The De Kretser case: a note on Sri Lankan writing in English

Abstract

How is the content of a literary canon, or tradition to be configured? What counts as a literary archive? More than 25 years after Edward Said’s Orientalism (1978 Said, W. Edward. 1978. Orientalism, New York: Vintage.  [Google Scholar]), it seems reasonable to assume, that central to such traditions, would be the work of those who live and work in the society that gives rise to it. In this review, such a location of Michele de Kretser’s new novel, The Hamilton Case, is offered, as a caution to metropolitan literary critics who continue to approach Sri Lankan writing in English, as Christopher Columbus approached ‘America’. It is argued that the novel owes much to, and can be read as echoing and elaborating the detective fiction of S.W.R.D. Bandaranaike, who was, also, the fourth Prime Minister of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), 1956–59.     

‘Let the People Sing’: J.B. Priestley and the Significance of Music

Abstract

In a writing life that spanned the 1910 to 1970s, J.B. Priestley engaged with a variety of subjects, across various literary forms, ranging from politics, popular culture and Englishness through to theories of time. However it has rarely been noted that he also wrote passionately and knowledgeably about music, with the latter playing an important role in key novels, plays and nonfiction. Priestley also promoted chamber festivals, wrote the libretto for an opera ‘The Olympians’, and even occasionally performed himself. Priestley’s writings on music fitted into his concerns about the rise of an Americanized mass order, and his mistrust of commericalized musical forms was shared by other critics of the time. However, Priestley’s work is more significant than a binary high/low low cultural validation of classical music/dismissal of more popular musical forms. He was often critical of jazz and ragtime, but more positive about popular music that was produced in, reflected, and empowered the individual and community. Priestley’s writings on music marked a genuine attempt at understanding the role of music in culture, and contributed to his democratic critique of the mass society.     

“融合”至美:科班教学对现代艺术职业教育的启示——以《粉墨春秋》为例

从盖叫天的《粉墨春秋》看旧时科班的戏曲人才培养方式,对艺术职业教育现代学徒制办学机制的完善,尤其是戏曲表演人才的培养启示颇多。科班教学,在艺术职业人的艺术技能、艺术素养、职业操守、人格情感的综合养成方面,确有一套行之有效的规矩和做法。它注重“融合”式教学,符合现代美育特征。唯有德艺“双育”才能结出德艺“双馨”之果,融于情感,内化于心,心悦于理,才能诚服于业,这正是美育的方法。美育即以美化育,以美养德,它有别于“课程思政”,能促进艺术职业教育和立德树人的成效,并不能以艺术职业技能教育来取代。作为一种“无用”之用,它的主要目的是促进人的全面发展。     

寻回身体的记忆：清末民初女子体育教育的身体社会学读解

清末民初,女性的身体被一场关乎国家民族生死存亡的危机抬进了历史的前台。以国族利益为名,对“女子”的身体进行了改造,以致近代女子体育教育的勃兴。通过选取这个独具身体社会学意涵的历史切片,对女性通过接受体育教育、自觉萌发身体意识,以及国家通过建立对新的身体规训制度重塑“新女性”的转折期进行纵深考量。本研究主要采用文献资料法和逻辑分析法,得到以下结论：教会女子学校和国人自办学校是女子体育发生、发展的两个主要阵地,国家通过制度设计、教科书编撰和师资培养予以制度保障。大多数女子们的身体由身困家中到身为国有、身为国用,渐入身心分离之境地。     

消费社会大众文化勃兴视域下中国武术审美化生存研究

消费社会大众文化的勃兴使人们开始了视觉文化转向,以此为切入点,运用文献资料法、逻辑分析法等研究方法,结合当代社会中国武术发展的实际,指出竞技武术是视觉文化转向的产物。研究认为,大众文化的视觉审美特征使竞技武术一开始就走向了表演性的审美趋向;大众文化的勃兴使武术出现了"类像"现象,消解了传统武术和竞技武术二者之间的等级次序;大众文化审美化生存中的武术发展也造成了人文思考缺失。     

预冷对运动员高温环境下运动表现的影响研究

很多研究表明高温环境对运动员的运动表现是有害的,如对氧运输能力、心血管功能以及内环境和离子平衡都会造成不良影响。体育科研人员发现预冷处理能够改善运动员在高温环境下的运动表现。预冷处理是指在训练前或比赛前,预先将运动员身体做降温处理,通过降低核心体温、改善心血管压力、减少代谢失调等来调整各项生理指标,提升运动员的热贮存能力,延缓运动疲劳产生,使运动员在训练或比赛时有良好的运动表现。     

从《申报》上看1937年的贵州旱灾与救济

1937年贵州省发生了严重的全省性的大旱灾,受灾民众之多、区域之广,为历史所罕见。当时国内有影响力的报纸——《申报》对此作出大量的报道,并呼吁国人赈济黔灾。中央、贵州地方政府以及民间救灾机构都都采取了一系列措施实施救济,也取得了一些成效,但是仍无法从根本上解决贵州灾荒问题。     

刘虹竞走关键技术的运动学特征分析

运用文献资料法、三维定点摄像法、影像解析法等,以刘虹参加2016年全国竞走大奖赛暨奥运选拔赛20km比赛的技术特征为研究对象,对其技术的优缺点进行归纳总结,旨在为其里约奥运会技术改进提供参考。结果表明：总体来看刘虹技术的规范性、实效性特征较好。技术规范性特征具体表现为其腾空时限处于模糊腾空时限内,但是最后冲刺阶段由于提速导致腾空时限远超过临界值。头顶垂直位移稍偏大,摆动腿离地瞬间膝角偏小,垂直膝关节角度同样偏小,且重心移动速度越快,其膝角越小,易形成“跑”的动作表象。着地技术符合裁判员判罚的直腿标准,且垂直支撑阶段“反弓”动作明显。实效性特征表现为左、右步长均有提高,“小步高频”的中国技术风有较大改观;但仍存在左、右不均衡现象。两大腿夹角偏小,说明刘虹向前“送髋”的技术仍需改进。     

论肖像画的诞生:一种现代性的视角

在中西方绘画史上,肖像画发展的程度截然不同,作为西方绘画主要类型的肖像画,在中国绘画史上却没有独立的位置。可以说,“肖像画的诞生”是一个现代性事件,只有足够成熟的现代化社会才能为其提供存在的普遍性条件——自主性精神。通过比较中西肖像画所植根的文化系统,可以展现肖像画作为现代性的文化表征所包含的双重性,它既显示了其所植根的那种普遍性的条件——文化现代性,同时也展示了现代性的自主化精神在艺术中的内在化——审美现代性。可以说,肖像画作为一个特殊的艺术门类,表征了普遍的现代性精神在文化和艺术中的同源共生。