I Wish They Were Called That

Updated: Added a photo of Emmy.

I’ve just heard an elderly nun with a severely unfortunate overbite and one or two charming speech impediments discuss a 3400-year-old Egyptian relief using the word “ostrich-ologists.”

I constantly find my life enriched in unexpected ways.

(Incidentally, the nun is Sister Wendy Beckett. In Sister Wendy’s American Collection she visits six U.S. American art museums and spends each hour-long episode basically just appreciating the art out loud. She has a wonderfully impressionistic style, paying particular attention to interpreting the facial expressions of figures in the art. So far I’ve also found her a remarkably humane interpreter—when she deals with items for use, for example, like pitchers, cups, armor, or decorative rug-weights, she often takes time to consider how the use of those items affects their users, how specific artistic elements of the items can guide the users’ thoughts or alter their moods. She’s informed, intelligent, and seriously enthusiastic about art, and the program is a real delight.)

(Also incidentally, the mention of ostriches reminds me of the ostrich at the L.A. Zoo, whom Eric and I have named Emmy [real name, apparently: David]. Emmy’s fabulously glamorous, and truly loves the camera. She [real sex, presumably: male] will pose and preen for you and generally ham it up if you spend a little while at her enclosure.)