The Burnt House: January 2015

Oh, blog, I've missed you so much. I haven't been in Paris in almost a month (how time flies when you're busy out of your mind), but Paris is still on my mind.

Well lets get to the point of today's post. Remember how I couldn't get emails from Christina because they were going to my spam folder? Well it has always bothered me that I didn't know what she had written to me. While doing my makeup today I suddenly had the realization that Christina's emails might have been saved in my umail (UCSB email) account. I had often written to her using the account, and I have the account set up so that it forwards all of the emails it receives to my gmail address. Well, I checked my umail and saw all of Christina's emails!! Here are all of the things she said to me; they make so much sense now.

From: Michaela D. McGinnis <michaelamcginnis@umail.ucsb.edu>
To: vonkoehler <vonkoehler@aol.com>
Sent: Tue, Oct 21, 2014 6:06 pm
Subject: Histories of Paris: Midterm Exam Question

Dear Christina,

I'm outlining my midterm questions, and I'm having some difficulty. I want to do question two that asks how religion tore France apart or kept it together. I want to start by discussing Clovis and how he used church structure and assistance to create his bureaucracy. The problem is that I can't find a Parisian building to bolster my argument. I can talk about the cathedral in Reims, but that isn't in Paris. Do you think that I should focus on another era/regime instead of starting with Clovis? The only thing I can really say about Clovis, building wise, is that he was a great church builder.

The other area I chose was the 1500s (starting with Luther and ending with Henri IV's Editct of Nantes). I'm also having trouble findng a building for that. I'm thinking of citing the church across from the Louvre for the section when I discuss the attack of the Guise family on Protestant militia after Henri IV's wedding to Margot. Obviously, religion was tearing Paris/France apart during this period.

The last section I'm going to write about starts with Louis XIV rescending the Edict of Nantes and then going into a discussion about how religion was banned in the Republic. My thesis for this section is that there was no religion, thus solidarity was created through atheism (become an aethist or leave the country). I might bring in the Pantheon to cite this. I haven't really fleshed out this section.

Do you have any guidance you can offer me?

Best,

Michaela McGinnis

Dear Michaela,

I'm not sure whether Caroline Pierce or you students choose each other for the semester, but you -- once alumni -- should all get in touch on a private Facebook page! Caroline seems to have either a nose for the smart cookies or a subtle gentle rose aroma that attracts strong young women like you.

Of course you can use Clovis! Why not place him in the introduction and use your own observations to build out from your text below: he didn't build yet, maybe that means something?...needed to go to Reims, so then Paris needed to be discovered...chosen?

Your questions comprise all things you could have figured out on your own :) Sometimes, just take question or challenge or job and just flip it on its back, like a turtle, and tickle its stomach.

Yes, dig deeper into the church across from the Louvre -- St. Germain l'Auxerrois (use Horne's index) -- and why not the Louvre itself? Plus, that wedding took place at Notre Dame, play with that ball of string too!

Oof, relax! You only got the midterm prompt this morning. That you are, already bubbling away, proves the best of signs!

Your,

Christina

Dear Christina,

I'm in a group with Morgan and Annie for the Les Invalides project, and Morgan and I just wanted to contact you regarding Annie's participation.

Annie was unable to accompany Morgan and me when we first visited Les Invalides. All of the pictures included in the project are ours. Furthermore, Annie did not share in her portion of the writing. She emailed her final draft to Morgan late Tuesday night stating that it was in a really rough form and needed editing. This is after I had edited her sections on two different occassions. The agreement was to email Morgan a final form of the paper for compliation; not a draft. I also had to email the pictures that were used in Annie's portions to Morgan because Annie stopped responding to messages after about 3:30 pm.

Morgan and I then spent the late hours of Tuesday night attempting to edit Annie's draft into something presentable. It's not our best work because we didn't receive the document until late at night, but we tried our best to improve upon it. It's based on Annie's ideas, but the writing is mostly ours.

We realize that this was a group project, but we think that it's unfair that we had to do so much work while Annie did very little. We don't think that Annie should receive the same grade that Morgan and I do for only doing a third (if that) of the work.

We just wanted to inform you of what happened.

Best,

Michaela McGinnis

Oh dear oh dear oh dear...

That you are awake and angry this late in the evening worries me.

The exact same thing happened to me in college. And this kind of dynamic does happen sometimes later in the office/hospital/legal team.

I get the sense that you two will give it all. At this point, seven weeks in, I am not even sure who Annie is (Fergoson?). But I feel I know you and both your talents and strengths.

What usually happens in these cases: a nice grade for the group project is not followed through on any other work by the person in question...so, in the end, this kind of behavior garners no benefits in the long run.

I have noted this, of course.

Please don't be perfectionists. Get some sleep and get ready to enjoy the Opéra tomorrow. The best you can do given the circumstances is probably quite fine!

Christina

Dear Christina,

Sorry to bother you over holiday, but I had a quick question about the synecdoche paper. The syllabus states that the paper is due week ten at the latest, and then states the last day to turn in papers is November 18. The dates for week ten are actually November 25 and 26. Which date is the paper due on, the 18th or the 26th?

Best,

Michaela McGinnis

Re : Histories of Paris: synecdoche paper

OMG, what bad proofreading on my part! Yes, originally the 18th but then I decided to give you all more time to settle in after the break, so it's due the 25th...will send a message to the class.

Thanks for being so meticulous!

Best, Christina

This email is something you've already seen before:

Dear Christina,

I'm currently writing my monument analysis number two, and I have a question. I was waiting until Tuesday for you finish your lecture on Sacré Coeur to decide if I was going to choose the monument for my paper so I prolonged commencing work on the paper. Would you mind if I turn in the paper two weeks after Tuesday's date (December 4th instead of November 28)?

Best,

Michaela McGinnis

Histories of Paris: monument analysis two

Oh, Michaela, take your time and just be brilliant, as usual.

Sigh and smile,

Christina

Dear Christina,

I've reviewed the last few places on my Parisian to-do list, and it reads as follows:

1. Le Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouven

2. Rue Mouffetard

3. Église Saint-Séverin

4. Musée de Cluny

5. Rue Montorgueil

6. Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume

7. Musée Jacquemart-André

8. Moulin Rouge

9. Grand Palais

Do any of those places connect to subjects covered in class? I'm very open to suggestions concerning for other places I can visit instead.

Best,

Michaela McGinnis

December 10th excursion

Hi, Michaela,

I'm sorry, I never quite realized how death-centered this visit turns out to be....

1. Le Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen only open SatSunMon

2. Rue Mouffetard read Pierre Gripari's hilarious young adult books. And go buy food. Caroline's neighborhood.

3. Église Saint-Séverin Gorgeous. The whirling pillar behind the altar is supposed to do two things: helicopter your soul to the heavens 2) look like a palm tree and make you think of palm fronds of martyrdom.

4. Musée de Cluny If you do not spend an hour staring at the Lady with the Unicorn, you will regret it. So I'd say this is #1. Also site of the ancient Roman baths. A ",like, totally," palimpsest experience.

5. Rue Montorgueil Just off Saint-Eustache where we were today! How silly.

6. Galerie Nationale du Jeu de Paume If you love photography. Housed the impressionists before Orsay happened.

7. Musée Jacquemart-André. # 2 choice. A great love story, a great collection, and a connection to Venice. Go to the "cafeteria," where you will have cakes beneath a fresco by Tiepolo transported from to 18th century to 19th century Paris. I have been dying -- no time in fall -- to see the Perugino show.

8. Moulin Rouge. Eh, burned down twice, still sleazy area.

9. Grand Palais. Go instead to the Baccarat show in the Petit Palais. #3.

Bon mercredi, donc,

Christina

After reading all of her responses, I emailed Christina to say hello and that I had finally read her emails. It was nice to hear from her again...even if I was supposed to hear those words months ago.

I finally know. I hardly doubt that this is the last thing that perfectly wraps up all of the loose ends of my Paris experience, but it's certainly a part.

Subject Area & UC Course Number & Title	Grading option	UC Grade
French 13 - ADV BEG CONV & GRAMR 6.0	LG	A+
History 111 - HISTORIES OF PARIS 5.0	LG	A
Music 34 - FR POPULAR MUSIC 5.0	LG	A
French 50 - FR LANG & CULTURE 4.5	P/NP	P

The Burnt House

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

brava

Friday, January 16, 2015

subtle gentle rose aroma