eat light:

yeah, so i went to see "bodies...the exhibition" in downtown seattle yesterday. i was in there for over 3 hours, and i can't believe the sheer quantity of notes i generated--lots! unfortunately, they don't allow photography of any kind, so i had to write down, verbatim, all of the bits of textual apparatus i wanted to remember and to be able to quote. in addition, i jotted down descriptions of the various displays in the exhibit (especially the full-body specimens), making note of what they emphasized (and in a couple of cases what they left out); the mood, the lighting, etc. i also purchased one of their catalogs, because it has photographs of many of the specimens that were on display (and a few that weren't), and is arranged according to a similar logic as the exhibition. i wish it contained the same textual apparatus, but it doesn't appear to. obviously it has a lot more text than the exhibition itself, but i was hoping for some replication of the various placards and signs, etc.

i guess i should explain a little... the first chapter of my dissertation will focus partly on this exhibition, so i had to go see it, even though i have political reservations about it (i don't want to go into it here, but would happily explain via email if you'd like). i tried to get a press pass, but nobody would return my calls or emails, and i was worried about missing it, so...i shelled out the $26.50 for a ticket. (re: missing it--the exhibition is supposed to end on december 31st, but i have seen indications that they might be extending their seattle stay until april; nevertheless, i didn't want to risk being wrong about that.)