those moments when living

in our sunny state seems like the best of all

possible worlds--but before you get all starry

eyed about being in the best of all possible

worlds, make sure you've gassed the car up

as you leave Santa Barbara and head north

on 101. it's a long, dry drive 'til you get thru

the Gaviota tunnel & cruise into Buellton

(location of the next gas station you'll see).

don't ask me how i know.

all in all, it was a simply magnificent and

unexpectedly memorable trip. love this

sweet state of ours. it's good to remember how

remarkable (& astonishingly beautiful) it is.