“Beware the Ides of March…”

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Image-of-Julius-Caesar-statue-from-the-Louvre

Shakespeare’s plays are filled with curses. I don’t mean the Victorian dirty jokes and toilet humor, but the superstitions that have sprouted from some of his most famous plays. Besides never mentioning the Scottish Play during a show’s opening night, there’s only one that I can think of that matches its fame. Thankfully, as it’s a few days past March 15th, I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all come out of one of the most literary cursed days unscathed and we don’t need to “beware the Ides of March”. Unless, of course, you happen to be named Julius Caesar. Then I might give it a few more days (like Caesar should have as he was warned that his life was in danger for 30 days, and not just the Ides of March, but I digress).

That being said, it got me thinking. What even are Ides? It’s not a word that I’ve heard anyone use, unless, of course, they’re quoting Mr. William. When I get thinking, it usually leads me to jump down a very fascinating rabbit hole. So, if I’ve given you a brain itch that needs to be scratched, come join me as we delve into the depths of Roman history, my musings, and some library-related goodies.

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Rock On!

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I have five alarms set on my phone. They’re not for waking me up in the morning, since I have an established sleep cycle where I’m in and out of bed at the same time every day (a routine I’ve had for as long as I remember). Rather, the alarms inadvertently do the opposite: they keep me awake by building excitement. Whenever I watch the seconds tick by, I know it shortens the time until the alarms will eventually erupt on five different days scattered throughout the year, proclaiming that it’s finally time to rock and roll at a concert. Given my blatant enthusiasm, it’s unsurprising that this will be a post dedicated to headbanging-worthy music.

Image of a concert from the crowd.
Photo by Nainoa Shizuru on Unsplash

It may sound paradoxical, but I tend to find comfort in cranking up rock and metal music to thunderous levels. While some people likely believe that rattling my eardrums to those genres, particularly the latter, only provokes an agonizing atmosphere, I find that it eases whatever’s unpleasant — such as the sniffles and sneezes brought by the impending allergy season — by way of catharsis. Concerts especially amplify that buoyancy, typically cultivating a bond that’s shared among the people you’re cavorting shoulder to shoulder with.

The recommendations below, some of which are not-so-subtle hints at the concerts I’ll be attending, are written by/about artists or bands that my ears find pleasant. If you’re looking for some adrenaline to get through these final weeks of winter, perhaps these titles will pump you up with a hefty dose of ebullience.

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Film History Books for Cine-Nerds

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My Film Studies courses were some of my favourite classes during my liberal arts degree. Building on a love of movies that’s been with me since I was a kid, I love applying an analytical mindset to the medium. Cinematography techniques, editing terms and styles, the history of silent film, and the invention of the “Talkies.” This juicy knowledge allowed me to better understand the choices writers, directors, and actors make — all of which affect the final product. It turns out we have plenty of books about the history of cinema in our collection. I thought I would share the most intriguing ones for me in the hopes that you are inspired to learn about the avant-gardists and the innovators, the great craftspeople of the movies who have been creating amazing works of art for over a century now. Let us start with some of the best directors that have ever existed. I took out Andy Tuohy’s alphabetically organized, slender reference book A to Z Great Film Directors a year or two ago. I remember savouring the condensed morsels of information on each page. I was familiar with some of the collected auteurs, but more often I had heard their name without knowing much about them at all. As a trivia enthusiast, I was also hoping to find out some tidbits and little-known facts that might come up during Jeopardy. I had to return the book before finishing, stopping somewhere around Hitchcock or Iñárritu. I will get back to this one someday. I’m sure of it. The bright and colourful graphic illustrations of directors make each entry fun and keep you turning the pages.

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