Welcome to the second installment of the Core Weekly Round-Up!
- There’s a reason for Bob Dylan’s recent Nobel Prize for Literature; the singer-songwriter and poet has “surpassed Whitman as the American Poet,” according to Bloomberg View writer Cass R. Sunstein. They’ve both certainly caused a bit of controversy.
- The William Blake Gallery in San Francisco, the world’s largest gallery devoted to Blake, opened Friday, October 14. It explores the poet’s distinctive and perhaps unsettling artistic style and includes his Illustrations to Dante’s Inferno and Songs of Innocence: “Holy Thursday.”
Blake’s depiction of The Minotaur from Dante’s Inferno, Canto XII,1228
- The Dante Festival takes place this Saturday, October 29, at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The program will feature crafts, music and dancing, readings, talks, and more. Free with museum admission.
- Speaking of Dante, President Obama referenced the famous Italian poet in his toast at the Italian State Dinner: “Some days our presidential campaign can seem like Dante’s Inferno.”
President Obama raises his glass at the state dinner for Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)
- Dressing up as your favorite heroine from Greek tragedy, or just looking to impress Prof. Samons? Janet Stephens, historical hairdresser, has devoted her Youtube channel to Greek, Roman, and medieval hair-styling tutorials. Triremes not included.
And that’s a wrap! See you next week, and have a spooky Halloweekend. (Psst–don’t forget that the annual Pumpkin Carving Party takes place this afternoon, October 28, from 3pm to 5pm at the Core House (141 Carlton St.). We hope to see you there!)
