Norwegian novelist (1882-1949)

Wrote about Scandinavian countries in the Middle Ages. [more] [wiki]

Became a Catholic in 1924.

Awarded Nobel Prize for literature in 1928. [more]
[autobio]

Her modernist novels vividly depict medieval life

Books

Kristin Lavransdatter

The Axe: The Master of Hestviken, vol 1

Gunnar’s Daughter

The Unknown Sigrid Undset: Jenny and Other Works

Articles and info

“Reading Sigrid Undset” by Cynthia Grenier, CERC (1999).

For further reference

Sayers (1893-1957) was a British classicist and mystery author. [google]
[wikipedia]

The Dorothy L Sayers Society

“The Lost Tools of Learning”

Important 1947 speech given at Oxford. Currently a trad favorite, used in homeschooling. [transcript] [again] [archive]

For further reference

The Ghazal in the Modern Age

Goethe brought the ghazal to popularity in 19th century Germany, and the form has seen resurgence today. “Ghazal of the Bright Body” by Sarah Sloat (West Branch 2006) is an excellent example of a contemporary English ghazal.

Petri Liukkonen wrote a bio and backgrounder on Spenglerian philosophy that includes a selected bibliography.

[wikipedia] [quotes]

Spengler’s influence spread quickly throughout Germany and the world. During WWII his works were banned by the Nazis. He influenced many key European and American writers and thinkers, including Thomas Mann, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Henry Miller, John dos Passos, Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Oskar Kokoschka, R. Buckminster Fuller, and others into the 21st century.

Books

The Decline of the West (Der Untergang des Abendlandes)

Title also translated as The Downfall of the Occident. An immense work, his most famous, describing a civilization’s emergency, classical glory, and descent into decadence, decay and final destruction. If Spengler was a modern-day Gibbon, this is unquestionably the new equivalent of The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. [wikipedia]

The German edition is still available in hardcover. There is a brief overview with English-language excerpts online; Spengler expert Donald O. White has published many English-language extracts from TDOTW:

• Introduction

• The Problem Of Civilization

• Introduction: The Conclusion — Imperialism

• Architecture and Divinities

• Imitation and Ornament

• The History Of Style As An Organism

• Music And Plastic: The Arts Of Form

• Popular And Esoteric Character

• Will To Power

• Impressionism

• The Morale Of Dawning Civilization

• The Great Style: The History Of Style As An Organism

• Pergamum And Bayreuth: The End Of Art

• Classical Behaviour Drama And Faustian Character Drama

• Every Culture Possesses Its Own Ethic

• Every Science Is Dependent Upon Religion

• Atheism

• Origin And Landscape: The Group Of The Higher Cultures

• Cities And Peoples

• Reformation

• Science, Puritanism

• The Second Religiousness

• The State

• Philosophy Of Politics

• Conclusion

The Hour of Decision (1934)

Banned by the Nazis, this book contains the quotation, “Socialism is nothing but the capitalism of the lower classes.”

Currently available in paperback, this book is also online, in translation, by White:

• The Hour Of Decision: Introduction

• The Hour Of Decision: Part One

• The Hour Of Decision: Part Two

• The Hour Of Decision: Part Three

• The Hour Of Decision: Part Four

Man and Technics: A Contribution to a Philosophy of Life

The English translation is currently available in paperback.

Prussianism And Socialism

White has published a complete English translation of this book.

Selected Essays

In June 2004, White published a new English translation of these essays:

• Selected Essays: Contents

• Selected Essays: Introduction

• Pessimism?

• On The German National Character

• Nietzsche And His Century

• The Two Faces Of Russia And Germany’s Eastern Problems

• Is World Peace Possible?

Works about Spengler and TDOTW

“Oswald Spengler’s Uneven Legacy” by Donald L. Stockton is a long overview of Spengler, The Decline of the West and its legacy, placing Spengler in the historical perspective.

“Oswald Spengler: An Introduction to his Life and Ideas” by Keith Stimely discusses Spengler’s life and work, with sections on the Spenglerian concepts of “high cultures” and the “organic” development of civilizations.

For further reference

Top Three Tearjerkers of Cinema

All of these are absolute classics! No spoilers.

(And all movies in this list have a culminating effect, the real sadness and heartbreak coming out in the final moments of the film)

1. Love Affair (1939)

   Stars Irene Dunne and Charles Boyer. Written by Mildred Cram and Leo McCarey, who was also the director. “The magic of a shipboard romance charms a Frenchman and American woman.” And another great reason to love the Empire State Building.

   (You can get it super-cheap now as a dual-feature DVD paired up with A Star Is Born)

2. The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter (1968)

   Stars Alan Arkin and Sondra Locke.

   Based on the classic novel by Carson McCullers, which she wrote at the age of twenty-three. It was reprinted a few years ago in Oprah’s book club.

3. An Affair to Remember (1957)

   A remake of Love Affair starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, and the Empire State Building 18 years later.

Tearjerker Shopping List

Want the ultimate Sad Movie Night? All are on DVD (and printed books).

An opposition to inferior change and cultural decay

Who to call

The National Trust for Historic Preservation

The Recent Past Preservation Network (mid-century modern, retro, vintage, googie, space age preservation)

In the business? Get the book: Preservation Yellow Pages: The Complete Information Source for Homeowners, Communities, and Professionals (published by the National Trust)

Also recommended: Historic Preservation for Professionals (a comprehensive full-systems approach)

Corporate Chains, Big Boxes, Franchises

“Fast Food Fascism” by Joyce Marcel shows how the corporate franchise chains are making everything ugly and bland

Design Preservation

HP is not just buildings and architecture … all manners of design are part of “cultural preservation” including the dumbing-down of logos and packaging and the doing-away with “outdated” or “old-fashioned” things for clearly inferior replacements.

Vivid example of the Bell logo’s descent from classic to bland [responsible parties?]

Ditto for the UPS logo: from classic (a famous design by Paul Rand) to unbelievably generic and bland.

Amigo.

Deceased.

Fantasy Island

Ricardo Montalbán achieved great fame as the suave Mr. Roarke of ABC television’s Fantasy Island. (1977-1984)
(Opening scene waterfalls filmed at Wailua Falls, Kauai, Hawaii [aerial closeup])

Role of secret Catholic mysticism [Wikipedia citation of Mr. Roarke’s forms of prayer and the Catholic Sacrament of Holy Matrimony used in episode “The Wedding” (season 3, the wedding of terminally ill Helena Marsh, played by Samantha Eggar)]

Then narrated and hosted Fatima, 1hr film documentary (1984) (Also appeared in Catholic Insight films of the 1960s)

“Keeping the Faith in Hollywood” (1999) [mp3]

IMDb page

[Obit] [more]
[1987 anecdote]
[son Victor’s comments]
[guestbook]