Living Deadwood: Imagination, Affect, and the Persistence of the Past.

23 November, 2011 · 7pm
Memorial University,  Bruneau Centre, IIC 2001

Dr. Rebecca Johnson will speak on "Living Deadwood: Imagination, Affect, and the Persistence of the Past." Edward Said argued that stories about the past tell us less about that past than about cultural attitudes in the present. In this presentation, Rebecca Johnson turns to popular culture to explore that observation. We will consider the place of imagination, with its structures of feeling, in our current legal, social and economic ordering. 

Dr. Johnson uses the HBO TV show Deadwood as a point of entry to explore and re-consider the affective emotional investments that help sustain persisting colonial relationships in our contemporary legal, social, and economic orders. 

The George M. Story Lecture in Humanities is co-sponsored by the Office of the Vice-President (Research) and the Office of the Dean of Arts. It was established to honor the memory of Dr. George M. Story, a scholar of international repute and one of the editors of the Dictionary of Newfoundland English.

Baskets, Belbin's, The Battery, and more.

In this month's edition of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Update for Newfoundland and Labrador, we go looking for traditional basket makers; Mel Squarey interviews Chris Belbin about the history of Belbin's Grocery; a new cell phone oral history project is launched in The Battery; and Tales of Town returns to The Rooms Theatre, with memories of Christmas past.

Download the newsletter in pdf format

Intangible Cultural Heritage Podcast - A Good Boat!

In the late 1970s an American folklorist, David Taylor, conducted a series of interviews in the Trinity Bay area while researching his Memorial University folklore thesis, "Boatbuilding in Winterton: The Design, Construction and Use of Inshore Fishing Boats in a Newfoundland Community".

In "A Good Boat!" - the first intangible cultural heritage podcast - we present short clips of two of those interviews.

The first, dating from March 22, 1979 is part of Dr. Taylor’s interview with Mr. Lionel Pearcey, who was born December 8, 1918, in Winterton, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. Mr. Pearcey lived most of his life in Winterton, although he would spend time away from home working in mines, as a fisher, and as a carpenter. In the interview, Mr. Pearcey discusses different types of boats, and explains the difference between a speedboat and a trap boat.

The second clip, recorded in Winterton on August 15, 1979, is part of an interview with Mr. Herbert Harnum. Mr Harnum was born November 30, 1919 in Winterton, where he worked as a fisherman with his family. In this clip, Mr. Harnum describes the qualities of a good boat.

To listen to David Taylor’s full interviews with Mr Harnum, Mr Pearcey, and other traditional Newfoundland boatbuilders, visit Memorial University’s Digital Archive Initiative online at collections.mun.ca.

• Download the podcast in MP3 format
• Listen to a streaming audio version of the podcast.

Making Hobby Horses: Prepping for the 2011 Mummers Festival

This week, I taught two train-the-trainer Hobby Horse workshops here in St. John's. One was for the Arts Work conference, for teachers from across the province. The second was for MacMorran Community Centre, who plan on running hobby horse workshops for interested people in the neighbourhood.

Both sessions went extremely well, with a lot of laughter, and some gorgeous hobby horses.  I'll be adding some more hobby horse instructions to the Memorial University ICH page soon, but in the meantime, here are a few shots of our new hobby horse builders in action.

Remember, Remember: Bonfire Night Memories at The Rooms

Coffee and Culture at The Rooms
November 3, 2011 @ 2:30pm

Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, was a tradition looked forward to with great anticipation in many communities throughout Newfoundland and Labrador, particularly by young people. Faced with concerns about fire safety and vandalism, the tradition faded, though it is now seeing a bit of a revival. At this special Coffee and Culture, graduate students in Dr. Jillian Gould's Public Folklore course at Memorial University present oral histories with some of the people they've interviewed who have warm memories of Bonfire Night from years past.

Coffee and Culture programs are included with the cost of admission to The Rooms.

Tuesday's Folklore Photo: Bonfire Night!

One of my favourite Newfoundland holiday's is fast approaching: Bonfire Night! Celebrated on November 5th, Bonfire Night is one of those traditions that has faded somewhat in recent years, with concerns about vandalism and fire safety. In 2010, however, over forty communities across Newfoundland and Labrador hosted official town bonfires, indicating rather clearly that the tradition is far from moribund.

The photo above was taken on Bonfire Night in Carbonear in 2010. Carbonear is one of the communities participating again in this year's Festival on Fire, and their community bonfire will start at 6:30 PM at the community Recreation Complex. Hot chocolate and marshmallows will be served!

To learn more about Bonfire Night, listen to some of the interviews on Memorial University's Digital Archive Initiative.

In the hills above town: Tea and tales in Pippy Park

7:30pm
Thursday, November 3rd
North Bank Lodge, Nagle's Place
Pippy Park, St. John's

The Pippy Park Heritage Committee and Friends of Pippy Park have organized "Tea and Tales in Pippy Park". Join them at North Bank Lodge to hear stories and remembrances of life, living, and working in Pippy Park.

I'll be moderating the event, and there will be opportunity for you to share your own stories of Pippy Park. Or you can just relax by the fire and enjoy the tales!

Playing with Fire! Celebrate Bonfire Night at Bitters Nov 1.

1 November · 8pm
Bitter Grad Pub @ MUN
Field Hall, 216 Prince Philip Dr.

The Public Folklore graduate class at MUN and the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador are hosting a variety show celebrating Bonfire Night and fire traditions, featuring music, storytelling, spoken word.

Come enjoy our line-up of fiery entertainers and if you feeling the burning urge to share your own fire stories, songs or memories we warmly invite you to take part in the open mic portion of the night.

Admission is pay-what-you-can and all proceeds will go to support Shriners Hospitals.

There will also be FREE barbecued hot dogs/veggie dogs available.

So come watch the sparks fly in celebration of Bonfire Night. It's guaranteed to be a sizzling time!

For full list of events and community bonfires, see:

www.festivalonfire.ca

Walking on Water: Vernacular Architecture walk of St. John's

Last week, I met up with students of Gerald Pocius's Vernacular Architecture graduate level class, and gave them an overview of the Heritage Foundation's work, and a tour of a few sites in along the west end of Water Street.

Tomorrow, we're heading east, and I compiled a list of places we'll pass by for the participants. I thought that since I had it, I'd share it with you, my beloved blog audience, so you can take a little virtual walk along historic Water Street from the comfort of your computer screen.

On the route tomorrow:

Murray Premises
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2232

O'Dwyer Block
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2154&pid=12030&h=Odwyer,Block

Yellow Belly Brewery
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=5341
http://www.greatcanadianbeerblog.com/2008/06/yellowbelly-brewery-public-house.html

Grace Building (Model Shop)
http://www.heritagefoundation.ca/property-search/property-details.aspx?id=1890

Bowrings
http://bowring.com/about.asp
http://www.heritage.nf.ca/law/merchants.html

O'Brien's Music
http://obriensmusic.com/site/obriens-history/

Rocket (Neil Soper Hardware/Auntie Craes)
http://www.thetelegram.com/Business/Economy/2010-10-18/article-1856592/Historical-Auntie-Crae%26rsquo%3Bs-shutting-its-doors-in-December/1

Commercial Chambers Building
http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=2149&pid=0

And I'll also be talking about the [Here]Say project.