Moving On From Ker-Chunk – Part 2

Me talking about Stuck Rubber Baby to graphic novel students earlier today at MCLA
So I presented a slideshow today to students in Dr. Annie Raskin’s Graphic Novel class at MCLA. I enjoyed meeting Dr. Raskin in person at last and her students couldn’t have been more courteous and attentive. The slide sequences flowed smoothly, and the only thing that went "Ker-Chunk" were our first fumbling efforts to coax my Apple PowerBook and the classroom’s PC-acclimated audio-visual set-up to make friends with each other. We thought we had taken every possible precaution to avoid technical glitches. Carl Villanovia of MCLA’s Media Center had invited me to the campus a week earlier so we could assure ourselves in advance that the projector would play well with my Mac. It had taken a little fiddling with connectors and clickers, not to mention the desktop PC sitting nearby that is customarily charged with telling the projector what to do with its light beams. But from all appearances, by the time I had left for home Carl and a few other individuals who chipped in with advice and suggestions had demonstrated beyond doubt that the set-up could proceed smoothly. All I would have to do when I returned to address the class would be to plug in a plug and turn things on. Nevertheless, our best-laid plans did today what best-laid plans are famous for doing. It was balking time in machine-land. Images on my laptop screen just sat there looking back at me instead of slithering along through cables and lenses onto the big screen on the wall behind me. A call went out to Carl to please return and reprise his magic from the week before. A few minutes later all was well, with my presentation’s beginning being only slightly delayed. Dr. Raskin’s students remained totally patient throughout and never once resorted to banging silverware again tin plates to express displeasure. I appreciated that. All went well once the curtain rose, the the only regrettable consequence of my late start was that no time was left at show’s end for me to field questions and exchange views with the students. I regretted that. Dr. Raskin says there may be an opportunity, however, for me to return to the class another day so that some real discussion can take place in response to my words and images — and, of course, the book itself. But I promised in my last blog entry to share what I learned from Arlen Schumer several years ago about how to leave my beloved but klunky Kodak slide projector in the dust and take my slideshow into a new and more satisfying realm. I will keep my promise — but tomorrow, not today. Blog entries shouldn’t go on and on and on any more than slideshows should.