Tracy Revels

Photo-Thinking About Imaginary Eden

I'm in Florida at the moment, trying to finish the manuscript for my book, tentatively titled Imaginary Eden: A History of Florida Tourism.  I spent most of the day doing editing, and on Friday I'll be in the Photographic Archives trying to select the pictures.  Thinking about that made me remember some of my own photographs.  I probably won't be able to use any of these (since I'm not a great photographer) but I thought I'd share a few, along with my thoughts about how these places appear in the book.

The city gates of St. Augustine, Florida's Oldest City and its first tourist city.  People began arriving here in the 1820s, seeking a cure from tuberculosis.  It is frequently described as an American city with an "Old World Village" feel.  Today it is a strange mix of historical and hysterical---the biggest new industry seems to be the nightly "ghost tours."  Fun trivia fact---in 1907 the town debated tearing down these lovely old gates for something more modern.  Aren't you glad they didn't?

The Ponce de Leon hotel, now better known as Flagler College.  This was Henry Flagler's first hotel, a landmark of the Gilded Age.  In the late 1800s, the Standard Oil partner began building a long chain of luxury hotels down the eastern coast of Florida, connected by his Florida East Coast Railroad.  Not only did Flagler open Florida to elite tourism, he also boosted Florida's economy.  On the Gulf Coast, Flagler's friendly rival, Henry Plant, built a similar string of hotels and railroads.  As one writer commented, without the two Henrys development would have come to Florida, but much more slowly and with much less glamor.

The world-famous glass bottom boats at Silver Springs, a Florida tourist attraction since the 1850s.  At one time, this was what virtually all tourists in Florida came to see.  Unfortunately, poor water quality is taking its toll, as it is at most of Florida's springs. When I visited last summer, many of the boats were in poor shape (if you look closely, you can tell) and the crowds were thin.  Silver Springs and many other small attractions are in serious danger of disappearing.

The mouse that roared.  Since its opening in 1971, Walt Disney World has defined the Florida tourism experience.  One thing I've learned in doing research is that people either love or hate WDW.  There's not much middle ground.  I'm working for neutrality in my book, just trying to tell the story and let my readers make up their minds.  Disney World has brought good things to the state,and a lot of bad things---that's the very nature of tourism, it's a double-edged sword in terms of economic development, environmental destruction, and cultural disconnects.

My very favorite tourism spot in Florida, the Ed Ball Wakulla Springs State Park, located just south of Tallahassee.  The lodge dates to the 1930s, and the park includes a jungle cruise ride, a glass bottom boat ride (which rarely operates, due to the polluted water) and a swimming area.  It's also the scene of weddings, class reunions, and charity events, as it was once the home of political rallies.  Ed Ball, the millionaire who owned it, was not adverse to picking up a few "nickels and dimes" from his attraction, but he refused to turn it into a "honky tonk" like Cypress Gardens (which was owed by his pal, Dick Pope).  If you want to know what really old school Florida tourism was like, go to Wakulla Springs.

This is not a prayer for God to send more travelers or keep the hurricanes away.  It's a figure from the Four Freedoms monument in Madison, Florida (my hometown).  It honors a local World War II hero, Colin P. Kelly Jr., and reflects FDR's famous speech.  I put it here to note that tourism is something that affects small towns in Florida.  Madison has a Four Freedoms festival, and is considering adding a Civil War re-enactment to the social calendar.  But a new bike trail, designed to try and lure cyclists from the region, met with harsh criticism from the rural citizens who didn't want it running between their homes and the highway.  Tourism seems like a quick and easy way to make money, but whenever it occurs, community standards will be called into question.

You can't talk tourism without throwing something tacky into the mix---in this case a pirate guarding t-shirts!  As much as I should hate places like this, I often find them fascinating!

And finally---a self-portrait in the mirror of a carousel in St. Augustine.  Working on this project has inspired me to a good bit of self-reflection (sorry about the pun).  I find myself thinking a lot about what it means to be a Floridian, and how that question is like the famous one of what does it mean to be a Southerner?  How do these things fit together? 

Hope you've enjoyed the slide show!

Is History For Grown-Ups?

I was in a bookstore this afternoon, and as I was checking out the clerk (a woman who appeared to be in her mid-50s) noted that all the titles I was purchasing were history-related.  She gave a loud sigh and said "You know, I absolutely hated history in school.  But now I can't get enough of it.  That's strange, I guess."

I assured her that it wasn't.  This is a conversation I find myself having all the time, with both random people and people from my community.  To me, what's strange is that I have never heard a person say "I hated math as a kid but now I adore working fractions" or "Couldn't stand science when I was in college and recently I've become addicted to Discovery and the National Geographic channel."  The only thing that comes close is literature.  I've heard people of my generation talk about rediscovering books they avoided reading in high school and finally understanding why they're considered masterpieces.  (With one exception.  I have never heard anyone, anywhere, say they've come to a deep appreciation of Moby Dick after being forced to take multiple exams on it in school.  Sorry Mr. Melville.)

I'm not exactly sure why history seems to get better with age.  I suppose it has something to do with maturity, and with experiencing history on a personal level.  When you've lived through presidential scandals, overseas wars, and both boom times and recessions, you begin to have a better perception of things that were only "boring stories" to you when you were 15 or 21.  

There are exceptions.  Obviously, our Wofford history majors understand, appreciate, empathize, and critique. They love history so much they don't wait to grow into it.  But I do think, for most people, history finally clicks when their own lives really start to get complicated and interesting.  I often wish we had more non-traditional students at Wofford for just that reason, because those people would bring a higher level of interest and involvement than the average college freshman---eager to get through this 'junk' and onto his or her 'real' major---can conjure up.  Our students would learn from them, would see what's ahead.

I was a freaky kid who loved history and didn't care much for any other subject.  But the older I get, I do appreciate literature more, and recently I find myself genuinely interested in science (as long as no dissection or bad smells are involved).

But math?  Sorry.  I guess my brain, young once but now increasingly growing older, will always drop the ball on that one.

My Review of "Sherlock Holmes"

Since so many people have been asking me this question, and since it relates to the last blog that I posted, I think it might be a good idea to go ahead and answer it here.  The question is “What did you think of the new Sherlock Holmes movie?" 

And that’s a very difficult question to answer! 

First of all, let me say that I found it thoroughly entertaining.  I was never bored, and I didn’t regret for a moment those two hours taken out of my Christmas Day.  I was either laughing, gasping, or shaking my head the whole time.  I found the movie visually stunning.  I’ve heard a lot of people complain about the extensive use of CGI in the backgrounds, the gripe that the movie made Victorian London look “grimy” and “dirty.”  Hello---what do you think Victorian London looked like, Disney World?  If anything, this seemed far more realistic to me than any other portrayal of that era has appeared.  To quote my colleague Dr. Anne Rodrick, there’s a reason why this was the industrial age, and all those sooty walls were right in character.  Another visual treat was, quite frankly, the lead actors.  Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law are quite nice to look at.  I hear there were some pretty actresses in there as well, but I’ll have to take someone’s word on that, because I barely noticed.  The music was good and naturally this movie, like just about all others these days, was set up for a sequel, one which I will gladly by advance tickets for. 

All these things being said, I will concede that the movie had its flaws.  The biggest one was simply the story.  As my companion pointed out, the plot was completely over-the-top, the villain’s ambitions in the “Doctor Evil” vein that we have all come to mock.  It’s a pity that the filmmakers couldn’t be content with a plotline that would have better reflected Doyle’s style.  Why wouldn’t it have been enough for Holmes to have pursued a missing jewel, or a stolen paper, or solved a locked room murder?  There are plenty of great stories already in the canon, including many that, like the movie, have a ‘supernatural’ base of terror and astonishment.  (Anyone remember the Hound of the Baskervilles?)  By going so far over the top the film ventured dangerously close to parody.  I’m also not thrilled with some of the changes that were made to established characters (no, Irene Adler was not a jewel thief and there’s no evidence that she and Holmes ever actually ‘shagged’) though I did like the implication that there is someone even more dastardly waiting in the wings to do more mischief. 

This movie did catch the great relationship between Holmes and Watson, but unfortunately it played a bit more like a snappy ‘bromance’ of the 21^st century than the deep male friendships of the 19^th.  But that I can forgive because I realize most audiences have only ‘heard’ of Holmes and never actually read about him.  If the movie inspires more people to read the real canon, then I will render even louder applause.

But ultimately, I must confess that I while I enjoyed the film, this is not “my Sherlock.”  As much as I enjoyed RDJ’s interpretation, it is not the correct one for me.  I could spend all day picking things apart, the most obviously being that though Holmes was a slob about housekeeping, he was always fastidiously dressed except when in disguise and RDJ looked a bit like he needed to wash up.  That’s not MY Holmes.  This was Holmes as a “hot mess,” a man riddled with problems and needs.  I agree Holmes was an emotional disaster, but in my reading of the canon, Watson would be the only one who ever realized just how badly his friend’s great intelligence was also his great curse. 

I’m still waiting for someone to play my Holmes on screen or stage.  Jeremy Brett came the closest; I think Hugh Laurie could come even closer, if someone would give him a chance.  (After all, he’s been playing Holmes for years on HOUSE anyway…)  But ultimately, for all true Sherlockians, Holmes resides in our heads and hearts, not on film or behind footlights.  It’s why we allow so many people to play him, because part of the game is knowing than while virtually every incarnation can entertain us, no one will ever get Mr. Holmes (or Dr. Watson) completely right.

If You'd Like To Follow Me

At Christmas, NORAD tracks Santa Claus.  Over the month of January, you're welcome to track me!

I'm at work revising and editing my manuscript, tentatively titled Imaginary Eden: A History of Florida Tourism.  It's due back to the press on February 15.  (Heaven help me!)  As part of my duties in the Independent Interim in the Humanities, I am keeping a blog that the students and any interested parties can look at.  Hopefully, it will give the students insight into the almost-finished stage of writing and research.  One of the things I really like about this interim is that the students in Humanities, Sciences, and Social Sciences will be meeting to compare projects, methods, and results---I think the young people and their instructors will benefit by seeing work in different fields and in many different stages of development.

So if you would like to follow along with me, here's the link.  There's not much to see as of right now, but I plan to have more up on it soon!

http://imaginaryeden.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.html

The Gift of Sherlock

I feel terrible that I let some many days go by without updating the blog!  I hope anyone reading this---especially anyone who is in any way connected to academia---will understand just how crazy those last weeks of a semester can be.  One of my colleagues said that the only answer to any question during this time of year should be "NO!"  I wish I was that strong.  I said yes far too many times, for rewrites, paper extensions, etc.  Things were crazy, but at last it is over with and (hopefully) all of Wofford's faculty, students, and staff will have a very Merry Christmas.

During the last week of class, I received a very special gift, in the form of many e-mails and Facebook posts from students, both current and former.  They wanted to know if I was going to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie (which debuts on Christmas Day) and what my opinion of it was.  This might not seem like a real present, but it was to me, as it made me realize that my class and my interim are not completely forgotten.  Some students have developed a real passion for the Sherlock Holmes stories, and (amazingly) still think enough of me to solicit an opinion on a new interpretation of the master detective.  It's always good to be remembered by students, but to me this was extra special.

And, for the record, I don't know what I will think of the new movie!  I've been trying to avoid all reviews and previews, striving to remain as unbiased as possible.  And it goes without saying that I can't wait for Christmas Day.  Every year since high school I've received something Sherlockian (a book, a set of DVDs, etc) for the holiday.  This year, my students and Hollywood have been extra generous to me.

Not Made Of Magic

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving break visiting with friends and family, eating lots of turkey, and generally taking a few days to unwind.  I had an enjoyable but very busy holiday, which included a visit with my sweetie to his sister's house in North Carolina, a ride through the Roper Mountain Holiday Lights in Greenville, and assorted grading, quiz writing, and manuscript/essay revising.  Yet I know when I turn out the light this evening, I will remember something urgent that I've forgotten, and now it's too late to get it done by Monday. This is the life of a college professor.  The work is never, ever, one hundred percent finished.

I think we're really lucky in the years when we have only one week between Thanksgiving and the start of final exams.  One week is just enough time for in-class review and prep for the tests.  When the seven day window exists, virtually everything that would involve extensive reading and critiquing (like term papers) are handed in before the Thanksgiving break.  With a two week block (as we have this time) students are able to convince their pushover professors (like me) that they need all that extra Thanksgiving time to work and write the best research paper EVER!  Then somehow, on Monday, they each just have a rough draft that needs reading over.  And, oh, what about that letter of recommendation that someone forgot to ask for?  And there's always someone who---for some reason---didn't get registered and now needs to be advised and guided through class signup.  And did I forget to mention that we have a 'mini-session' of interim classes, and a faculty meeting, and all sorts of other administrative things going on in the fourteen days that divide Thanksgiving from finals?

It's not that I'm complaining (really!).  A super busy time is to be expected in any occupation.  I just hope students realize that, unlike Santa Claus, their college professors aren't made of magic.  And just because students finish drafts of papers at 4 am doesn't mean we will be awake to read them!  It may be crunch time, but just like kids, we need to eat, sleep, and occasionally visit the restroom.

So students, be patient with us.  Remember, you can stay out all night and still do labs, write abstracts, and study Western Civilization, but we can't.  We're OLD!

Creatively Scary

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays.  I like the playfulness and the opportunity to 'dress up'; it's a nice reminder of being a kid.  Though quite frankly, when I was a child, Halloween in the country wasn't very exciting.  City kids don't realize how lucky they are to be able to walk around a neighborhood, collecting candy and treats.  Those of us with rural backgrounds had to rely on how willing our parents were to drive us long distances.  I honestly believe every Halloween of my childhood fell on a school night, because I don't remember trick or treating at more than two or three houses!  Fortunately, I grew up in an age when public schools were still permitted to have Halloween carnivals, and we always had lots of fun with the apples, dunking booths, and cake walks.  I get a big grin out of seeing Wofford students hosting similar festivities for local children.  I also suspect that the Wofford students are having as much or even more fun than the kiddies are!

Another pleasure of the day after Halloween is scanning Facebook for pictures from student parties. Our Wofford students are pretty creative when it comes to their costumes.  I've spotted flappers, ghouls, superheroes, and even the Mad Hatter and the Brawny Paper Towel man.  The Wofford faculty also had a Halloween party, and I think our students would be proud of our creativity as well---Cleopatra appeared (minus her snake!), as well as the Milky Way, several wicked witches, a Nerd, the Prisoner, and even a Musketeer.  Halloween is perfect timing.  Midway through the semester, having just issued midterm grades, many of us feel the need to be a little crazy in order to preserve our sanity for the long downhill stretch to Finals.

I've always thought a good costume made you look like something you're definitely NOT, but some of my students might think I'm 'undead' in class on occasion.  And I definitely feel like a zombie after tackling a pipe of freshman papers.

Brighten Up A Rainy Day

This was a wet, soggy, cold, miserable week on campus.  But my days were brightened by the many compliments on my umbrella. A gift from a friend, it's the only umbrella I've ever been able to hang on to for more than a few weeks.  Shaped like an old pop bottle top, it's crowned with a cat face that resembles my kitty, Miss Sugar!

Wofford photographer Mark Olencki caught me coming out of Burwell on Thursday.

Here's hoping that next week---and especially Fall Break---will bring some sunny days we can all get out and enjoy.

Midterms Are Here

It doesn't seem possible, but it's true---midterms are upon us.  Every student I talk to is either studying for a test or writing a paper.  As always, students complain about having these important events cluster in a roughly two week period.  Some of them even suspect conspiracies on the part of faculty members, that we purposefully plot to make their lives miserable just before Halloween.

I promise, there is no conspiracy.  Instead, there is something called a calender, which we must abide by. We have to have midterm grades in by a certain date!  And to give grades, we have to give assignments. It is not so complicated, and I always argue that it is good preparation for real life.  Do students think the stresses of work and family will always be doled out to them on an even basis?  Sorry Wofford students, but here's the deal about becoming an adult---in the future you will have a major project due for your boss on the same day that your car breaks down, you lose your cell phone, your roof starts leaking, and your kid gets chicken pox.  Midterms are just good practice for the many collisions of obligations you will have in life after college.

At least with midterms you get a warning!

Wofford College, Where Quizzes Are Fun!

Well, maybe that's an overstatement.  But the students in my American Women's History are all good sports and were happy to smile and look very studious during their most recent quiz.

Let's hope their grades are as bright as their smiles!