An interesting way to tell Simmons how we feel.... simmons.edu/share
January 2009 Archives
Yesterday, in light of yet another snow storm, I opted to work from home. My supervisor said this was fine, given that the weather would be lousy and I have a pretty long commute even on a good day. It was awfully nice to sleep in a bit and not have to tug on my winter boots or bundle up or scrape ice off my car. That said, my residual guilt made certain to have me at my desk working by 8:30 a.m.
There are certainly benefits to working this way, surrounded by the comforts of home and dog. The cafeteria never closes (this could be seen as a good or bad thing, of course). I made a whole pot of tea. I wore my favorite faded blue jeans, not to mention slippers. That said...I found myself wondering what I was missing at the office. Normally when I'm in my home office, hard at work, it's on something writing or publicity-related. It felt strange, out of my element, to be focusing on GSLIS things while at home. And not as fun without the colorful cavalry of my peers for discussion, decision, distraction.
So my commute this morning was long and quite chilly. But I'm okay with that. I'm thankful to work in a place filled with smiling faces that I'm happy to see, regardless of the weather.
There are certainly benefits to working this way, surrounded by the comforts of home and dog. The cafeteria never closes (this could be seen as a good or bad thing, of course). I made a whole pot of tea. I wore my favorite faded blue jeans, not to mention slippers. That said...I found myself wondering what I was missing at the office. Normally when I'm in my home office, hard at work, it's on something writing or publicity-related. It felt strange, out of my element, to be focusing on GSLIS things while at home. And not as fun without the colorful cavalry of my peers for discussion, decision, distraction.
So my commute this morning was long and quite chilly. But I'm okay with that. I'm thankful to work in a place filled with smiling faces that I'm happy to see, regardless of the weather.
People ask me if I've been working on my next book, so I avoid the question by saying that I've been working on a lot of publicity-stuff. Which is true. But then when asked "what are you doing to publicize your book?" I stare blankly at a fixed point and avoid that question, too.
But here is what I am doing, in case you are interested in the glamorous life of a young adult novelist. I'm sending postcards for the new book to friends, family, and local libraries and bookstores. I've sent out some ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) of my book to bloggers and reviewers who may post reviews before the book's release. The other week I created a widget for my book that links to my website and to my book trailer that I've posted to my website: http://www.alisalibby.com/content.php?page=links&n=5&b=2&f=2.
I'm trying to connect with people online, ideally reaching people who like historical fiction and may be interested in the book. I've done interviews that will be posted on blogs, and I've scheduled a couple readings at local libraries for when the novel is released. I'm hoping to schedule a few more, along with some signings at local bookstores.
I know there is more that I could be doing - there is always, always more - but this is a start.
When I look at all that is going on around me, I am motivated even more than ever to redefine myself and come through these times a better person and professional. So as I tool around the internet and talk to friends, I've learned of these webinars that are free and have great content. One such example is ReadyTalk (thanks to a recommendation from my friend and colleague, Christine). They are a webinar vendor and they host weekly webinars on many different topics (http://www.readytalk.com/web-seminar-series/). I encourage everyone to check out their offerings and take advantage.
The last webinar I attended, Innovation and Creation: Part I, was hosted by ?What If!, a consulting company that helps companies unlock growth through innovation. ?What If! focused on "six creative behaviors that will help you unleash creativity and unlock innovation...It's getting people to behave in the right way throughout the process that creates the magic."
Here are some highlights of the discussion:
According to our experts Hal Adler and Lisa Buckley, behaviors are essential to unlocking creativity. It is recommended that companies begin with "greenhousing" - the development of ideas in an environment that is conducive to brainstorming. To be successful in doing that, employ ?What If!'s concept, SUN.
Suspend Judgment
Ask questions to Understand
Nurture and grow the idea together
Use "signaling" to enforce where the group is in the development of ideas. Our experts say that the power of signaling (i.e. verbal or physical) puts you in the drivers seat. The verbal tells people how to share an idea. For example, "I have an idea and would like you to build on it" vs. "I have an idea. What do you think?" The latter invites people to judge. The physical sets parameters, so set one area for greenhousing ideas and a separate area for judging so the distinction is clear.
"Freshness" is about lateral thinking. Our experts say you should seek out new experiences and disrupt your routines to ensure your brain doesn't become stale with the same old stuff. For example, read a magazine you don't typically read, something that has nothing to do with your field. Ideas employed in other fields can be replicated in your field. The first law of creativity is the more unique the stimulus in, the more unique the stimulus out.
"Realness" is about making your ideas real. Our experts say you should appeal to all three sensory styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic). For example, act it out or put it into visual format so that it becomes alive for your audience.
"Momentum"... sorry folks. I think I got distracted on this one. Nothing in my notes but it's self explanatory.
"Bravery" is the last behavior - "not fearing the outcome." Our experts say that the greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing making a mistake. Now isn't that powerful! "When you are being truly creative and innovative, it means you are doing something no one else has done and that requires guts."
Note: These are not my original ideas. They are based on notes I took during the webinar which are a combination of Hal and Lisa's experience and lessons they learned from working with a multitude of clients.
Want to buy a Mansion? It is hardly a Mansion, but I called it that, "Lee Street," the President's house. the President's Home.
My first President was William Holmes. Bill and his wife Jo entertained at Lee Street. It was the hospitality center of Simmons College. I remember standing in the gardens with friends during the many receptions for new faculty members held each September. One year this absent minded professor drove to Lee Street arriving a day early. Luckily, while noticing that there were no cars in the driveway and no police on duty directing traffic, I was able to buzz back to the College and check my invitation. Dooh!
I have a laminated front page of the Simmons News that celebrated the inauguration of our first woman president. Jean Dowdall signed that front page for me at a reception at Lee Street for students, faculty, alumnae, and friends. I believe President Dowdall, during her days of public service, conducted a walk for charity which began at 300 The Fenway and ended at Lee Street, where she entertained all the marchers, young and old. I remember the good matured fun arising from the fact that rather than walk I negotiated a deal which became a poster. BobWhite donated fifty dollars so he wouldn't have to walk. You can too.
I had dinner with Denise Di Novi and her husband on the night before she delivered the Commencement address and received her honorary degree. Dan Cheever was my President then.
And of course there was the cupboard under the stairs. Yes, Lee Street has one. Just like Harry Potter's bedroom. Susan Scrimshaw and her family were all Harry Potter fans. During an alumnae event Susan snuck me away from the formal presentations, and in a hallway off the entryway she open a small door and we shared delight in that cupboard under the stairs.
Yes, Lee Street was our haven, an island of refined civilization just three and a half miles away from 300 The Fenway.
A friend at the College suggested that it would be very nice if an alumna bought the President's Home and gave it back to the College. Selling it to us for perhaps a dollar. Or a penny. Or "priceless." Priceless for a million, million memories.
Bob White
Kindly Olde Professor of Communications
In one of my earlier entries, I said I would write about some funny stories from my Sunday altered ego.
With a large of population of people with Irish ancestry in Boston, often times there would be bagpipers at funerals. I overheard this from a group of elderly men who were chatting after a regular Sunday church service. One of the men said, "I hate bagpipes. Please don't have bagpipes at my funeral. If there is, I am going to get up and leave."
Have you seen dogs at weddings? I have. Twice. And the dogs were part of the wedding party. They marched down the aisle along with the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Both times, the dogs were perfectly behaved -- the entire duration of the wedding. I was so amazed.
At a particular Christmas service, I was accompanying the cantor (ie, the song leader). I was playing out of a photocopy of some music, but I did not clip the paper securely on the music rack. The papers fell down, and I was frantically trying to keep the music going with one hand and savage the rest of the papers with another hand. This resulted in a few wrong notes. The cantor thought she skipped a verse, and said "ooops" loud enough for all to hear.
During the season of Advent, some churches have an "Advent wreath". It is a wreath made with green garlands, positioned horizontally, with 4 candles. Candles are lit according to the weeks in Advent. In churches that don't rotate which candle gets lit, candle no. 1 would then be lit for 4 weeks while candle no. 4 only lit for 1 week. At one particular church, moments before a service at the 4th week of Advent, candle no. 1 was burnt so low that the wreath caught on fire. While the congregation was stunned motionless, the custodian (a tall, large man) dashed down the center aisle with a fire extinguisher and doused the fire out.
I actually did not witness the event. I arrived at the church right after the service to practice, and found many members of the congregation were helping to clean the powder from the fire extinguisher off the pews.
With a large of population of people with Irish ancestry in Boston, often times there would be bagpipers at funerals. I overheard this from a group of elderly men who were chatting after a regular Sunday church service. One of the men said, "I hate bagpipes. Please don't have bagpipes at my funeral. If there is, I am going to get up and leave."
Have you seen dogs at weddings? I have. Twice. And the dogs were part of the wedding party. They marched down the aisle along with the bridesmaids and groomsmen. Both times, the dogs were perfectly behaved -- the entire duration of the wedding. I was so amazed.
At a particular Christmas service, I was accompanying the cantor (ie, the song leader). I was playing out of a photocopy of some music, but I did not clip the paper securely on the music rack. The papers fell down, and I was frantically trying to keep the music going with one hand and savage the rest of the papers with another hand. This resulted in a few wrong notes. The cantor thought she skipped a verse, and said "ooops" loud enough for all to hear.
During the season of Advent, some churches have an "Advent wreath". It is a wreath made with green garlands, positioned horizontally, with 4 candles. Candles are lit according to the weeks in Advent. In churches that don't rotate which candle gets lit, candle no. 1 would then be lit for 4 weeks while candle no. 4 only lit for 1 week. At one particular church, moments before a service at the 4th week of Advent, candle no. 1 was burnt so low that the wreath caught on fire. While the congregation was stunned motionless, the custodian (a tall, large man) dashed down the center aisle with a fire extinguisher and doused the fire out.
I actually did not witness the event. I arrived at the church right after the service to practice, and found many members of the congregation were helping to clean the powder from the fire extinguisher off the pews.
Lately G, my 15 year old African Gray parrot, had taken to playing in paper shopping bags. We'd put one on the couch as we watched TV and she's run in to her paper cave and start shredding the bottom. She seemed to love it and would hide in the bag shredding paper for hours at a time. Every once in a while she'd come out climb into my lap and raise her wings. I'd stroke her under the wings for a while, and then she'd run back into the bag.
Much our surprise we found an egg on the floor of her cage last Friday morning! The egg is about 1.5 inches long, seeming rather massive for a bird whose whole body length is just under 9 inches. She seemed indifferent to her production, and the egg is infertile as we have no male parrots in or flock. We've had her since she was a chick and this had never happened before. We had the vet check her out to make certain that she'd not become calcium depleted, and she was fine. The vet did tell us, "No more paper bags and no more stroking under the wings or on her back; only only on her head or face." It seems that the bag play was "nest building" and the under wing areas are erogenous zones on birds. Who knew?
I've attached a photo of the egg next to a dime for scale.
Much our surprise we found an egg on the floor of her cage last Friday morning! The egg is about 1.5 inches long, seeming rather massive for a bird whose whole body length is just under 9 inches. She seemed indifferent to her production, and the egg is infertile as we have no male parrots in or flock. We've had her since she was a chick and this had never happened before. We had the vet check her out to make certain that she'd not become calcium depleted, and she was fine. The vet did tell us, "No more paper bags and no more stroking under the wings or on her back; only only on her head or face." It seems that the bag play was "nest building" and the under wing areas are erogenous zones on birds. Who knew?
I've attached a photo of the egg next to a dime for scale.
While writing previous postings for this blog, I began wondering if I could locate some practicing fine artists among Simmons alums. My searches led me to Lynda Goldberg '74, who responded warmly to my first (and subsequent) contact with her, and has a web site where I could see her work (www.lyndagoldberg.com). This very prolific artist also lives and works conveniently close to me in the Boston area.
My husband and I met Lynda at the Needham Public Library this month to see an exhibit of her artwork. (Incidentally and happily, while there, we ran into Simmons economics professor, Don Basch.) Lynda was friendly and animated as she discussed her work with us.
Before I go any farther, let me suggest that sometime this month you give yourself a respite from the slippery sidewalks and soiled snow by visiting this exuberant exhibit! (Many of the works in the show are not
yet posted on her web site, which is another reason to see the actual exhibit.)
A transfer student from McGill University, in Montreal, Lynda majored in political science and minored in studio art at Simmons. ("It was a wonderful experience!" she said), and she used her Simmons ID for frequent trips to the MFA and museums. Her senior year was spent in Paris at the Institute of European Studies, where she learned etching (taught entirely in French!).
After returning to the States, Lynda continued printing at the Experimental Etching Studio in Boston, but subsequently interrupted her artistic pursuits for about nine years. After her divorce, she "immediately picked up art again." During her second marriage, "I made time for art so that I would feel fulfilled, happy, and creative," she said. Her family completely supports her art, "which has taken over the whole house."
She learned to create monotypes* at the Jewish Community Center in Newton, Massachusetts, where she now teaches. Lynda notes that, "The monotype fits my personality. Anything goes!"
Her nature series represents, without exactly replicating, the natural world. In some of the work, like "Night in the Woods" and "Night Storm" (the first two images above), the viewer's perspective appears askew, as if we are crawling in some undergrowth, spying on nature's secrets. In much of the work, the colors are intensely in-your-face. In "Branching Out" and the opulent "Blues Leaves Reaching Out" (fourth and fifth images above), not only are the colors bold, but the plants gingerly but relentlessly, make their way into the margins, as if their growth simply can't be contained.
In these monotypes, Lynda inks and presses actual leaves, stems, and flower petals; when you look closely, you can see the dents and tiny ruts left by the vegetation. The layering and ragged edges of the paper add texture to the "natural" effect.
Her work has earned her impressive awards and invitations to show in numerous exhibits. She's having a show in the Daniels Gallery at Hebrew Rehab (1200 Center Street) in Roslindale in March, and Lynda will show her work in the upcoming Newton Open Studios on May 16 and 17, 2009.
Purchasers of her art report being thrilled to see it on waking each morning or walking into the house at the end of the day. Her prices start at about $215 (framed) for "Memories," one of my favorites (the sixth image above).
A final observation about Lynda Goldberg's art: Her presence is palpable in the work, making a connection with the viewer. This quality makes me feel that we might like reproductions, but we live originals.
Note: If you know of other Simmons alum artists, please leave their contact info in the Comments on this blog. Or, email me at relief11@comcast.net.
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* To learn more about the rich uniqueness of monotypes, visit
Contact Lynda through her web site: www.lyndagoldberg.com, email her at: lynda@Lyndagoldberg.com, or phone her at: 617.527.2117.
For those of you that don't know me- I love quotations. Always have. I love how so much wisdom can be packed into a paragraph or less and then taking the time to reflect on what it means. Honestly, I think it all started with the "Chicken Soup for the Soul" books my mom used to get me during my pre-teen years, when everything seemed like the end of the world (...the most popular guy at school just walked by and smiled at me... OMG! I hope he asks me to the dance on Friday night...as I proceed to write my first name with his last name all over my notebook...)
Every month I'd like to share with you a quotation that means something to me. And by all means, please post back on what it means to you!
"Here is a test to find out whether your mission in life is complete.
If you're alive, it isn't."
-Richard Bach
Thoughts?
In the spirit of being green, Simmons has switched to using more biodegradable disposable food containers. These corn-based products also include eating utensils. But how about a step forward -- edible food containers and eating utensils? Imagine after enjoying your cup of coffee, you can proceed to eat the cup! Or how about eating that plate after you finished your lunch? Well there are bread bowls out there for soups that were popular for a while some time ago, and while there are people experimenting out there, I am not aware of anything that is commercially available.
I did a quick Google search on "edible utensils" and found a few links on edible spoons and cups that are flour-based. I hope some food scientist would give this idea some serious thought. Now it might not be so polite to eat that crunchy cup at a board meeting, but there must be occasions that people won't mind others biting into their fork.
I did a quick Google search on "edible utensils" and found a few links on edible spoons and cups that are flour-based. I hope some food scientist would give this idea some serious thought. Now it might not be so polite to eat that crunchy cup at a board meeting, but there must be occasions that people won't mind others biting into their fork.
I have a book trailer for the new book! Please check it out - I recommend that you pause the movie and let the whole thing download before watching (but you probably already know that) and be sure to click on HD for a crisp picture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGaAGyAgvas.
Here is another blog review of The King's Rose! A very positive review, which warms my cockles, let me tell you. Here's the link: http://peekingbetweenthepages.blogspot.com/2009/01/kings-rose-by-alisa-m-libby.html.
I'm sure I've already mentioned here the mix of excitement and abject terror associated with having a book released. This hit me out of the blue with my first book - I started suffering chronic headaches, which were quite likely stress-induced. I don't know why it hadn't occurred to me that the release itself would be hugely stressful, but there it is. I'll be more prepared this time around - here's hoping that helps me out.
I hope you're all enjoying the snow!
YouTube.MeTube.I make
movies.William Gibson wrote about:the footage:in his 2003 novel Pattern
Recognition.[YouTube(2005)MeTube(2007)www.YouTube.com/BobWhiteMovies].Nearly
1300 people,mostly in France,have viewed my Emile Cohl animation.The French
they say are fond of Jerry Lewis as well.Because of the technoir limitations of
YouTube my first postings were rather chunky.fine in peanutbutter but.Recently
I have taken advantage of YouTube upgrades to post higher quality copies of
some of my movies.During the ChristmasWinter break I have filled my time
turning away from academic responsibilities with working on a new
animation.Like a painter approaching the canvas catching the morning sunlight
cup of coffee and brush in hand I greet the glowing phosphores of the screen
and the wrinkly crinkly pages of my notebooks and storyboard
sketches.I.Am.A.Frequent.Suffererer.Of.EyeStrain.
The entire block of restaurants was destroyed. Part of the Simmons experience. Part of the Fenway neighborhood.
I'm not a fan of new year's resolutions. I rarely achieve what I've resolved in that haze of post-holiday self-reflection, fueled by egg nog and rumballs. Yes, the new year is an exciting fresh and clean slate on which to play out our dreams of our more perfect selves...but it's also another opportunity to eat more rumballs, or indulge in laziness or any other vice that makes us happy. And is any resolution going to truly convince us otherwise?
Anyhow, before I completely undermine all of your well-meaning and wonderful resolutions (really, best of luck, you can do it!!) I suppose I'll share a few reading-resolutions of my own. Reading is something I do anyway, so a reading-resolution doesn't strike me as a terrible idea. I've been trying to read books that I feel embarrassed for not having read. Last year I read Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, which somehow didn't impress me when I was assigned to read it in high school-it wasn't Edgar Allan Poe, you see...But I can cross it off my guilty list now since I've read it and ENJOYED it a great deal. I also read To Kill a Mockingbird, which was never assigned to me to read in school (luckily, because I generally disliked books that were assigned to me-I'm horrible, I admit!). This book was so wonderful and beautiful that it made me cry, profusely, on the bus. Embarrassing. Then I watched the movie with my husband and I thought I might hyperventilate with all of my blubbering, because it brought the book back to me. I generally don't enjoy a good cry-fest as some do, but this book deserved my tears as it was just so beautifully written.
So in 2009...maybe I should read a classic that I've been meaning to read for years: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins? She, by H. Rider Haggard? (Let's take a moment to appreciate how great that name is: H. Rider Haggard. You'd think I would have read the book already, with an author name like that.) If any of you have any suggestions to add to my list, please let me know. While I'm at it I really should read The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub-it's not my type of book really, but it's one that my Dad recommended to me, and as he has been gone for more than ten years now the very least that I can do is catch up on all the books he told me to read. He was right about Poe, after all.
Aside from reading, maybe we should all resolve to do stuff in the new year that we know that we enjoy (as long as it's healthy for mind and body, yes, of course) so that we'll all be happy people. I resolve to listen frequently to David Bowie, which I already do very often. I also resolve to rub the dog's belly, and drink green tea with honey, and watch movies that I love and read good books. I've accomplished some of these things in the new year already. Great success!
As the new year begins, we resume our look at the vital and perennial student question, What can you do with a math degree besides teach?.
The good news is that mathematical training is valued now as ever! Mathematics is increasingly being used in interdisciplinary settings, particularly in fields where biology and mathematics meet. For example, in the December 4, 2008 article, Ahead-of-the-Curve Careers, U.S. News & World Report identified 13 cutting-edge careers, including these careers for math majors: simulation developer, computational biologist, and data miner.
Actually, in an effort to attract undergraduates to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), three major mathematical societies in the U.S. - the Mathematical Association of America (MAA), the American Mathematical Society (AMS), and the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) - have collaborated to develop a web resource, called the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. This web site is a rich and growing resource of career profiles, salary information, educational requirements, plus a monthly newsletter for all those who are interested in learning about career opportunities in STEM as well as healthcare fields.
Beyond its contributions to the Sloan Career Cornerstone website, SIAM has just updated its publication, Careers in Math, which identifies the following "emerging career opportunities" for current math majors: Computational Biology or Bioinformatics (mentioned above); Computer Animation and Digital Imaging; Finance and Economics; Ecology, Epidemiology, and Environmental Issues; Climatology, Data Mining, and Material Science.
This month you will meet a Simmons alumna, Estella Kanevsky, Class of 2007, who works in one of the hottest fields where mathematics and biology powerfully intersect: biostatistics.
- How are things going, Estella? What you been doing since we spoke a year ago?
My second year at Yale is great! I can't believe that I'm so close to being done. I'm currently working on my thesis. I'm analyzing a study between the association of breastfeeding and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), which is a non-invasive breast cancer. It's a case-control study that one of my professors is in charge of. She wants me to publish it. It's really exciting!
-
Did you arrive at Simmons knowing you wanted to major in math?
I think I always liked math. In high school I always made sure to take the most advanced courses offered. When I got to college, I didn't know what I wanted to major in, so I kept taking math. Eventually I fell in love with it! -
What did you think you wanted to do with math?
I really wanted to be a teacher. But, along the way I found that I didn't want to teach at the elementary or secondary level. Instead, I wanted to teach at the college level. I wanted to be a professor. -
What have you been doing since leaving Simmons? How does the math you learned at Simmons impact you on a daily?
My thesis topic is in the area of cancer epidemiology. I use regression analysis, logistic regression survival, and basic descriptive statistics. Chi square tests come up a lot.
Also, in my job at Yale School of Medicine, I'm working on a meningioma study, The Meningioma Consortium Study, to identify their causes and effects. Meningioma are relatively common brain tumors, usually benign, which most often occur in middle-aged or elderly women. My supervisor is Elizabeth Claus, M.D., Ph.D., who also does surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital. I interview patients and controls. They're identified from a registry and the controls are selected by random digital dialing. Dr. Claus's study is being funded by the National Institutes of Health. It's the first national meningioma study. It involves patients from 5 states: CA, TX, NC, MA, and CT.
-
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I'd like to work for a company where I can pursue my interests in infectious diseases and continue to learn about surveillance, AIDS, cancer, and chronic diseases. -
Do you have any advice for alums?
I think that learning who you are and what you want to do is most important. Loving what you do will get you far!
For a wonderful, in-depth article that describes the field of biostatistics as well as career opportunities, we recommend a beautiful article, Analyse This, which appeared in the science journal, Nature. Meanwhile, should you have questions for Estella or me on this blog, please write. Happy New Year!!
If you are looking for some humorous science to read, check out the Chirstmas issue of the British Journal of Medicine. Normally the BMJ is a very difficult journal to publish in. Only the top papers get published there. But every year, the issue published closest to Christmas is filled with fun and humorous articles and research reports. The methodology of the research is still very good so science is not compromised, but the way the studies were conducted, or the topic itself, is often very funny.
For this year's issue, please go to:
http://www.bmj.com/content/vol337/issue7684/
Access is free. Enjoy! And do remember to breathe even when you are laughing.
For this year's issue, please go to:
http://www.bmj.com/content/vol337/issue7684/
Access is free. Enjoy! And do remember to breathe even when you are laughing.
