As head wallflower, here's my self-introduction:
I'm Don Crafton, chair of COTH since August 1997, replacing the
irreplaceable Mark Pilkinton (who is still here, of course, just not
chairing the department). My area of research is film history,
specifically early film (pre-1915), international silent cinema, Hollywood
in the 1940s, and animation. I've just finished a big (600-page) book on
Hollywood's conversion to sound (_The Talkies: American Cinema's
Transition to sound, 1926-1931_) which Scribner's will publish in December.
(That's Stephen King's new publisher--but they're paying me a lot less.)
In a nutshell, I graduated from Michigan in '69 (watch _The Big Chill_
again), got an M.A. in film at Iowa in 1970 and a Ph.D. from Yale in 1977.
I segued into teaching at Yale and started the Film Study Center there. In
1986 I went to UW-Madison and, in addition to teaching, ran the Wisconsin
Center for Film and Theater Research, a large archive of films, corporate
records and private papers.
This is an exciting time to be at ND. We're rethinking the structure of
courses and the COTH curriculum. (For one thing, it's obvious that Ted
Mandell has way too much time on his hands.) It even looks like the
long-anticipated Performing Arts Complex just might have its groundbreaking
in 1999. (Tom Barkes brought me a clipping announcing this great
event--dated 1948!)
I'm glad to be here.
>Now that we're up and running...a few bits of info and suggestions for the
>group.
>
>It's been great to hear from re-connected emailers, but
>please,please,please, take a moment and introduce yourself to the group.
>There are currently 90 or so alums on the group but I don't think many of
>you know who's who. So please give everyone a little background where you
>are and what you're up to. And I'd like to encourage faculty members to
>introduce yourselves as well. You guys are like wallflowers at an eighth
>grade dance (or Notre Dame SYR).....I feel like a bad chaperone....
>