Re: hands up
Kim Cooney (jkonopak who-is-at ou.edu)
Sat, 14 Nov 1998 18:03:15 -0600
(The Left Rev) John Konopak is, in this present iteration, an assistant
professor of education at the University of Oklahoma. Formerly (as far
as he knows) he has been a journeyman, class-a (bridges, big buildings,
etc.), as well as an industrial and commercial remodel, carpenter; a
journalist-editor-columnist-critic-public relations/feature writer (once
indirectly employed by the Mafia of Washington State to help drive the
state out of the liquor retail business); a junior executive in a minor
mining/manufacturing concern (having begun sweeping floors and worked
his way up); a new and used-car salesperson; a radio announcer/deejay/
personality; a high school english/social studies teacher and (failed)
adult educator; and sundry odd jobber. One of his first paying jobs was
as a stage-crew member of the Santa Fe Opera, and he remembers standing
at a cocktail party behind Igor Stravinski who was playing piano
accompaniment to a tenor named George Shirley who was singing
"Summertime" while patting the butt of an attractive young man in the
chorus who was being unmercifully teased for it by an aggressively bi
mezzo soprano named Elaine something. It was the opening night party of
the American premiere of Alban Berg's "Lulu."
He has just returned from two weeks in Europe, where he was teaching
advanced program classes to US troops and dependents who were tryijng to
obtain a masters degree and prepare to rejoin the civilian economy, and
in reflection upon which he offers the following haiku, inspired by
f-15s in full array:
Sudden as thunder//their angularities wound//leaden skies: warbirds!
At the moment, he is interested in semiotics, teacher research, literary
theory, and electronically mediated communications, mostly all-together.
He wishes to express his pleasure in and enjoyment of the opportunity to
read and interpret and occasionally to participate in these discourses,
and to thank the many other participants here who have offered
particular advices and assurances.