title: The Princess from the Land of Porcelain

abstract: Rose and Silver: The Princess from the Land of Porcelain is an oil painting on canvas by American-born artist James McNeill Whistler. It was painted between 1863 and 1865. It currently hangs above the fireplace in The Peacock Room at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

text:
# The Princess from the Land of Porcelain

***Rose and Silver: The Princess from the Land of Porcelain*** (better known as ***The Princess from the Land of Porcelain***; also known by the French title ***La Princesse du pays de la porcelaine***) is an oil painting on canvas by American-born artist James McNeill Whistler. It was painted between 1863 and 1865. It currently hangs above the fireplace in *The Peacock Room* at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

## Description

*Princess* depicts a European woman wearing a kimono worn in a Western manner, standing amidst numerous Asian art objects, including a rug, Japanese folding screen and a large decorative porcelain vase. She holds a hand fan and looks ahead "wistfully". The entirety is rendered in an impressionistic manner. The painting‘s frame is decorated with a similar motif to the painting, with interlocking circles and numerous rectangles.

At the time Whistler painted *Princess*, he often used large amounts of gold in his work, such as in his similarly themed *Caprice in Purple and Gold No.2: The Gold Screen*. Although the painting itself does not include gold or gold pigments, its yellow and ochre shades complement the gold and blue interior of its original setting while displayed at the home of British shipping magnate Frederick Leyland.

## Production

*Princess* was painted between 1863 and 1865 by James Abbott McNeill Whistler, with Christine Spartali, the sister of Pre-Raphaelite artist Marie Spartali Stillman, serving as the model; Owen Edwards of *Smithsonian Magazine* describes Spartali as "an Anglo-Greek beauty whom all the artists of the day were clamoring to paint". *Princess* is one of several of Whistler's works painted during this period that depict a Western woman in Asian-styled surroundings and Asian-styled costume, a reflection of the current Anglo-Japanese trend and Art Nouveau aesthetic. As in several other of his works, Whistler used sketches to prepare the general layout of the composition. Other details were added in later. A surviving sketch depicts flowers, which were later eliminated from the work. The white Japanese folding screen in the background may have been one owned by Whistler.

## History

When the portrait was completed, Spartali's father refused to purchase it; Whistler's large signature at the top led another would-be buyer to withdraw. This may have led Whistler to develop his later butterfly-style signature.

The early history of the painting afterwards is fairly uncertain. In 1865 *Princess* was displayed at the Paris Salon. The following year, it was displayed at Gambart's French Gallery in London; when the exhibition finished, his friend Dante Gabriel Rossetti received the painting as Whistler was in South America at the time. It was then sold by either Rossetti or Joanna Hiffernan, Whistler's muse and lover, to an art collector thought to be Frederick Huth. *Princess* was returned to Whistler in 1867.

Several years later, the portrait was bought by Leyland He displayed *Princess* in a dining room filled with Kangxi ceramics, but was displeased how it had been decorated by a previous artist, Thomas Jeckyll. Whistler suggested that Leyland modify the coloring of the room to better accent his new acquisition; the redesign was later handled by Whistler himself, as Jeckyll was ill. The result was *The Peacock Room*. However, Whistler's modifications were more in-depth than those wished for by Leyland, resulting in a quarrel between the two.

In 1892, after Leyland's death, *Princess* was sold at Christie's in London to Alexander Reid for 420 guineas. Reid was a Glasgow art dealer who sold it to William Burrell a few years later.

*Princess* was acquired by Charles Lang Freer on August 20, 1903, under the title *The Princess of Porcelain* for £3,750 (US$18,240) on Bond Street, in London. He kept it in his home in Detroit, Michigan; the following year he acquired *The Peacock Room*. In 1906 he donated both to the Smithsonian.

After Freer's death in 1919, both *Princess* and *The Peacock Room* were moved to the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., a Smithsonian museum established by Freer. *Princess* continues to be housed in *The Peacock Room* at the Freer Gallery, shown hung above the fireplace amidst a rotating stock of Asian ceramics. In 2011, the *Princess* was digitized with over one gigapixel of resolution by the Google Art Project; this was achieved by assembling numerous smaller digital mosaics.

## Influences

Critics have seen influences of Japanese woodblock maker Kitagawa Utamaro in the painting, as well as 18th-century French chinoiserie stylings.

## Reception

In a review for the 1865 Paris Salon, Gustave Vattier wrote that the painting was not ready for display, saying that "a child's breath could blow it over"; he also disagreed with the belief that Whistler was representing reality, writing that the painting was nothing but "whim and fantasy".

In her doctoral dissertation, Caroline Doswell Older wrote that, when viewed without its frame, *Princess* came across as a being like a closely cropped, carelessly taken photograph which seems as if it would be swallowed up by *The Peacock Room*. However, with its frame, she finds it an "aesthetic object with enough presence to hold its own" in the heavily decorated room.

**Footnotes**

1. Older 2007, p. 35.
2. Goswamy 2011, The Peacock Room.
3. Older 2007, p. 36.
4. Okamoto-MacPhall 2005, p. 91.
5. Edwards 2011, The Story Behind.
6. Google Art Project, The Princess.
7. Okamoto-MacPhall 2005, p. 90.
8. The Telegraph 2011, Google Art Project.
9. Kennicott 2011, Google Art Project.
10. Vattier 1865, p. 33.
11. Older 2007, pp. 35–36.

**Bibliography**

* Edwards, Owen (June 2011). "The Story Behind the Peacock Room's Princess". *Smithsonian*. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
* "Google Art Project: the 7 billion pixel masterpieces". *The Telegraph*. 1 February 2011. Archived from the original on 10 March 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
* Goswamy, B. N. (13 November 2011). "The Peacock Room". *The Tribune*. Archived from the original on 15 November 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
* Kennicott, Philip (1 February 2011). "Google Art Project: 'Street view' technology added to museums". *Washington Post*. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
* Older, Caroline Doswell (2007). *American Artists' Frames : Paintings, Environments, and Viewers, 1860–1920* (Doctoral). University of California, Santa Barbara.
* Okamoto-MacPhall, Aiko (2005). "Japonism in Art: The Case of James McNeil Whistler". In Chen, Eugene (ed.). *Intercultural Exploration*. New York: Rodopi. ISBN 978-90-420-1636-1.
* "The Princess from the Land of Porcelain". Freer Gallery of Art. Archived from the original on 4 April 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
* "The Princess from the Land of Porcelain". Google Art Project. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
* "Whistler's Peacock Room" (PDF). Freer Gallery of Art. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
* Vattier, Gustave (1865). *Le Salon de 1865* \[*The Salon of 1865*\] (in French). Paris.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

## InfoBox

| Rose and Silver: The Princess from the Land of Porcelain | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Artist | James McNeill Whistler |
| Year | 1865 (1865) |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 201.5 cm × 116.1 cm (79.3 in × 45.7 in) |
| Location | Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. |
| Accession | F1903.91a-b |


title: The Relentless Four

abstract: The Relentless Four or I quattro inesorabili is a 1965 Italian Spaghetti Western film in Eastmancolor directed by Primo Zeglio.

text:
# The Relentless Four

***The Relentless Four*** or ***I quattro inesorabili*** is a 1965 Italian Spaghetti Western film in Eastmancolor directed by Primo Zeglio.

## Synopsis

A Texas Ranger is framed by the four outlaws he is chasing for a crime he did not commit.

## Cast

## InfoBox

| I quattro inesorabili | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Directed by | Primo Zeglio |
| Written by | Primo Zeglio |
| Screenplay by | Manuel Marcello De Caso
Federico De Urrutia
Marcello Fondato
Primo Zeglio
Manuel Sebares |
| Produced by | Adriano Merkel |
| Starring | Adam West
Robert Hundar
Red Ross
Ralph Baldwyn
János Barta
José Jaspe |
| Cinematography | Miguel Fernández Mila |
| Edited by | Daniele Alabiso |
| Music by | Marcello Giombini
Franco Pisano |
| Distributed by | Produzioni Europee Associati |
| Release date | * December 3, 1965 (1965-12-03) |
| Running time | 91 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |


abstract: The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. The musical is best known for introducing the standards "Look At That Face", "A Wonderful Day Like Today", "Who Can I Turn To?", "Feeling Good", and "The Joker". The show title is a transposition of the phrase "the smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd," referring to the experience of theatre performers.

text:
# The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd

***The Roar of the Greasepaint – The Smell of the Crowd*** is a musical with a book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley. The musical is best known for introducing the standards "Look At That Face", "A Wonderful Day Like Today", "Who Can I Turn To?", "Feeling Good", and "The Joker". The show title is a transposition of the phrase "the smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd," referring to the experience of theatre performers.

## Synopsis

Resembling a music hall production more than a book musical, the allegorical plot examines the maintenance of the status quo between the upper and lower classes of British society in the 1960s. The two main characters are Sir and Cocky. Since Sir is forever changing the rules of the game of life, downtrodden young Cocky always gets the short end of the stick. Assisting Sir is his eager disciple Kid, anxious to pick up bits of wisdom while helping keep Cocky in his place. Cocky tries to beat Sir at the game, first by getting a job, and then with love, but Sir bests him both times. Cocky is re-inspired when he sees a new character, the Negro, win the game behind his and Sir's backs. By ignoring the rules, Cocky manages to win, but neither he nor Sir can function without the other. The show ends with both of them frozen in a pose arguing which way to go next.

## History

With this project, Bricusse and Newley had hoped to match the success of their 1962 hit *Stop the World – I Want to Get Off*. The show opened at Theatre Royal in Nottingham on 3 August 1964, and then toured the UK in anticipation of a London opening. Cocky was played by Norman Wisdom; Sir by Willoughby Goddard; The Kid by Sally Smith; The Girl by Dilys Watling; The Negro by Cy Grant; and Elaine Paige made her first professional appearance on stage in the chorus.

However, audience interest was minimal, and it never reached the West End. American theatre producer David Merrick saw the show in Liverpool and, aware production costs could be kept low, decided to bring it to the United States, beginning with a lengthy national tour, under the condition that Anthony Newley step into the starring role of Cocky. Tony Bennett's hit version of "Who Can I Turn To?" and an original cast recording released by RCA Victor several weeks before the show reached New York City – the opposite of normal practice – brought the musical to the public's awareness and boosted sales. The tour was so successful that most of Merrick's investment was paid back while the show was still on the road.

After seven previews, the Broadway production, directed by Newley and choreographed by Gillian Lynne, opened on 16 May 1965 at the Shubert Theatre, where it ran for 231 performances. The cast included Newley as Cocky; Cyril Ritchard as Sir; Sally Smith from the UK production repeating her role as The Kid; Joyce Jillson as The Girl; and Gilbert Price as The Negro. Conductor Herbert Grossman served as music director.

## Song list

## Song recordings

In addition to Bennett, Newley and Dusty Springfield had hit recordings of "Who Can I Turn To?" The same song was recorded by The Main Ingredient as the B-side of their 1972 hit "Everybody Plays the Fool".

Many artists have covered "Feelin' Good," including Nina Simone, Michael Bublé, Muse, Traffic, and Freda Payne, among others.

"The Joker" was recorded by Gina Riley for use as the opening theme song for the Australian sitcom *Kath & Kim* and was covered originally by Shirley Bassey. However, the most well-known recordings were by Bobby Rydell and Sérgio Mendes & Brasil '66.

The main theme song for the Miss Venezuela beauty pageant from the early 1970s until 2008 used the tune from "A Wonderful Day Like Today".

In 2017, Ritchard's recording of "Wonderful Day" was prominently featured in the first episode of *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel*.

“Look at that Face” was recorded by Barbra Streisand for her album, “Color Me Barbra.” It has also been recorded by Anthony Newley, Sammy Davis Jr, and Carmen McRae.

## Awards and honors

### Original Broadway production

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1965 | Tony Award | Best Producer | David Merrick | Nominated |
| | | Best Original Score | Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse | Nominated |
| | | Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical | Cyril Ritchard | Nominated |
| | | Best Direction of a Musical | Anthony Newley | Nominated |
| | | Best Scenic Design | Sean Kenny | Nominated |
| | | Best Costume Design | Freddy Wittop | Nominated |
| | Theatre World Award | | Joyce Jillson | Won |

*Open a New Window: The Broadway Musical in the 1960s* by Ethan Mordden, published by Palgrave, 2001 (ISBN 0-312-23952-1)

## InfoBox

| *The Roar of the Greasepaint –
The Smell of the Crowd* | |
| --- | --- |
| Original Recording | |
| Music | Leslie Bricusse
Anthony Newley |
| Lyrics | Leslie Bricusse
Anthony Newley |
| Book | Leslie Bricusse
Anthony Newley |
| Productions | 1964 UK tour
1965 Broadway |


title: The Path of Modern Yoga

abstract: The Path of Modern Yoga: The History of an Embodied Spiritual Practice is a 2016 history of the modern practice of postural yoga by the yoga scholar Elliott Goldberg. It focuses in detail on eleven pioneering figures of the transformation of yoga in the 20th century, including Yogendra, Kuvalayananda, Pant Pratinidhi, Krishnamacharya, B. K. S. Iyengar and Indra Devi. The book's thesis is that modern yoga progressed in three stages from its pre-1900 state to what is observed today. Before 1900, haṭha yoga was the despised religious practice of a small minority on the fringes of Indian society. In the first stage, pioneers such as Yogendra and Kuvalayananda treated yoga as the subject of medical inquiry, making it both secular and socially acceptable. Next, advocates of exercise brought standing poses from gymnastics into yoga: Pant Pratinidhi advocated Surya Namaskar, a jumped sequence of poses, as daily exercise, while Krishnamacharya incorporated those poses and others as standing asanas in his yoga, along with the jumped transitions (vinyasas) between them, making yoga dynamic. Finally, two pupils of Krishnamacharya, Iyengar]] and Indra Devi, resacralised yoga, connecting the practice of asanas to ancient yoga tradition, and helped to spread yoga across the Western world. The book received mixed reviews, noting Goldberg's many years of study and the book's detailed account of yoga's transformations, but also its lack of an introduction, overview, or exploration of yoga's spiritual aspects.

text:
# The Path of Modern Yoga

***The Path of Modern Yoga: The History of an Embodied Spiritual Practice*** is a 2016 history of the modern practice of postural yoga by the yoga scholar **Elliott Goldberg**. It focuses in detail on eleven pioneering figures of the transformation of yoga in the 20th century, including Yogendra, Kuvalayananda, Pant Pratinidhi, Krishnamacharya, B. K. S. Iyengar and Indra Devi.

The book's thesis is that modern yoga progressed in three stages from its pre-1900 state to what is observed today. Before 1900, haṭha yoga was the despised religious practice of a small minority on the fringes of Indian society. In the first stage, pioneers such as Yogendra and Kuvalayananda treated yoga as the subject of medical inquiry, making it both secular and socially acceptable. Next, advocates of exercise brought standing poses from gymnastics into yoga: Pant Pratinidhi advocated Surya Namaskar (the sun salutation), a jumped sequence of poses, as daily exercise, while Krishnamacharya incorporated those poses and others as standing asanas in his yoga, along with the jumped transitions (vinyasas) between them, making yoga dynamic. Finally, two pupils of Krishnamacharya, Iyengar\]\] and Indra Devi, resacralised yoga, connecting the practice of asanas to ancient yoga tradition, and helped to spread yoga across the Western world.

The book received mixed reviews, noting Goldberg's many years of study and the book's detailed account of yoga's transformations, but also its lack of an introduction, overview, or exploration of yoga's spiritual aspects.

## Context

The modern practice of yoga as a form of exercise developed from medieval haṭha yoga in the 20th century by discarding most of its practices and focussing on asanas, physical postures. At the same time, it acquired an element of aerobic exercise, initially through the adoption from physical culture of Surya Namaskar, the series of postures connected by flowing movements known as the sun salutation. In some modern styles of yoga, these flowing movements have developed into vinyasas, connecting sequences used throughout the yoga session.

## Book

### Synopsis

*The Path of Modern Yoga*, based on what the author states is 10 years of research, examines the history of modern asana-based yoga through the lives of eleven pioneering figures: Sri Yogendra; Swami Kuvalayananda; Seetharaman Sundaram; Tirumalai Krishnamacharya; Swami Sivananda; the bodybuilder K. V. Iyer; the rajah of Aundh, Pant Pratinidhi; the journalist Louise Morgan; the diplomat Apa Pant; and two students of Krishnamacharya, his brother-in-law, B. K. S. Iyengar, and one of Iyengar's pupils, Indra Devi.

The 35 chapters are arranged in three parts that cover the transformation of yoga during the modern period. The book maps out the development of modern yoga saw the original pre-1900 hatha yoga becoming divested of its sacred trappings (Part I); the resulting secular yoga was then made dynamic, with jumped transitions (vinyasas) between postures (Part II); and this dynamic, secular yoga was then resacralised (Part III). There is no introduction or conclusion.

Part I, "Divesting Yoga of the Sacred", consists mainly of five chapters on Yogendra and five on Kuvalayananda, who pioneered the medical study of yoga, at the start of the 20th century the territory of despised vagrants, beggars, and fakirs, and in so doing helped to make yoga acceptable.

Part II, "Making Yoga Dynamic", consists mostly of three chapters on Pant Pratinidhi, an enthusiast for exercise and a powerful advocate for Surya Namaskar; three on Krishnamacharya, described as the father of modern yoga, who incorporated many standing poses from the gymnastics of popular physical culture into his teaching, alongside the jumping transitions of Surya Namaskar, creating more standing poses and the dynamic vinyasa style of yoga that he taught to his pupils including Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois, who went on to found yoga schools of their own; and three on Morgan.

Part III, "Making Yoga Sacred Again", has two chapters on Devi, who helped to popularise yoga in America through her celebrity pupils in Hollywood; and seven on Iyengar, who made yoga precise, in particular with his 1966 book *Light on Yoga*, and who helped to spread yoga across the Western world, founding institutes of Iyengar Yoga, especially in Britain and in America.

The book is illustrated with historic monochrome photographs of its protagonists and places associated with them, and a few drawings showing movements of the body and muscles affected.

## Reception

The book received some positive reviews. Krysta Gibson, reviewing the book for *New Spirit Journal*, writes that the book explains "how we went from yoga being a hidden, weird thing hippies and new agers did, to yoga studios on almost very corner". In her view, Goldberg "does a masterful job" of explaining the transformation. The *San Francisco Book Review* likewise comments that Goldberg describes yoga's "massive transition from spiritual practice to focusing on health and fitness". The review states that Goldberg's case is that "instead of desecrating a sacred tradition, this change moved yoga from solitary and inaccessible to embodied, spiritual, and open to everyone". The trade journal *Publishers Weekly* calls the book "a richly detailed examination of modern yoga" and suggests that it will appeal to both practitioners and scholars.

Niki Whiting, writing in *Spiral Nature Magazine*, was more doubtful. She comments that while she admired the research behind it, she struggled with the book, as it isn't an overview of the tradition and poses, nor a history of yoga's changes in the past 40 years, but "a specific history of yoga in the 20th century". She regretted the lack of an Introduction section in the book, and had been hoping for what she thought the subtitle suggested, a more spiritual or theological exploration.

The author and yoga teacher Matthew Remski compares historians of yoga to the fable of the blind men describing an elephant (one finds it flexible and leathery, another like a massive pillar, a third like a rope, a fourth smooth, polished, and cold...): Norman Sjoman found yoga influenced by South Indian wrestling exercises; Joseph Alter found it torn between esoteric and scientific; Mark Singleton discovered a collision of Western physical culture with Indian spirituality. In Remski's view, along comes "Goldberg with a dozen years of dogged research, a sleuthing style metered out in engaging chunks, a deep appreciation for the embodied sensations offered by competing visions of asana practice, a sharp eye for human foibles and historical oddities" and "makes a bold attempt to ride the elephant. As blindfolded as everyone else, he wobbles a bit, but hangs on for long enough to produce something that a lot of people have been waiting for: a penetrating, body-aware cultural history of a modern spirituality, written through richly realized characters." What Remski says he misses in Goldberg's book is answers to questions like what Indian physical yoga was before the transformation.

* *Yoga Body*, Mark Singleton's 2010 book on the origins of global yoga in physical culture
* *Selling Yoga*, Andrea Jain's 2015 book on the commercialisation of global yoga
* *The Subtle Body*, Stefanie Syman's 2010 book on the history of yoga in America

1. Goldberg 2016.
2. Goldberg 2016, p. xi.
3. Goldberg 2016, pp. vii–xi.
4. Goldberg 2016, pp. 2–178.
5. Goldberg 2016, pp. 180–336.
6. Goldberg 2016, pp. 338–445.
7. Whiting, Niki (31 October 2017). "Reviews | The Path of Modern Yoga, by Elliott Goldberg". Spiral Nature Magazine. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
8. Gibson, Krysta. "The Path of Modern Yoga". *New Spirit Journal*. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
9. Barclay, Axie (12 December 2016). "The Path of Modern Yoga: The History of an Embodied Spiritual Practice". San Francisco Book Review. Retrieved 22 March 2019.
10. "The Path of Modern Yoga: The History of an Embodied Spiritual Practice". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 4 April 2020.
11. Remski, Matthew (4 August 2016). "Elliott Goldberg Rides the Elephant: An In-Depth Review of The Path of Modern Yoga". Matthew Remski. Retrieved 22 March 2019.

## Sources

* Goldberg, Elliott (2016). *The Path of Modern Yoga : the history of an embodied spiritual practice*. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions. ISBN 978-1-62055-567-5. OCLC 926062252.

## InfoBox

*The Path of Modern Yoga*
| Cover of 1st edition, showing B. K. S. Iyengar in Natarajasana | |
| --- | --- |
| Author | Elliott Goldberg |
| Subject | Modern yoga |
| Genre | Social history |
| Publisher | Inner Traditions |
| Publication date | 2016 |
| Pages | 495 |
| OCLC | 991434887 |


title: The Path Which Led Me To Leninism

abstract: The Path Which Led Me To Leninism is a short essay by Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh that describes his first encounter with Lenin's analysis of the colonial question and his ultimate acceptance of Marxism-Leninism and communist revolution. Throughout the essay, Ho Chi Minh describes his experiences in the French Communist Party and details his personal acceptance of Marxism–Leninism. The essay is notable throughout Vietnam and within Marxist circles for its endorsement of Leninism and anti-Imperialism.

text:
# The Path Which Led Me To Leninism

**The Path Which Led Me To Leninism** is a short essay by Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh that describes his first encounter with Lenin's analysis of the colonial question and his ultimate acceptance of Marxism-Leninism and communist revolution. Throughout the essay, Ho Chi Minh describes his experiences in the French Communist Party and details his personal acceptance of Marxism–Leninism. The essay is notable throughout Vietnam and within Marxist circles for its endorsement of Leninism and anti-Imperialism.

## InfoBox

The Path Which Led Me To Leninism
| Author | Ho Chi Minh |
| --- | --- |
| Translator | Foreign Languages Publishing House |
| Language | Vietnamese, English |
| Publisher | Foreign Languages Publishing House |
| Published | April 1960 |


title: The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand

abstract: The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand is a 1984 collection of essays on Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, edited by Douglas Den Uyl and Douglas B. Rasmussen. It includes essays by nine different authors covering Rand's views in various areas of philosophy. The work received positive reviews, crediting it with bringing serious attention by philosophers to Rand and her work. However, reviewers also noted that the work assumed considerable prior knowledge of philosophy on the part of the reader.

text:
# The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand

***The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand*** is a 1984 collection of essays on Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism, edited by Douglas Den Uyl and Douglas B. Rasmussen. It includes essays by nine different authors covering Rand's views in various areas of philosophy. The work received positive reviews, crediting it with bringing serious attention by philosophers to Rand and her work. However, reviewers also noted that the work assumed considerable prior knowledge of philosophy on the part of the reader.

## Contents

The book is divided into three sections that represent different areas of philosophy addressed in Rand's thought. Each section starts with an essay by Den Uyl and Rasmussen, followed by essays from other contributors. The first section covers metaphysics and epistemology. It includes essays by Wallace Matson and Robert Hollinger. The second section covers ethics and contains essays by Jack Wheeler, Charles King, and Erick Mack. The final section covers political philosophy and has essays by Antony Flew and Tibor R. Machan.

## Publication history

Den Uyl and Rassmussen began work on the book while Rand was still alive. When she heard about the project, she actively discouraged it, as she had done previously with other projects. Rand died in 1982, and work on the book proceeded despite her disapproval.

*The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand* was first published by as a hardcover book by the University of Illinois Press in 1984. They released it as a paperback in 1986.

## Reception

Sidney Gendin gave *The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand* a positive review in *Library Journal*, writing that the work redressed the neglect of Rand's work by academic philosophers, avoided being uncritical of Rand, and revealed interesting parallels between Rand and writers such as Gilbert Ryle and J. L. Austin. However, he noted that the book assumed that the reader had "considerable background in general philosophy". A review in *The Freeman* praised the book as "a valuable beginning by serious philosophers at the important task of evaluating, describing, and developing Rand's philosophy, in a dispassionate, objective manner."

In *Reason*, the philosopher Randall Dipert wrote that the book "marks a turning point" in getting professional philosophers engaged with Rand's ideas, but was not "uniformly successful". Rand scholar Mimi Reisel Gladstein described it as "a major contribution to Rand scholarship", although not always approachable for readers not versed in academic philosophy. In 2003, Chris Matthew Sciabarra identified *The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand* as one of several books that reflected a growing interest in Rand after her death.

## InfoBox

The Philosophic Thought of Ayn Rand
| Cover of the first edition | |
| --- | --- |
| Editors |  |
| Language | English |
| Subjects |  |
| Publisher | University of Illinois Press |
| Publication date | 1984 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover **·** paperback) |
| Pages | 284 |
| ISBN | 978-0-252-01407-9 |


title: The Race of the Tiger

abstract: The Race of the Tiger is an historical novel by the Welsh writer Alexander Cordell (1914–1997) set in mid-19th century Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a family saga of the O'Haras of Connemara, Ireland, who flee the English yoke to make their fortune in the New World, where iron barons such as Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick thrive in an era of unprecedented industrial growth. Labor agitation, violence, and the Molly Maguire movement erupt in Pittsburgh's steel industry when the new Bessemer process throws many Irish immigrants out of work in the 1870s.

text:
# The Race of the Tiger

***The Race of the Tiger*** is an historical novel by the Welsh writer Alexander Cordell (1914–1997) set in mid-19th century Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

It is a family saga of the O'Haras of Connemara, Ireland, who flee the English yoke to make their fortune in the New World, where iron barons such as Andrew Carnegie and Henry Clay Frick thrive in an era of unprecedented industrial growth. Labor agitation, violence, and the Molly Maguire movement erupt in Pittsburgh's steel industry when the new Bessemer process throws many Irish immigrants out of work in the 1870s.

* Demarest, David P. (1976). *From These Hills, From These Valleys: Selected Fiction about Western Pennsylvania*. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press. ISBN 0-8229-1123-X.

## InfoBox

The Race of the Tiger
| First US edition | |
| --- | --- |
| Author | Alexander Cordell |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Doubleday (US)<br>Gollancz (UK) |
| Publication date | 1963 |
| Publication place | UK |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 347 |
| OCLC | 1053253 |


title: The Rose Tattoo (album)

abstract: The Rose Tattoo is an album by jazz musician Freddie Hubbard recorded in December 1983 and released on the Japanese Baystate label.

text:
# The Rose Tattoo (album)

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  |

***The Rose Tattoo*** is an album by jazz musician Freddie Hubbard recorded in December 1983 and released on the Japanese Baystate label.

## Reception

The Allmusic review by Jason Ankeny calls the album "one of Freddie Hubbard's most obscure sessions, but admirers of the trumpeter's early-'80s return to his musical roots will find much to appreciate here".

## Track listing

1. "When You Wish Upon a Star" (Ned Washington, Leigh Harline) - 6:23
2. "Poor Butterfly" (Raymond Hubbell, John Golden) - 6:23
3. "My Romance" (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart) - 5:12
4. "Embraceable You" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 4:28
5. "The Rose Tattoo" (Jack Brooks, Harry Warren) - 6:36
6. "Time After Time" (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn) - 6:44
7. "My Foolish Heart" (Victor Young, Ned Washington) - 4:47

* Recorded December 9 and 10, 1983 at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

## Personnel

## InfoBox

| The Rose Tattoo | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by Freddie Hubbard | |
| Released | 1984 |
| Recorded | December 9–10, 1983 |
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Label | Baystate |
| Producer | Fumimaru Kawashima,
Makoto Kimata |
| Freddie Hubbard chronology | |
| *Sweet Return*
(1983) ***The Rose Tattoo***
(1984) *Double Take*
(1985) | |


title: The Princeton Review

abstract: The Princeton Review is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981, and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,000+ tutors and teachers in the United States, Canada and international offices in 21 countries.; online resources; more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. The Princeton Review's affiliate division, Tutor.com, provides online tutoring services. The Princeton Review is headquartered in New York City and is privately held. The Princeton Review is not associated with Princeton University.

text:
# The Princeton Review

**The Princeton Review** is an education services company providing tutoring, test preparation and admission resources for students. It was founded in 1981, and since that time has worked with over 400 million students. Services are delivered by 4,000+ tutors and teachers in the United States, Canada and international offices in 21 countries.; online resources; more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House; and dozens of categories of school rankings. The Princeton Review's affiliate division, Tutor.com, provides online tutoring services. The Princeton Review is headquartered in New York City and is privately held. The Princeton Review is not associated with Princeton University.

## Corporate history

The Princeton Review was founded in 1981 by John Katzman, who—shortly after graduating from Princeton University—began tutoring students for the SAT from his Upper West Side apartment. A short time later, Katzman teamed up with Adam Robinson, an Oxford-trained SAT tutor who had developed a series of techniques for "cracking the system." Katzman built the Princeton Review into a national and then international operation and was CEO until 2007, when he was replaced by Michael Perik.

In March 2010, Perik resigned and was replaced by John M. Connolly. In April 2010, the company sold $48 million in stock for $3 per share, and a short time later was accused of fraud in a class action suit filed by a Michigan retirement fund, which claimed The Princeton Review leadership exaggerated earnings to boost its stock price. In 2012, the company was acquired by Charlesbank Capital, a private equity fund, for $33 million. On August 1, 2014, the Princeton Review brand name and operations were bought for an undisclosed sum by Tutor.com, an IAC company, and Mandy Ginsburg became CEO. The company is no longer affiliated with its former parent, Education Holdings 1, Inc. On March 31, 2017, ST Unitas acquired The Princeton Review for an undisclosed sum. In January 2022, Primavera Capital Group acquired The Princeton Review and Tutor.com from ST Unitas.

## Test preparation

The Princeton Review offers test preparation courses, tutoring services, and or guidebooks for various tests via the Princeton Review website:

The company offers courses worldwide through company-owned and third-party franchises. Countries with Princeton Review franchises include Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mexico, Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam.

## Criticisms

### General

Test preparation providers have been criticized in the past on the grounds that their courses claim larger score increases than they deliver.

### Ranking schools

College rankings, including those published by the Princeton Review, have been criticized for failing to be accurate or comprehensive by assigning objective rankings formed from subjective opinions. Princeton Review officials counter that their rankings are unique in that they rely on student opinion and not just on statistical data.

In 2002 an American Medical Association affiliated program, A Matter of Degree, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, criticized the Princeton Review list of Best Party Schools. *USA Today* published an editorial titled "Sobering Statistics" in August 2002 and stated, "the doctor's group goes too far in suggesting that the rankings contribute to the problem (of campus drinking)." The editorial noted the fact that among the schools the AMA program was then funding as part of its campaign against campus drinking, six of 10 of those schools calling for The Princeton Review to "drop the annual ranking...had made (Princeton Review's) past top-party-school lists: many times for some. That's no coincidence." The editorial commended The Princeton Review for reporting the list, calling it "a public service" for "student applicants and their parents".

The Princeton Review rankings for LGBT-related lists were criticized in 2010 by a ranking competitor in *The Advocate* magazine as inaccurate due to outdated methodologies. The Princeton Review has always based its "LGBTQ-Friendly" and "LGBTQ-Unfriendly" top twenty ranking lists on its tri-annual surveys of students at colleges profiled in the company's *Best Colleges* book which asks undergraduates: "Do students, faculty, and administrators at your college treat all persons equally regardless of their sexual orientations and gender identify/expression?" The Princeton Review also publishes *The Gay & Lesbian Guide to College Life (2007)*. It has been available as an eBook since 2011.

### Privacy concerns

In 2016, the company was criticized by privacy rights advocates concerned that a company that owns online dating and college preparation services could amass data and exploit it in a way that preys on unsuspecting consumers, particularly younger people. "Do parents know that when their underage kids enroll for exam prep or tutoring, personal information may be shared with hookup sites that could then target their kids to become customers?" asked the critic, who concluded that the company "makes no guarantee that data sharing among its entities will not include those customers whose sole aim is to improve their grades and test scores." Indeed, another critic points out that The Princeton Review "policy states 'we may collect certain information from your computer each time you visit our site'—information like data 'regarding your academic and extracurricular activities and interests.' That information can be used to 'send you email notices and offers; perform research and analysis about your use of or interest in our products, services or products or services offered by others; \[and\] develop and display content and advertising tailored to your interests on our site and other sites.'"

No evidence was ever presented that IAC, which owned The Princeton Review when these criticisms were made, used data gathered by The Princeton Review to promote IAC company dating services to younger people.

## InfoBox

The Princeton Review
|
|  |
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Education |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Founder |  |
| Headquarters | New York City |
| Key people | Joshua HJ Park, CEO |
| Owner | Primavera Capital Group |
| Divisions | College, Business School, Law School, Grad School, Med School |
| Subsidiaries | Tutor.com |
| Website | princetonreview.com |


title: The Rise of David Levinsky

abstract: The Rise of David Levinsky is a novel by Abraham Cahan. It was published in 1917, and remains Cahan's best known work.

text:
# The Rise of David Levinsky

***The Rise of David Levinsky*** is a novel by Abraham Cahan. It was published in 1917, and remains Cahan's best known work.

## Plot summary

The book is told in the form of a fictional autobiography of David Levinsky, a Russian Jew who emigrates to America and rises from rags to riches.

### Book I: Home and School

The main character, David Levinsky, is born in 1865 in Antomir, a city of 80,000 in the Kovno district of the Russian Empire (present-day Lithuania). His father dies when he is three, leaving him and his mother to fend for themselves. He grows up in abject poverty. Better off relatives send him to a private cheder for elementary instruction in Judaism and the Torah. Initially bullied by well-off classmates, he eventually becomes one of the tougher kids and excels academically.

### Book II: Enter Satan

At age 13 David finishes his cheder education and begins Talmudic studies in a yeshivah. He meets and befriends Reb (Rabbi) Sender who is supported by his wife while he spends sixteen hours a day studying the Talmud. Reb Sender is one of the most "nimble-minded" scholars in the town, and well liked. He also befriends Naphtali, another student two years ahead of him. David and Naphtali often study together at nightly vigils until morning worshippers come. David begins to feel an inner conflict between the religious instruction he receives and his growing interest in girls. He also thinks of his childhood dislike for Red Esther, the daughter of one of the other families in his basement home. Meanwhile, a Pole moves to Antomir and becomes a regular reader at the synagogue. The Pole has memorized 500 pages of the Talmud, provoking David's jealousy. He redoubles his commitment to Talmudic memorization, but Reb Sender finds out and questions his motivations. This leads to a physical confrontation between David and the Pole.

### Book III: I Lose my Mother

David is harassed in the Horse-market during Passover by a group of gentiles celebrating Easter; one gentile punches him. His mother sees his split lip and, against the advice of neighbors, goes out to set things straight. She is beaten badly, dying that night.

After mourning, David moves into the synagogue, as was often customary for poorer Talmudic students, and continues his studies. As was also customary, he "eats days" at the houses of benefactors, who invite Talmudic scholars for one meal per week. By and large, however, he goes hungry, until Shiphrah Minskera rich womanhears of his plight. Finally well-fed, he resolves to rededicate himself to his studies. However, he finds that the spark has gone out and his interest in the Talmud has seemingly vanished. After the assassination of Czar Alexander II in 1881 and subsequent anti-Jewish riots, many Jews flee the Russian Empire for lands free of religious persecution. David's thoughts now turn to starting a new life in America.

### Book IV: Matilda

David's thoughts and attention have turned from his Talmudic studies towards America. He falls ill and is visited by Shiphrah every day in the hospital. After discharge, Shiphrah takes him into her home while her husband is out of town on business. He meets her daughter, Matilda, who has studied at a boarding school in Germany as well at secular Russian schools. Matilda taunts him in Yiddish while conversing with her friends in Russian, a language David does not understand. She urges him to get an education at a Russian university, but he insists on going to America to work so he can finance his studies. Matilda eventually offers to pay for his journey. Meanwhile, David falls deeply in love with her, culminating in his first kiss. When word arrives that Matilda's father is returning from his business trip, David returns to the synagogue. She stops by to give him the 80 rubles to pay for his passage and wishes him luck. On the eve of the one-year anniversary of his mother's death, he goes to the train station, and is seen off by his friends.

### Book V: I Discover America

David boards a steamer from Bremen to New York. He spends most of the journey praying, reading Psalm 104, and thinking about Matilda. He meets a fellow passenger, Gitelson, and wanders through the city. A man recognizes Gitelson to be a tailor and offers him work. David wanders about and is repeatedly called a greenhorn. At a synagogue he asks to sleep there for the night, but is told repeatedly that "America is not Russia." There he meets Mr. Even, a wealthy Jewish man, who gives him money, clothing, dinner, and a haircutincluding the removal of his sidelocks. He arranges for David's lodging and beseeches him to not neglect his religion and his studies.

David spends Even's money on dry goods and begins to work as a peddler, barely getting by. He switches to selling linens, but his heart is not really in it. He is terribly homesick. He spends many of his free evenings reading at the synagogue, yet gradually sheds his Russian-Jewish traits. His overall impression is that America is an impious land.

### Book VI: A Greenhorn No Longer

David reflects on other peddlers, and their coarse and exaggerated stories. One Max Margolis tells him he's a "good-looking chap", and recommends he learn to dance, adding that "every woman can be won." David tries to woo his landlady but she rejects him and says that he is no longer a greenhorn. He tries his former landlady, who kisses him once but rejects further advances. Work is only an obligation which he doesn't like.

He enrolls in night school, learning English and mimicking his teacher's mannerisms. His teacher gives David a copy of Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens. He neglects his work peddling and spends his time reading the book. David is fired but impressed by his own progress learning English. He spends a lot of time in a music shop where he borrows a lot of nickels, dimes, and quarters he is unable to repay.

### Book VII: My Temple

After nearly two years in America, David has a chance encounter with Gitelson, the tailor from the ship. Gitelson is now successful and well-dressed, while David is poor and shabbily dressed. On Gitelson's urging, David begins a 6am-9pm apprenticeship. He begins earning and saving, attending local Jewish theater, and practicing his English. Working 16-hour days and saving aggressively, David hopes to save enough money to support himself so he can attend the City College of New York, to which he refers as his new "temple". During the garment industry's idle season he resume his studies. He shows little interest in socialists and the garment workers union.

### Book VIII: The Destruction of My Temple

He "destroys" his temple by using the money he saved up to start his own business in the garment industry. His first order goes to a company that soon after goes bankrupt, leaving him in terrible debt. When all seems lost, a check at last arrives from the company and he is able to stay afloat. His business slowly starts taking off and he abandons his academic plans for this new commercial enterprise.

### Book IX: Dora

David meets Max's wife Dora, and becomes close with the entire family. He moves in with the family and begins to develop feelings towards Dora. David and the family move to a larger apartment up town, as was the trend to move up in society through the northern development of New York City. He has an affair with Dora (though they never have sex) and his company starts to see real success. Orders begin to increase and he travels out of state to acquire new business. On one such trip, he buys a bracelet for Dora, but she rejects the gift, partly from fear of being found out. Finally, Dora breaks off the affair and demands David move out and sever relations with the family.

### Book X: On the Road

He sets up his business to run while he travels across the country trying to sell his garments, and he goes on and on about selling cloaks.

### Book XI: Matrimony

Through trial and error he is finally matched up with a fiancée. His fortune continues to grow. He and his fellow industry magnates also have to handle labor disputes instigated by socialists.

### Book XII: Miss Tevkin

On his way to visit his fiancée's family, he stops at a resort in the Catskills. There, he is smitten by a woman, Miss Tevkin, who is not attracted to him. Nevertheless, he can't get this woman out of his head, causing him to break off his engagement.

### Book XIII: At Her Father's House

He befriends the Tevkin family and patronizes their socialist causes (she is a socialist) to try and win her favor. However, she rejects his proposal and marries a different suitor.

### Book XIV: Episodes of a Lonely Life

David reflects on how lonely he is and, in spite of his massive financial success, wishes he had led an intellectual rather than commercial life. He says he is deeply unhappy and though many women desire his hand in marriage, the only woman he can think about is Miss Tevkin.

## Musical Adaptation

The novel was made into a musical by Isaiah Sheffer and Robert Paul and performed at the 92nd Street Y in New York City in the 1980s.

The musical was performed again by the New Vista Theatre Company in Boynton Beach, Florida, in March 2007. New Vista was founded by |Avi Hoffman, who played the role of the younger David Levinsky in the original production. He played the role of the older David Levinsky in the new production.

### Off-Broadway

1987 saw the opening of what was headlined by *UPI* as "'The Rise of David Levinsky' is a triumph for off-Broadway" at John Houseman Theater, described as a "tiny theater on West 42nd Street."

## Autobiography

Cahan's book is a Rags to riches story that begins with "the metamorphosis" of "arrived .. with four cents in my pocket" to "worth more than two million dollars." *His* self view is worded as "inner identity .. precisely the same as it was thirty or forty years ago ... devoid of significance."

### Immigrant

The book has been described as "one of the earliest and one of the most notable pieces of Jewish immigrant fiction."

### Alter Ego

To the book's author, Abraham Cahan, who was "the son of a rabbi ... trained as a teacher in the Jewish Folk Schools" described as "a literary realist devoted to presenting real life in fiction," the link from Cahan/Kohen to Levinsky/*Levi*/Levite is part of his Jewish educational upbringing. An analysis of the book's name says that "Cahan drew the subtitle of his series from The Rise of Silas Lapham (1885) by William Dean Howells, the most influential advocate for realism."

The full title of the *McClure's Magazine* multi-part series upon which the book was built is *The Autobiography of an American Jew: The Rise of David Levinsky*. To perfect that "Levinsky is a fully realized character in the novel" the use of the name David, in place of Abraham, is needed, to make "relating his candid autobiography" represent "East European Jewish immigrants like himself." Levinsky is described as being "both narrator and participant."

### Impact

Despite Cahan's impact on what Seth Lipsky calls "newspapering" and various on-stage adaptations and presentations, an 82 page 1983 university *thesis* concludes by calling *The Rise of David Linsky* a "somewhat neglected novel novel," which another *thesis* labeled a "semi-autobiographical work" both by and about someone "torn apart between the American materialism and his spiritual roots."

The book was reprinted in 1993.


title: The Sagebrusher

abstract: The Sagebrusher is a 1920 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Roy Stewart, Marguerite De La Motte and Noah Beery.

text:
# The Sagebrusher

***The Sagebrusher*** is a 1920 American silent Western film directed by Edward Sloman and starring Roy Stewart, Marguerite De La Motte and Noah Beery.

## Plot

## Cast

## Bibliography

* Goble, Alan. *The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film*. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.

## InfoBox

| The Sagebrusher | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Directed by | Edward Sloman |
| Written by |  |
| Produced by | Benjamin B. Hampton |
| Starring |  |
| Cinematography | John F. Seitz |
| Production
company | Great Authors Pictures |
| Distributed by |  |
| Release date | * January 1920 (1920-01) |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | Silent
English intertitles |


title: The Sage Hen

abstract: The Sage Hen is a 1921 American silent Western film directed by Edgar Lewis and starring Gladys Brockwell, Wallace MacDonald, and Richard Headrick.

text:
# The Sage Hen

***The Sage Hen*** is a 1921 American silent Western film directed by Edgar Lewis and starring Gladys Brockwell, Wallace MacDonald, and Richard Headrick.

## Plot

## Cast

## Bibliography

* George A. Katchmer. *Eighty Silent Film Stars: Biographies and Filmographies of the Obscure to the Well Known*. McFarland, 1991.

## InfoBox

| The Sage Hen | |
| --- | --- |
| Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Edgar Lewis |
| Written by | Harry Solter |
| Produced by | Edgar Lewis |
| Starring | Gladys Brockwell
Wallace MacDonald
Richard Headrick |
| Cinematography | Ben Bail |
| Production
company | Edgar Lewis Productions |
| Distributed by | Pathé Exchange |
| Release date | * January 1921 (1921-01) |
| Running time | 6 reels |
| Country | United States |
| Languages | Silent
English intertitles |


title: The Still Life (2007 film)

abstract: The Still Life is a 2007 film written, produced, and directed by Joel A. Miller. The feature film is a drama that tells the story of fictitious artist Julian Lamont. The film stars Jason Barry, Rachel Miner, & Terry Moore (actress). Miller stated the main character Julian Lamont's story and his tumultuous struggles were developed while Miller was on the road touring with the band Stone Temple Pilots. The main character was modeled off of his perceptions of Scott Weiland at the time. Miller wrote much of the script while traveling with the band as a roadie. Miller made the film with his earnings while working in the music industry with a budget of 24 thousand dollars. The film won the bronze medal at the Park City Film Music Festival. After its festival circuit run, it was released by Warner Bros.

text:
# The Still Life (2007 film)

***The Still Life*** is a 2007 film written, produced, and directed by Joel A. Miller. The feature film is a drama that tells the story of fictitious artist Julian Lamont. The film stars Jason Barry, Rachel Miner, & Terry Moore (actress).

Miller stated the main character Julian Lamont's story and his tumultuous struggles were developed while Miller was on the road touring with the band Stone Temple Pilots. The main character was modeled off of his perceptions of Scott Weiland at the time. Miller wrote much of the script while traveling with the band as a roadie. Miller made the film with his earnings while working in the music industry with a budget of 24 thousand dollars.

The film won the bronze medal at the Park City Film Music Festival. After its festival circuit run, it was released by Warner Bros.

## Synopsis

Julian Lamont (Jason Barry) struggles to pick up the pieces of his tattered life. A reclusive alcoholic, Julian creates a new art genre called Destructionism, and his work soon catapults him into the limelight. As his success in the art world grows, Julian loses touch with the artist he truly desires to be, and his personal life tailspins out of control.

## Cast

## Soundtracks

* *The Still Life Soundtrack*, Danescroft Music Publishing, 2007

Bringing many of the people involved with the production onto the soundtrack, the film featured new music by Dizzy Reed, Dean Dinning, Joel A. Miller, Adrian Young, Doug Carrion, Pete Finestone, Darius Rucker, Dave Sabo, Louise Post, Angelo Moore, Delaney Bramlett, Matthew Nelson, and Sonny Mone. The soundtrack was released in conjunction with the film through Warner Bros. in 2007.

## InfoBox

| The Still Life | |
| --- | --- |
| The Still Life 2007 DVD Cover Art | |
| Directed by | Joel A. Miller |
| Written by | Joel A. Miller |
| Produced by | Joel A. Miller |
| Starring | Jason Barry
Rachel Miner
Terry Moore
Holly Fields |
| Music by | Dizzy Reed, Dave Sabo |
| Release date | * August 7, 2007 (2007-08-07) |
| Running time | 136 minutes |
| Country | U.S. |
| Language | English |


title: The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt

abstract: The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt, also translated as Quelling the Demons' Revolt and The Sorcerer's Revolt, is a Chinese novel attributed to the 14th-century novelist Luo Guanzhong, although the earliest extant version was compiled between 1571 and 1589, possibly by Wang Shenxiu (王慎脩). In 1620 Feng Menglong expanded the novel to forty chapters from the original twenty. A work in the shenmo genre, the novel blends comedy with the supernatural, and is an early work of vernacular fiction. The story is very loosely based on Wang Ze's failed 1047–48 rebellion during the Song dynasty.

text:
# The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt

***The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt*** (Chinese: 三遂平妖傳; pinyin: *Sān Suì píng yāo zhuàn*), also translated as ***Quelling the Demons' Revolt*** and ***The Sorcerer's Revolt***, is a Chinese novel attributed to the 14th-century novelist Luo Guanzhong, although the earliest extant version was compiled between 1571 and 1589, possibly by Wang Shenxiu (王慎脩). In 1620 Feng Menglong expanded the novel to forty chapters from the original twenty. A work in the *shenmo* genre, the novel blends comedy with the supernatural, and is an early work of vernacular fiction.

The story is very loosely based on Wang Ze's failed 1047–48 rebellion during the Song dynasty.

## Synopsis

The story is set in the Northern Song Dynasty. Wang Ze, a military commander, marries the sorceress Hu Yong'er. Hu was conceived after her mother burned an enchanted painting. She was taught magic from a fox spirit, enabling her to conjure armies with her spells. The three sorcerers, Zhang Luan, Bu Ji, and the Egg Monk Danzi Wang, join Wang after a series of adventures battling corrupt officials with their supernatural powers.

Wang leads a revolt to overthrow the government with the help of the sorcerers. The three sorcerers grow disillusioned with Wang's impropriety and defect to the government forces headed by Wen Yanbo, who had arrived to suppress the rebels. The Egg Monk disguises himself as a monk by the name of Zhuge Sui and aids the imperial generals Ma Sui and Li Sui. Together, the Three Suis defeat Wang and end the rebellion.

## History

Legends of Wang Ze and his revolt, a historical event, were popular since the Yuan Dynasty and commonly embellished with elements from Chinese mythology. The novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong is a shenmo novel loosely based on Wang's revolt and published in the 16th century. It is not certain if Luo is the genuine author of the novel. The appearance of *lijia*, a social institution for local governance in rural areas, suggests that the text was written during or after the 15th century, but this may have been an alteration by a later editor. The original copies of the book attributed to Luo are lost. The only surviving works of Luo's earlier story are a revised edition published by Wang Shenxiu and the Nanjing Publishing House Shide tang. Three copies of the revised novel are still extant. It contains twenty chapters, separated into four *juan* (sections).

Feng Menglong wrote a new and longer version of the story to improve what he perceived as the novel's shortcomings. It was published by the studio Tianxu Zhai in 1620. The first edition was anonymously written and released as a work by the original author, but the second edition revealed that Feng was the new writer. His revision expanded the novel to forty chapters, of which fifteen precede the first chapter of the original novel. Parts of the older chapters were rewritten, or revised with entirely new passages. He provided backstories for many of the supporting characters that were introduced haphazardly in the original story. According to translator Nathan Sturman, Feng Menglong's version is one of the world's first psychological novels, which he compares to the Faust stories.

The novel was popular and critically acclaimed when it was originally released, but later faded into obscurity. Ota Tatsuo wrote the first extensive contemporary non-Chinese analysis of the work in 1967, and the scholarship and critical views of Patrick Hanan were important in following years.

## Translations

* *The Sorcerer's Revolt*. Translated by Nathan Sturman. Silk Pagoda. 2008. ISBN 978-1596545670.
* *The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt: A Comic Novel Attributed to Luo Guanzhong*. Translated by Lois Fusek. University of Hawaii Press. 2010. ISBN 978-0-8248-3406-7.
* (2017). *Quelling the Demons' Revolt: A Novel from Ming China*. Translated by Patrick Hanan. Introduction by Ellen Widmer and David Der-Wei Wang. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN 9780231183062.

## Adaptations

* *Legend of Sealed Book*, a 1983 Chinese animation film
* 2023 “The Legend of the Sealed Book (The Magical Legend)”.

### Citations

### Sources

## InfoBox

The Three Sui Quash the Demons' Revolt
|  | |
| --- | --- |
| Author | Luo Guanzhong (14th century)
Feng Menglong (16th century) |
| Original title | *三遂平妖傳 (Luo's version)
平妖傳 (Feng's version)* |
| Translator | Lois Fusek (2010; Luo's)
Nathan Sturman (2008; Feng's)
Patrick Hanan (2017, Luo's) |
| Language | Chinese |
| Genre | Chinese mythology, shenmo, fantasy, historical fiction |
| Publication date | 16th century |
| Publication place | Ming China |
| Media type | Print |


title: The Silent Worker

abstract: The Silent Worker was a newspaper published in the United States serving the deaf community. Originally published in 1888 as the Deaf Mute Times, the paper was renamed that year to The Silent Worker. The paper was published monthly from fall through spring by the New Jersey School for the Deaf The silent Worker published articles, primarily written by deaf authors, highlighting the abilities and achievements of the deaf community, particularly in industry. During the early 20th century, when most school administrations were transitioning away from the use of American Sign Language in favor of the oral method of instruction, the silent worker generally advocated a dissenting view. The publication ceased in June 1929 following the dismissal of its editor, George Porter. A new edition of the Silent Worker was published by the National Association for the Deaf from 1948 to 1966.

text:
# The Silent Worker

***The Silent Worker*** was a newspaper published in the United States serving the deaf community. Originally published in 1888 as the ***Deaf Mute Times***, the paper was renamed that year to *The Silent Worker*. The paper was published monthly from fall through spring by the New Jersey School for the Deaf The silent *Worker* published articles, primarily written by deaf authors, highlighting the abilities and achievements of the deaf community, particularly in industry.

During the early 20th century, when most school administrations were transitioning away from the use of American Sign Language in favor of the oral method of instruction, the silent worker generally advocated a dissenting view. The publication ceased in June 1929 following the dismissal of its editor, George Porter.

A new edition of the *Silent Worker* was published by the National Association for the Deaf from 1948 to 1966.

## Reference List

* Gallaudet University digital collection of *The Silent Worker*

## InfoBox

The Silent Worker


title: The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea

abstract: The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea is the fifth full-length studio album by British folk metal band Skyclad. Its title is a homophonic pun: when said aloud in a non-rhotic accent it sounds identical to "The Silent Wails of Lunacy".

text:
# The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | link |

***The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea*** is the fifth full-length studio album by British folk metal band Skyclad. Its title is a homophonic pun: when said aloud in a non-rhotic accent (such as British or Australian accents) it sounds identical to "The Silent Wails of Lunacy".

## Track listing

1. "Still Spinning Shrapnel" – 4:34
2. "Just What Nobody Wanted" – 4:48
3. "Art-Nazi" – 3:42
4. "Jeopardy" – 4:20
5. "Brimstone Ballet" – 4:13
6. "A Stranger in the Garden" – 5:27
7. "Another Fine Mess" – 6:15
8. "Turncoat Rebellion" – 2:06
9. "Halo of Flies" – 5:23
10. "Desperanto" (A Song for Europe?) – 3:29
11. "The Present Imperfect" – 4:04
12. "Dance of the Dandy Hound" – 2:29

Track 12 is only included on some versions

## Personnel

* Martin Walkyier: Lead Vocals
* Dave Pugh: Acoustic & Electric Guitars, Banjo, Backing Vocals
* Graeme English: Bass, Classical Guitar, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
* Georgina Biddle: Fiddle, Keyboards, Backing Vocals
* Keith Baxter: Drums, Percussion

## Production

* Produced By Kevin Ridley & Skyclad
* Assistant Engineer: Rob Pemberton
* Mastering: Howie Weinberg

Encyclopaedia Metallum bands by letter – S – Skyclad – The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea (retrieved 8-31-07)

## InfoBox

| The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by Skyclad | |
| Released | 1995 |
| Genre | Folk metal |
| Length | 50:50 |
| Label | Noise Records |
| Producer | Kevin Ridley & Skyclad |
| Skyclad chronology | |
| *Prince of the Poverty Line*
(1994) ***The Silent Whales of Lunar Sea***
(1995) *Irrational Anthems*
(1996) | |


title: The Torture Technique

abstract: The Torture Technique is the second studio album by Sister Machine Gun, released on March 15, 1994 by TVT and Wax Trax! Records. The album spent eight weeks on the CMJ Radio Top 150 peaking at No. 46, and nine weeks on the CMJ RPM Charts peaking at No. 10.

text:
# The Torture Technique

***The Torture Technique*** is the second studio album by Sister Machine Gun, released on March 15, 1994 by TVT and Wax Trax! Records. The album spent eight weeks on the CMJ Radio Top 150 peaking at No. 46, and nine weeks on the CMJ RPM Charts peaking at No. 10.

## Reception

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |

Vincent Jeffries of allmusic gave *The Torture Technique* a one and a half out of five stars, saying "to Chris Randall's credit, he expands his programming skills ("Salvation," "Brother Bomb") and vocal performances ("Cocaine Jesus") enough to mimic industrial rock success stories Ministry and White Zombie, instead of exclusively copying Nine Inch Nails." He concluded by saying, "*The Torture Technique* isn't as dry or repetitive as Sister Machine Gun's first release, but Randall's marginal improvements aren't enough to warrant a recommendation." *Aiding & Abetting* praised the very stripped down sound of the album, saying it's "experimental enough to get me hard, bouncy enough to make me dance, Sister Machine Gun is rather good." *Option* gave the album a favorable review saying it "...enthusiastically embraces industrial dance styles without being limited by them..."

## Track listing

All lyrics are written by Chris Randall, except "Wired" and "Iron Sun" by Jim Marcus; all music is composed by Van Christie, Tom Gaul, Jim Marcus and Chris Randall

| No. | Title | Length |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1. | "Salvation" | 6:11 |
| 2. | "Sacrifice" | 3:46 |
| 3. | "Negative" | 4:26 |
| 4. | "Krackhead" | 4:29 |
| 5. | "Wired" | 3:02 |
| 6. | "Cocaine Jesus" | 5:32 |
| 7. | "Brother Bomb" | 3:27 |
| 8. | "Nothing" | 4:36 |
| 9. | "Torture Technique" | 3:28 |
| 10. | "Iron Sun" | 5:46 |
| 11. | "Heaven" | 5:37 |

## Personnel

Adapted from the liner notes of *The Torture Technique*.

**Sister Machine Gun**

**Additional performers**

**Production and design**

* Van Christie – production, recording, mixing
* Noli Eckerson assistant recording
* Bill Garcelon – assistant recording
* Dave Kovach – assistant recording
* Steve Levy – assistant recording
* Jason McNinch – assistant recording
* Matt Warren – assistant recording

## Release history

| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| United States | 1994 | TVT/Wax Trax! | CD, CS | TVT 7209 |
| Japan | | Polystar | CD | PSCW-5067 |

## InfoBox

| The Torture Technique | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by Sister Machine Gun | |
| Released | March 15, 1994 (1994-03-15) |
| Studio | Various * + Chicago Trax Recording Studio     + (Chicago, IL)     + Warzone Recorders     + (Chicago, IL) |
| Genre | Industrial rock |
| Length | 50:22 |
| Label | TVT/Wax Trax! |
| Producer | Van Christie, Jim Marcus, Chris Randall |
| Sister Machine Gun chronology | |
| *Sins of the Flesh*
(1992) ***The Torture Technique***
(1994) *Burn*
(1995) | |


abstract: The Singles Collection is a posthumous compilation album by Jimi Hendrix, released in 2003 by MCA Records. The album is made up of ten discs, each of which contains one single released by Hendrix, including some after his death.

text:
# The Singles Collection (Jimi Hendrix album)

***The Singles Collection*** is a posthumous compilation album by Jimi Hendrix, released in 2003 by MCA Records. The album is made up of ten discs, each of which contains one single released by Hendrix, including some after his death.

## Track listing

All songs were written by Jimi Hendrix, except where noted.

### Disc one

1. "Hey Joe" (Billy Roberts)
2. "Stone Free"

### Disc two

1. "Purple Haze"
2. "51st Anniversary"

### Disc three

1. "The Wind Cries Mary"
2. "Highway Chile"

### Disc four

1. "Burning of the Midnight Lamp"
2. "The Stars That Play with Laughing Sam's Dice"

### Disc five

1. "Foxy Lady"
2. "Manic Depression"

### Disc six

1. "Crosstown Traffic"
2. "Gypsy Eyes"

### Disc seven

1. "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)"
2. "Hey Joe" (Roberts)
3. "All Along the Watchtower" (Bob Dylan)

### Disc eight

1. "Stepping Stone"
2. "Izabella"

### Disc nine

1. "Dolly Dagger"
2. "Night Bird Flying"

### Disc ten

1. "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine K. Davis)
2. "Silent Night" (Josef Mohr, Franz Gruber)
3. "Auld Lang Syne" (Robert Burns, Traditional, arr. Hendrix)
4. "Three Little Bears"

## Personnel

## InfoBox

| The Singles Collection | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Compilation album / Box set by Jimi Hendrix | |
| Released | Dec. 9, 2003 |
| Recorded | 19661970 |
| Genre | Rock, psychedelic rock, acid rock, blues rock |
| Length | 86:00 |
| Label | MCA |
| Jimi Hendrix chronology | |
| *Live at Berkeley*
(2003) ***The Singles Collection***
(2003) *Hear My Music*
(2004) | |


title: The Trumpets They Play!

abstract: "The Trumpets They Play!" is an 8-page comic by Al Columbia. A cartoon interpretation of the Book of Revelation featuring his recurring characters Seymour Sunshine and Knishkebibble the Monkey-Boy, it was published in BLAB! #10 in 1998. Its artwork took Columbia six months to complete. The title was taken from a song by his former roommate and Action Suits bandmate Andy Schmidt.

text:
# The Trumpets They Play!

"**The Trumpets They Play!**" is an 8-page comic by Al Columbia. A cartoon interpretation of the Book of Revelation featuring his recurring characters Seymour Sunshine and Knishkebibble the Monkey-Boy, it was published in *BLAB!* #10 in 1998. Its artwork took Columbia six months to complete. The title was taken from a song by his former roommate and Action Suits bandmate Andy Schmidt.

## Synopsis

After a title card introducing the upcoming feature as "Seymour Sunshine and Knishkebibble the Monkey-Boy's Big Budget Fiasco", the story begins with a televangelist reading aloud passages from the Book of Revelation describing the seven seals and seven trumpets, accompanied by topical illustrations. The preacher's broadcast is interrupted by a newsflash on the impending end of the millennium. The panel view gradually zooms out slowly from the TV screen to the interior of a high-rise apartment, then out of a window to reveal a panorama of debauchery and random violence. In the background, the meteorite Wormwood flies across the sky.

Meanwhile, Knishkebibble is shown in another apartment reading the Book of Revelation. He decides to take a bath to ward off "pre-millennium jitters". While he is drawing his bath the meteorite strikes the earth, causing all the faucets to spew inky black liquid. He runs out of the bathroom and awakens his sleeping companion, Seymour. They answer a knock at the door and are confronted by a pair of giant, armored locusts. Escaping the apartment, they scramble across rooftops, leap into a conveniently placed roadster, and drive away in haste.

The city is being ravaged by a massive earthquake and an army of grinning creatures carrying long knives. As Seymour and Knishkebibble speed out of the collapsing metropolis, a colossal seven-headed Beast looms in the distance. An army marching under the Beast's flag captures the pair; Knishkebibble kisses the boots of an officer and denounces Seymour, who is dragged away. The Beast is shown seated on a throne towering over a Nuremberg-style rally of men giving the Nazi salute; Knishkebibble and the televangelist are among the throng. In the Beast's hand, a pocketwatch labeled "Years of the Christian Era" approaches 2000. On the outskirts of the city, where mass executions by gun and guillotine are underway, Seymour sits with his limbs tied up and a lit stick of dynamite balanced on his head.

In the final page – the only one in full color – Seymour is shown in a white dress suit and hat, frolicking in a bucolic but strangely empty paradise.

## Critical reception

"The Trumpets They Play!" has been cited by critics as an outstanding work, both within Columbia's own output and within the comics medium generally. In a 2002 essay on Columbia, Paul Gravett called it his "most alarming output yet \[...\] a cartoon apocalypse, a black and white Fleischer Brothers animated film as designed by Hieronymus Bosch." The 2011 book *1001 Comics You Must Read Before You Die* listed it at position number 86, and *Paste* magazine included it in a 2015 article on the seven best Bible-inspired comics. It was included on the syllabus of a 2008 literature course on "The Imagination of Disaster" at Duke University.


title: The Stylings of Silver

abstract: The Stylings of Silver is an album by the Horace Silver Quintet recorded on May 8, 1957 and released on Blue Note later that year. The quintet features horn section Art Farmer and Hank Mobley and rhythm section Teddy Kotick and Louis Hayes.

text:
# The Stylings of Silver

***The Stylings of Silver*** is an album by the Horace Silver Quintet recorded on May 8, 1957 and released on Blue Note later that year. The quintet features horn section Art Farmer and Hank Mobley and rhythm section Teddy Kotick and Louis Hayes.

## Reception

Professional ratings
| Review scores | |
| --- | --- |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |  |
| *The Rolling Stone Jazz Record Guide* |  |

The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow states, "All of Silver's Blue Note quintet recordings are consistently superb and swinging and, although not essential, this is a very enjoyable set."

## Track listing

*All compositions by Horace Silver except as noted.*

### Side 1

1. "No Smokin'" – 5:33
2. "The Back Beat" – 6:23
3. "Soulville" – 6:16

### Side 2

1. "Home Cookin'" – 6:28
2. "Metamorphosis" – 7:18
3. "My One and Only Love" (Robert Mellin, Guy Wood) – 6:59

## Personnel

### Horace Silver Quintet

### Technical personnel

## InfoBox

| The Stylings of Silver | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Studio album by the Horace Silver Quintet | |
| Released | 1957 |
| Recorded | May 8, 1957 |
| Studio | Van Gelder Studio
Hakensack, New Jersey |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Length | 38:57 |
| Label | Blue Note
BLP 1562 |
| Producer | Alfred Lion |
| Horace Silver chronology | |
| *6 Pieces of Silver*
(1956) ***The Stylings of Silver***
(1957) *Further Explorations*
(1958) | |


title: The Style Invitational

abstract: The Style Invitational, or Invite, is a long-running humor contest that ran first in the Style section of the Sunday Washington Post before moving to Saturday's Style and later returning to the Sunday paper. Started in 1993, it has run weekly, except for a hiatus in late 1999. Its last publication date was December 11, 2022. In that time, it has had two head judges who select winning entries: "The Czar" and "The Empress." The Czar, who was anonymous, abdicated in late 2003, leaving the contest in the hands of his former associate, The Empress, copy editor Patricia (Pat) Myers. The humor ranges from an intellectual vein to a less mature style, and frequently touches on sophisticated political or historical allusions. While the contest theme changes every week, some popular contests are periodically repeated. The S.I. has a loyal following of self-proclaimed "Losers," who refer to having a contest entry published as "getting ink".

text:
# The Style Invitational

**The Style Invitational**, or **Invite**, is a long-running humor contest that ran first in the Style section of the Sunday *Washington Post* before moving to Saturday's Style and later returning to the Sunday paper. Started in 1993, it has run weekly, except for a hiatus in late 1999. Its last publication date was December 11, 2022. In that time, it has had two head judges who select winning entries: "The Czar" and "The Empress." The Czar, who was anonymous, abdicated in late 2003, leaving the contest in the hands of his former associate, The Empress, copy editor Patricia (Pat) Myers. The humor ranges from an intellectual vein to a less mature style, and frequently touches on sophisticated political or historical allusions. While the contest theme changes every week, some popular contests are periodically repeated. The S.I. has a loyal following of self-proclaimed "Losers," who refer to having a contest entry published as "getting ink".

## History

The Style Invitational kicked off in March 1993 by asking readers to come up with a less offensive name for the Washington Redskins. The winner, published two weeks later, was Douglas R. Miller, with the entry "The Baltimore Redskins. No, don't move the team, just let Baltimore deal with it." He won a Timex watch like the one President Bill Clinton wore at the time, and apparently never entered again, as he wanted to retire undefeated.

The second week's contest was to replace the state of Maryland's slogan "Manly deeds, Womanly words" and yielded up such responses as "Maryland - Home to its residents" and winner "Maryland - Wait! We can explain!" by Oslo. He won an as yet unpurchased large kitschy crab sculpture/decoration, but traded it for a Timex watch like the one President Bill Clinton wore at the time. Another early contest asked entrants to help choose a better nickname for Washington, D.C., to replace "A Capital City". Exemplifying the S.I.'s irreverence, the winning entry was "A Work-Free Drug Place."

Each column was titled with its week number, beginning with Arabic numerals. In 2000 the numbering restarted at I using Roman numerals. In March 2003, for the 10th anniversary, the column continued numbering at 496, once again using Arabic numerals.

The contest had a several-month hiatus beginning in August 1999, and restarted in January 2000. It usually received entries from hundreds of persons each week and, because up to 25 entries are allowed for each individual, has received upwards of 20,000 entries in a single week.

A group of devotees (see links) of the S.I. meets periodically in the Washington, D.C., area, and hosts an annual "Flushies" awards dinner that has attracted gameplayers from as far away as Ireland and California. The contest also gets entries from England, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand. Further indicative of interest in the S.I. was a (now-defunct) Rotisserie League, in which players championed and won points for the successes of their favorite entrants. There has also been a contest newsletter, "Depravda", begun by Elden Carnahan of Laurel, Md., and subsequently foisted off on another unsuspecting Loser. Once a proud monthly periodical, "Depravda" now appears only when editorial inertia can be overcome.

In August 2007, the contest was moved to the Style section of Saturday's *Post* when Sunday Style was shortened and combined with Arts. In early 2011, the Invitational returned to the Post's Sunday Style.

On December 1, 2022, the *Post* announced that the last day the column would run would be December 11. Any contests in progress that would have had winners published after that date will not appear. Although the Post received numerous letters to the editors complaining about the change, the final column did run on December 11 and was a celebration of past entries.

Several days later, it was announced on the S.I.'s Facebook Page, and Gene Weingarten's Twitter feed, that the S.I. would take up a new home on Substack, be renamed "The Invitational", and that the Czar and Empress would co-moderate it. As of 2023, it is free to read, but users must subscribe at a rate of $50 per year to contribute. This subscription also allows the user to contribute to Gene's semi-weekly (Tuesdays and Thursdays) online chat, on his Substack page "The Gene Pool".

Numerous humorous lists passed around the Internet, usually misattributed, had their actual origin in the Style Invitational.

## Notable entrants

The most notable name in S.I. annals is Chuck Smith, of Woodbridge, Virginia, who first won in the contest's sixth week. His frequent successes inspired a contest solely to decide what to do about him. He won that contest, too.

Brendan Beary, of Great Mills, Md., was the 2005 chart topper, with 179 "inks". In 2006, he won a limerick contest between himself and Chris Doyle (see below).

Russell Beland, formerly of Springfield, Virginia now of Fairfax, Virginia, was the first Loser to reach 1,500 inks, a record he set in June 2011. He passed 1,000 in 2006, and earned the opportunity to judge a week of the contest. He has temporarily retired from the Invitational on several occasions, one of which prompted a contest to suggest an Invitational prize sufficient to lure him back. (One entry: "A night on the town with Mrs. Beland.")

Elden Carnahan, of Laurel, Maryland (aka Grace Fuller) tabulates running statistics on the contest that are available on the "Losers"' unofficial web site.

Chris Doyle, currently entering from Denton, Texas and earlier from various Internet cafes during dozens of overseas trips, is known for his prodigious wordplay, poetry and anagrams, and was a perennial winner in a similar past contest in *New York* magazine, from which the S.I. may have drawn its inspiration. He is the current all-time Invitational leader, the first entrant to amass over 2,000 inks, and is also the third-most prolific contributor to the Omnificent English Dictionary in Limerick Form (OEDILF). Many Style Invitational Losers have become OEDILF contributors (and vice versa) after the Invitational's Week 572 Contest.

Kevin Dopart, of Washington D.C., has been a frequent contributor to the contest. He became the fastest entrant ever and 4th overall to attain 1,000 inks, reaching that number in January 2014. He was the top-inking Loser in each year from 2006 through 2012.

Sarah Worcester Gaymon, of Gambrills, Maryland, is a former *Jeopardy!* champion, as is Mark Eckenwiler. John Holder, of Charlotte, N.C., and Matt Monitto, of Bristol, Connecticut, won on *Wheel of Fortune*.

Jennifer Hart, of Arlington, Va., has been a frequent winner and eclipsed Chuck Smith as all-time points leader during the years in which she actively participated.

Niels Hoven, originally from Silver Spring, appeared on the third season of *Beauty and the Geek*.

Frank Mann, of Washington, D.C., is the brother of singer Aimee Mann.

Joe Romm, of Washington D.C., was a frequent contributor from the contest's second year until a gradual decline in his participation from around 2006. His entries appeared 343 times, including 16 winning entries, and he was the first "Rookie of the Year". Among his submissions was the winning entry of what was later declared to be the best overall week's results of the Style Invitational's first decade. (A discarded first draft of some famous line: "We hold these truths to be, like, du-uuh.")

Ervin Stembol, of Alexandria, Va., has been an occasional winner in this and other humor contests. His unmasking as a *nom de plume* prompted the current contest rule barring pseudonymous entries.

Bob Staake (pronounced "Stack") illustrates the contest and occasionally suggests contest ideas.

Tom Witte, of Montgomery Village, Md., is a frequent winner and contest-namer. In 2009 he became the third person to amass 1,000 appearances.

## Czar/Empress

"The Czar of the Style Invitational" was, until December 2003, the pseudonymous man behind the contest. He chose all the winners - calling the contest the "last pure meritocracy on Earth" - and controlled all aspects of the contest.

Very little was known about the Czar for some time, except that he worked for *The Washington Post* coming up with the contest ideas and choosing the winners for every week's contest. *Post* writer and humorist Gene Weingarten was believed to be the Czar despite public denials. However, in 1999, and again in 2001, he admitted in his column that he edited the feature.

The Czar retired in late 2003, giving all the power to "The Empress of the Style Invitational", who has suggested she has a lower tolerance for immature or bathroom humor than the Czar.

In early 2011, with the Invitational's move to Sunday's Style section, the Empress was outed by the *Post* as former copy editor Pat Myers, whose real name appears in the byline. On washingtonpost.com and in the contest's discussion group, the Style Conversational, she still goes by "The Empress."

## Format

Each week's contest begins with a few examples of answers to the contest, which is confusing since they appear before the contest theme for the week is presented. There is often a picture or pictorial example. Sometimes the contest relates to a picture, such as one where entrants suggest what a given cartoon picture or group of pictures might represent. Beneath this is a paragraph beginning with the phrase "This week's contest," followed by a description of the contest. There is then fine print describing the prizes, how to enter, and how to determine if you are eligible for the prizes.

Following is the "Report from Week X," where X = \[this week's contest number\] - 4, the result of the four weeks between when a contest is first shown and the winners are announced. These results begin with commentary by The Empress on the results, entries that were too common to publish, funny but un-printable entries, and anything else of note. There follows the first- to fourth-place entries in that order, after which is listed a (usually) generous number of Honorable Mentions, and the week's report ends with a reminder of which contest results will appear the next week. On occasion, the Post website includes "overflow" Honorable Mentions absent from the print editions; this is typically limited to contest results in which each entry is necessarily lengthy (e.g., song parody lyrics) and the print column capable of running only a small number of entries.

## Winning isn't everything

Aside from the typical Winner, Runners-Up, and Honorable Mentions, there have been many other means to get one's name in print over the years. Ongoing methods include donating the weird prizes, suggesting the contest for the week, supplying a revised title for Honorable Mention entries for a given week's results, and writing the revised contest title that runs when the contest results are printed. There is an occasional "Anti-Invitational" entry printed (being an entry that is directly opposite what was asked for in the contest). Defunct past themes included writing the "Ear No One Reads", being "Uncle's Pick" (a reference to a humorless figure nominated to replace the Czar years ago), being the Rookie of the Week, and penning the Contest's short-lived "Dead Presidents" comic strip.

Individuals are often singled out for abuse by Czar or Empress. Verbal abuse is frequently heaped upon writers of remarkably obscene or distasteful entries, and individuals who whine about the judging (see Russell Beland) or overtly lobby for their own entries. The Empress is constantly on the look out for flagrant plagiarism (defined as "being in touch with one's inner Google"), the penalty for which is severe admonition and retribution.

## Prizes

Prizes have changed under the current administration, as tabulated below. In March 2012, a reusable grocery bag was introduced as a new runner-up prize; just weeks later, the Empress switched to a new first-place statue, the "Inkin' Memorial" (an Abraham Lincoln bobblehead) from the original "Inker" (a bookend of *The Thinker* with a paper bag over its head) after the bookends went out of manufacture. In 2017, a new trophy, the "Lose Cannon", replaced the "Inkin' Memorial", when it too became unavailable.

|  | Under the Czar (old) | Under the Empress (new) | Under the Empress (starting in April 2012) |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Winner | A strange, weird thing that few people would want.
Changes every week | A trophy known as the "Inker" | A trophy known as the "Inkin' Memorial". Replaced in 2017 by a new trophy known as the "Lose Cannon". This was replaced in December 2020 by the "Clowning Achievement", a clown head. |
| First Runner-Up | A Style Invitational Pen | A strange, weird thing that few people would want.
Changes every week | A strange, weird thing that few people would want.
Changes every week |
| Other Runners-Up | A Style Invitational Shirt | Choice of a Style Invitational Shirt or Coffee Mug | Choice of a Style Invitational Coffee Mug or Grocery Bag (T-shirts were phased out) |
| Honorable Mentions | A Style Invitational Bumper Sticker | A Style Invitational Refrigerator Magnet | A Style Invitational Refrigerator Magnet |
| First Time in Print | Standard prize (from those above) | A Fir Tree Air Freshener (FirStink) | A Fir Tree Air Freshener (FirStink) |


title: The Virtues of War

abstract: The Virtues of War is a 2004 historical fiction novel by Steven Pressfield that follows the life of Alexander the Great, told through the eyes of a Hellenic-Persian scribe serving under him during his campaigns into India. Alexander is recounting the events of his life to the young scholar just before he dies in Babylon. Alexander first recounts of his younger days serving under his father, Philip II of Macedon, and Philip's expansion of Macedonian hegemony throughout Greece and Thrace. After his father's assassination, Alexander assumes control of the Macedonian throne and re-subdues Greece. He invades the Persian empire, eventually conquering it all, and continues into Afghanistan and into India. The final battle fought is the Battle of the Hydaspes in which Alexander solidifies his rule over the Indians. Throughout the novel, Alexander is portrayed as a benevolent king who only ever wanted to be a soldier, attain military glory, and treat his enemies with honor in the hopes of eventually making them his friends.

text:
# The Virtues of War

***The Virtues of War*** is a 2004 historical fiction novel by Steven Pressfield that follows the life of Alexander the Great, told through the eyes of a Hellenic-Persian scribe serving under him during his campaigns into India. Alexander is recounting the events of his life to the young scholar just before he dies in Babylon.

Alexander first recounts of his younger days serving under his father, Philip II of Macedon, and Philip's expansion of Macedonian hegemony throughout Greece and Thrace. After his father's assassination, Alexander assumes control of the Macedonian throne and re-subdues Greece. He invades the Persian empire, eventually conquering it all, and continues into Afghanistan and into India. The final battle fought is the Battle of the Hydaspes in which Alexander solidifies his rule over the Indians.

Throughout the novel, Alexander is portrayed as a benevolent king who only ever wanted to be a soldier, attain military glory, and treat his enemies with honor in the hopes of eventually making them his friends.

## Reception

*Kirkus Reviews* praises Pressfield's writing calling it "deft and graceful as always in his historical authenticity".


title: The Summit (San Francisco)

abstract: The Summit is a highrise condominium tower developed by Joseph Eichler, located near the top of the upscale Russian Hill in San Francisco, California, at 999 Green Street. The tower was designed by Niell Smith and Associates. Above ground, it has 4 floors of parking and 25 floors of residential condominiums. The tower was completed in 1965. This residential tower is featured in Sean Wilsey's book Oh the Glory of It All as well as "Significant Others" and "Sure of You" by Armistead Maupin. Residents include former Secretary of State George Shultz and his wife, San Francisco's chief of protocol, Charlotte Smith Mailliard Swig Shultz.. Another famous resident, Chuck Williams of Williams-Sonoma.

text:
# The Summit (San Francisco)

**The Summit** is a highrise condominium tower developed by Joseph Eichler, located near the top of the upscale Russian Hill in San Francisco, California, at 999 Green Street. The tower was designed by Niell Smith and Associates. Above ground, it has 4 floors of parking and 25 floors of residential condominiums. The tower was completed in 1965. This residential tower is featured in Sean Wilsey's book *Oh the Glory of It All* as well as "Significant Others" and "Sure of You" by Armistead Maupin.

Residents include former Secretary of State George Shultz and his wife, San Francisco's chief of protocol, Charlotte Smith Mailliard Swig Shultz.. Another famous resident, Chuck Williams of Williams-Sonoma.

## InfoBox

| The Summit | |
| --- | --- |
|  | |
| Location within San FranciscoThe Summit (San Francisco) (California)The Summit (San Francisco) (the United States) | |
| Alternative names | The Eichler Summit |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Residential condominiums |
| Location | 999 Green Street
San Francisco, California |
| Coordinates | 37°47′54″N 122°24′54″W / 37.7984°N 122.4151°W / 37.7984; -122.4151 |
| Opening | 1965 |
| Management | CitiScape Property Management Group: http://www.citiscapesf.com |
| Height | |
| Roof | 96 m (315 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 32 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | Claude Oakland & Associates
Neill Smith & Associates |
| Developer | Joseph Eichler |
| References | |
|  | |