Various stuff:
“Proudly Answering to ‘Jersey Girl,'” – writer Helene Stapinski traces the origins and the definition of the true “Jersey Girl.” Being from Brooklyn, it’s not like I know what being from Jersey means, but I thought that this article was fascinating. Apparently, the Jersey Girl is not just some 1980’s invention with the Big Hair/Make-Up/Thick Accent; she is the sweet but spirited gal of the 1890’s, back to the early development of Miss America’s Atlantic City origins.
So, even NJ – the state perpetually caught between Philadelphia and NYC – has some history none of us realizes. And, speaking of the turn-of-the-century, Times Square is celebrating its 100th Anniversary. Cool. Is everything celebrating something in NYC? The subway’s 100 years old; my undergraduate alma mater is celebrating 250th anniversary. People forget that NYC is an old city, since it’s constantly re-inventing itself and seems always new.
Connecticut (one of the newspapers quoted Coach Jim Calhoun of the men’s basketball team describing his state as one trapped between NYC and Boston) – is celebrating how UConn’s men and women basketball teams are NCAA champions. How does one school do it? It’s amazing – or maybe I’m a little jealous. Seeing one’s school like that – that’s just way too cool (well, putting aside the whole rioting-burning-the-school/town-down). Hmm.
Some Asian-related reading that I thought was interesting:
NY Times’ Dining section on Vietnamese cooking; sounds very interesting.
Slate.com is celebrating poetry month; poetry editor Robert Pinsky (former Poet Laureate) selects “Reading the Poetry of Meng Chao” by the 11thCentury Chinese poet Su Tung-p’o (translated by Burton Watson), a poem about reading bad poetry. Interesting poem – one feels the frustration of Su Tung-p’o in reading a not-very-good poem – apparently, a perennial feeling, no matter the century.