Struggling to encompass all this? I know I am. While we inevitably specialize in particular topics, it’s important to build bridges. I guess it’s that time of year when another guide to my diverse posts may come in handy—this is worth reading in conjunction with the homepage and my roundup this time last year.
I’ve added more entries to many of the sidebar categories and tags mentioned in that summary. I’ve now subheaded many of the categories; it’d be useful for the tags too, but it seems I can’t do that on my current WP plan. Of course, many of these headings overlap—fruitfully.
Notably, I keep updating and refecting on my film and book on the Li family Daoists. I wrote a whole series resulting from my March trip to Yanggao (helpfully collected here) and Beijing (starting here, also including the indie/punk scene). Other 2018 posts on the Li family include Yanggao personalities and Recopying ritual manuals (a sequel to Testing the waters).
To accompany the visit of the Zhihua temple group to the British Museum in April, I also did a roundup of sources on the temple in the wider context of ritual in Beijing and further afield, including several posts on this site.
I’ve posted some more introductions to Local ritual, including
- Gansu
- Ningxia
- southwest Shanxi
- and more in a series on Shaanbei
Gender (now also with basic subheads) is a constant theme, including female spirit mediums—to follow the series on women of Yanggao, starting here. Or nearer home, Moon river, complementing Ute Lemper.
Sinologists—indeed aficionados of the qin, crime fiction, and erotica—may also like my post on Robert van Gulik (and note the link to Bunnios!).
I’ve added a few more categories and tags, notably
- Iron curtain, including posts on the Ukraine holodomor, as well as the Bloodlands, east Europe, and Cheremis, Chuvash—and Tibetans. Also relevant are the films of Wang Bing and Ai Xiaoming on the Chinese gulag (for more, see Maoism tag)
- Related are more posts on 20th-century traumas around Europe (collected here), including A Nazi legacy; a sequel on the GDR; Sachsenhausen, to follow Ravensbrück; fascism in Portugal and Spain; Les Parisiennes
- south China, including ritual and recreational cultures
- world music, obligingly subheaded (introduction here). Among many posts, the general ones argue the importance of soundscape: Nettl, McClary, Small, Bigenho, and so on. And do read the series on flamenco and fado (under Iberia tag); Sardinian chronicles; Women of Herat; as well as analysis, more and less technical. In Different values I collect several posts on the aesthetic gulf between folk and conservatoire performance in China
- The WAM category (also with subheads!) also continues to grow, including more Proms; chinoiserie (Berlioz, as well as Ravel and Mahler, who have their own tags); and early music. Coverage of the infinite wonders of Bach continues, such as this. Try also this Haydn trio (part of a series on reception history). The humour subhead includes gems like The Mary Celeste. See also under conducting
The film tag is developing, with a side order of soundtracks—for some links, see here.
I’ve given basic subheads to the language category (note this post on censorship), which also contains much drôlerie in both English and Chinese. Issues with speech and fluency (see stammering tag) continue to concern me, such as
Following Daoist football, the sport tag is worth consulting, such as The haka, and a series on the genius of Ronnie.
Some posts are instructively linked in chains:
- Shakespeare stories
- Deviating from behavioural norms
- Trumpets, wind and brass bands around the world—now and in history
More favourites may be found in the *MUST READ* category. Among other drôlerie, try this updated post, one of several on indexing and taxonomy; and more from the great Philomena Cunk.
Most satisfying is this collection of great songs—still not as eclectic as it might become:
Do keep exploring the sidebar categories and tags!
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