Yes, that's a useful concept that needs its own word. Such a book that I want to read, but gave up trying to write, is a survey of mathematical techniques and disciplines, which would enable a lay reader to understand where each flavor of math came from and what it is (or was) useful for. I've kept my eyes open for such a book, with no success. I've read one good book treating calculus with that approach, but nothing that takes a broader look at the fields of math-you-don't-understand-yet.
On Nixon... Back in 1974, two composers I studied with at UC Santa Cruz organized an evening called "Hot Theater", where every work (mostly created for the occasion) was intended to be uncomfortable for the audience in some way, physically or emotionally. Something I worked on for the occasion without it coming together, was a musical dramatization of the life of an appealing college student, who played piano at parties. At the end, the final pose joyful of the performers would be echoed with a projection of a shot of Nixon receiving the nomination in 1972. The uncomfortable impact I hoped to make, by using real incidents from Nixon's biography, was that somebody you could identify with at your stage of life could turn into a monster like Nixon.
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Date: 2008-12-13 05:06 pm (UTC)On Nixon... Back in 1974, two composers I studied with at UC Santa Cruz organized an evening called "Hot Theater", where every work (mostly created for the occasion) was intended to be uncomfortable for the audience in some way, physically or emotionally. Something I worked on for the occasion without it coming together, was a musical dramatization of the life of an appealing college student, who played piano at parties. At the end, the final pose joyful of the performers would be echoed with a projection of a shot of Nixon receiving the nomination in 1972. The uncomfortable impact I hoped to make, by using real incidents from Nixon's biography, was that somebody you could identify with at your stage of life could turn into a monster like Nixon.