Apache, not the webserver
Jan. 13th, 2009 09:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
astroaztecDenizens of the Caltech regions may recall seeing this artwork
but for the rest I'll note that it is the invitation to the Ricketts House annual dance called Apache. That's not the native American tribe, it's a dance from early 20th century Paris.
Apache has been the traditional annual big dance event at Ricketts House since before I was conceived, but I was not aware of the context and connotations until last week when![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
ross_teneyck posted links to a 1965 book illustrated by Edward Gorey.
One of those pages is about Apache, and when I saw it I was agape. I had to go dig out my old invitation to check, for I was not sure whether the Ricketts dance had used Gorey's artwork. Clearly they had not, but the depiction is very much of the same fashion and era.
I suppose I should have been aware of the context of the dance, even in the pre-wikipedia era. I was taking French that year from the wife of "Dirty Dave". He was a literature professor who had previously overseen all of the dormitory activities. His moniker was at least partly inspired by the erotic artwork on display in his office. His wife's French class included study of the comic book Instantanées pour Caltech.
We also studied La Leçon. She spared no effort leading the Techers in her class (doubly difficult given our limited command of French) to a totally metaphorical interpretation of the play. She interpreted the climax of the play as la petite mort. So I suspect I could have found out about Apache if I had asked her.
Connecting things together, my inspiration for taking French had been the date I asked to Apache, for she had spent the previous semester studying in Paris. Heavily contributing to my agapeness was that just before Ross posted the link to the Gorey book she and I had an e-mail exchange about those events. The link and the text accompanying the Gorey illustration led to further discussion.
Had I tried to reproduce that dance she would have called my mother. Had I tried to reproduce the episode in the Gorey book she would have kneecapped me and also called my mother.
It's always good to get an understanding of how things might have been.
but for the rest I'll note that it is the invitation to the Ricketts House annual dance called Apache. That's not the native American tribe, it's a dance from early 20th century Paris.
Apache has been the traditional annual big dance event at Ricketts House since before I was conceived, but I was not aware of the context and connotations until last week when
ross_teneyck posted links to a 1965 book illustrated by Edward Gorey.One of those pages is about Apache, and when I saw it I was agape. I had to go dig out my old invitation to check, for I was not sure whether the Ricketts dance had used Gorey's artwork. Clearly they had not, but the depiction is very much of the same fashion and era.
I suppose I should have been aware of the context of the dance, even in the pre-wikipedia era. I was taking French that year from the wife of "Dirty Dave". He was a literature professor who had previously overseen all of the dormitory activities. His moniker was at least partly inspired by the erotic artwork on display in his office. His wife's French class included study of the comic book Instantanées pour Caltech.
We also studied La Leçon. She spared no effort leading the Techers in her class (doubly difficult given our limited command of French) to a totally metaphorical interpretation of the play. She interpreted the climax of the play as la petite mort. So I suspect I could have found out about Apache if I had asked her.
Connecting things together, my inspiration for taking French had been the date I asked to Apache, for she had spent the previous semester studying in Paris. Heavily contributing to my agapeness was that just before Ross posted the link to the Gorey book she and I had an e-mail exchange about those events. The link and the text accompanying the Gorey illustration led to further discussion.
Had I tried to reproduce that dance she would have called my mother. Had I tried to reproduce the episode in the Gorey book she would have kneecapped me and also called my mother.
It's always good to get an understanding of how things might have been.
