Paul Cowdell

I finally got over to the reopened #Southampton City #Art Gallery at the weekend. I'd gone for the #PaulDelvaux #IthellColquhoun, but this #EmmaRichardson show caught me by surprise with its marvellousness. Highly recommended, and I'll be back before it ends.

https://southamptoncityartgallery.com/whats-on/emma-richardson-levitate-me-desire-ecstasy-and-the-sublime/

CfP for the latest in the joint Folklore Society/Royal Anthropological Institute '#Folklore and #Anthropology in Conversation' seminar series.

‘When Loud Rumour Speaks’: Informal communication in the modern online world

In-person seminar, Thurs, 15 Oct 2026, 10:00-17:00, London

CfP open till 30 Jun

https://www.folklore-society.com/event/call-for-papers-when-loud-rumour-speaks-informal-communication-in-the-modern-online-world-the-tenth-folklore-society--royal-anthropological-institutejoint-seminar/

The Doctrine of Werewolves
#surrealism #poetry
https://poundhammers.blogspot.com/2026/04/the-doctrine-of-werewolves.html

There being no straightforward paths into #folklore, I'm not particularly surprised to find myself constantly revisiting my youthful background in #Classics, which trained me intellectually more than I perhaps realised at the time.

I wasn't much about Late Antiquity in those studies, so the work of Averil Cameron didn't loom so large for me. The responses to her death, however, have brought home a significance well beyond even her expertise.

This great autobiographical keynote is excellent on class and gender inequalities and imbalances in academia. Two things stand out in her and Mary Beard's experience of the London ancient history seminar:

1) the way in which even the cool radical guy pose can still just be reinforcing inequalities rather than redressing them

2) the absolutely excellent advice on making a contribution anyway.

https://wcc-uk.blogs.sas.ac.uk/2017/05/22/starting-out-in-the-1960s-working-class-and-female/

On this verge the finite mind must pause

https://poundhammers.blogspot.com/2026/04/on-this-verge-finite-mind-must-pause.html

#surrealism

@the5thColumnist @GeofCox Although looks at Albuquerque...

@GeePawHill@mastodon.social I guess reinforcing your point later in the thread about flexibility and inventiveness with language, this phrase always make me think of an Emo Philips routine about his teacher: 'She was, bi and large...' I've recently finally read The Canterbury Tales all the way through, and am very taken with Chaucer's phrase 'Be as be may' (=Be that as it may)

@slevelt@aus.social I don't listen to much radio, so it was a wild punt, but glad you like it!

@slevelt@aus.social Songhoy Blues?

A friend and I have been talking about our regrets at #books not bought over the years. I hadn't seen myself as bibliomanic, but the exchange exposed some unhealthy truths. (I still rue an edition of Thucydides I didn't buy when I was 17). Her summary is spot on:

We are the folk whose unbought books will forever whisper to us "Never let me go"

#bookstodon

@khleedril@cyberplace.social As Steve Martin said: 'Some people have a way with words. Other people, oh, not have way...'

I've just seen the stat that average US #reading level is 7th-8th grade (ie age 12-14). I started looking for coverage, and came across this in one summary: 'Americans are reading at a fewer rate every year.' I begin to see the scale of the problem.

I believe this is the first time I have ever been picture-captioned as a #folklorist, so I'll take that as a win, even if the article then doesn't say anything more about it.

It was a real privilege to be part of the New #Carnival Company's 2026 launch last week.

https://www.countypress.co.uk/news/25834061.iw-mardi-gras-2026-carnival-kicks-off-theme-reveal/ #folklore

The two best #storytellers on the #isleofwight are doing another joint show 26 Feb.

This one combines their solo shows from last year's #VentnorFringe, both of which were absolute knockouts. I highly recommend this.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1544986679915808/
#storytelling