Saturday, November 13, 2010

"Earth, receive an honoured guest"

Today remains Saturday, 13 November 2010.

Most esteemed Jean Le Corbeiller (1927-2010), with whom I had the greatest honour and good fortune to be student and scholar at the Seminar College of The New School for Social Research in New York City, has died.

I shall have more to say. For the moment, let Auden speak for me (from 1 September 1939):

Defenceless under the night
Our world in stupor lies;
Yet, dotted everywhere,
Ironic points of light
Flash out wherever the Just
Exchange their messages:
May I, composed like them
Of Eros and of dust,
Beleaguered by the same
Negation and despair,
Show an affirming flame.

3 Comments:

Anonymous sympathetic reader said...

I am truly sorry for your loss. Good teachers deserve special honor.

8:33 PM  
Anonymous Oseh Shalom said...

And ye shall bend and tell me that you love me,
And I shall sleep in peace until ye come to me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtxApGqGza8

This has always brought comfort to me in times of loss and grief. Its sheer simplicity and beauty are an inspiration. Hope it helps you, HH.

10:11 AM  
Blogger mark said...

I've heard about Jean le Corbeiller from every Seminar College student I've spoken to. Seems to have been a transformative teacher, a living bridge between the two cultures. Knowing Shakespeare sonnets by heart, intoning Bach during calculus classes, introducing students to his friend ASimov... I look forward to your further tribute.
Mark Larrimore

PS There's a guestbook for memories at http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/nytimes/guestbook.aspx?n=jean-le-corbeiller&pid=146594306&cid=full

9:26 PM  

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