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In This Issue:
The Quirk Classics Curriculum
Sea Monsters to Splash Ashore 9/15
Teachers: Get Students to Actually Read the Classics
From the Secret Lives Archives
Nerding Out Over the Emmys
Everyday Astrology: Turn Ons and Turn Offs by the Zodiac
PB&J Cupcakes: Improving Upon Perfection
Crochet a Ninja & a Cthulhu! Featured Titles:
IRREFERENCE REPORT: September 2009
Dreading your return to the classroom? Or hating your job and wishing you had gone to grad school after all? This month’s Irreference Report will help you deal with the back-to-school grind, or at least entertain you while you slurp your clumpy Cup-a-Soup lunch at your desk.
Quirk Curriculum, Fall 09 Semester
September is Be Kind to Writers and Editors month as well as Read a New Book Month. Whether these are holidays made up by English professors or book publishers, we like it either way.
“You mean, like a book?”
–Justin Timberlake, American entertainer (1981 –), in response to a Rolling Stone interviewer's question, “What was the best thing you've read all year?” From The Quotable Douchebag
On These Days in Sea Monster History: August 20, 1890: Birthday of H.P. Lovecraft “...H.P. Lovecraft—American visionary, master of the ‘weird tale,’ and (little-known fact) Jane Austen's prom date.” - Ben Winters, co-author of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters
September 19: International Talk like a Pirate Day! Dust off those eye patches, fold some paper hats, and open up and say Arrrrrrrrr! Yes, like that.
From the Secret Lives Archives Secret Lives of Great Authors: H.G. Wells (9/21/1866 – 8/13/1946) Was one of Wells’s late-life paramours a Soviet spy? Some historians call Moura Budberg, the Ukrainian-born baroness whom Wells bedded in the early 1930s, the “Mata Hari of Russia,” claiming she worked as a secret agent for the Bolsheviks while sleeping her way through various European capitals. Under the cover of their torrid affair, the twenty-seven-year-old Budberg shamelessly used the sixty-something Wells to gain access to his politically connected friends. She even set up a meeting between Wells and Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, after which Wells described “Uncle Joe” as the most “fair, candid, and honest” man he had ever met. Eventually, Wells woke up to the reality that he was being played, although his passion for the haughty noble left him powerless to end their affair. She eventually became pregnant by him and was compelled to have an abortion—an ironic twist given Wells’s staunch belief in birth control.
Secret Lives of Great Artists: Edgar Degas (7/19/1834 – 9/27/1917) While the name Degas has become synonymous with the Impressionist movement, the artist despised the term and dismissed many of the movement’s defining characteristics. Read about his defiance as well as his groundbreaking exhibitions that helped define Impressionism: They attacked the artists as intransigent lunatics, honestly unable to understand art that didn’t tell a story, have a moral, or reproduce the world in ways to which they were accustomed. Degas was particularly singled out for his “poor” drawing ability and “bizarre” compositions. Read more…
On These Days in Comic Book history September 5: Marvel Superheroes Birthday September 19: Adam West’s Birthday
Pop Culture Nerding Out Over the Emmys With Emmy season upon us, our hearts are all aflutter with Geek Pride at Quirk—even more than usual. Jemaine Clement, our very own Geeky Dreamboat, has been nominated for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, and Flight of the Conchords is up for Oustanding Comedy Series. How outstanding!
Astronomy...er, Astrology
More accurate than your cootie catcher and your Ouija board, Gary Goldschneider’s Everyday Astrology gives accurate advice on love and life according to the stars. Know when to hold ’em, and know when to fold ’em, from Aries to Pisces.
Turn-ons and Turn-offs on First Dates: Virgo (August 24 – September 22) Turn-offs are easier to discuss. Virgo first dates are so selective and picky that practically anything can turn them off. For example, they may even like something you offer, but it may come at the wrong time or in the wrong place. Since their rejection is such an unpredictable thing, even for them, it will be necessary for you to just take your chances. What will really turn them on is your ability to read their present state and mood and be able to improvise something that pleases them on the spot, right then and there. Read more…
On These Days in History September 18: New York Times Birthday - 1852 September 21: International Day of Peace
“I think that people want peace so much that one of these days, governments had better get out of the way and let them have it.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower, The Anti-War Quote Book
Home Ec September 13 is National Peanut Butter Day There is no better way to celebrate this joyous occasion than with...
Peanut Butter and Jelly Cupcakes! Addicted to PB&J sandwiches? These traditional vanilla cupcakes filled with strawberry jam and topped with creamy Peanut Butter Frosting are a special treat for kids and adults alike, and always sell out at the school bake sale. Get the recipe!
Ever wish crocheting was a little more bad-ass? We did, too. Crochet your very own Cthulhu and Ninja! Click for patterns, brought to you by Creepy Cute Crochet.
Can’t get enough Quirk? Now you can see what we’re up to just about every second of the day!
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