a kick-ass red lipstick

“Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.”

—Gwyneth Paltrow, (b. 1972).

the snow’s incandescence

“Gleaming with the soft effulgence of a luminous dial, the snow’s incandescence, self-engendered, reached inward to probe the very soul of luxury and draw it forth through stone till it was visible. . . .”

—Jean Cocteau, from The Holy Terrors, translated from the French by Rosamond Lehmann, 1957.

the madness of art

“We work in the dark—we do what we can—we give what we have. Our doubt is our passion, and our passion is our task. The rest is the madness of art.”

—Henry James; quoted by Azar Nafisi in Reading Lolita in Tehran, 2003.

like fireflies

“Sometimes I get e-mail messages on my computer, like fireflies . . . from my former students, telling me about their lives and memories.”

—Azar Nafisi, from the epilogue of Reading Lolita in Tehran, 2003.

the voice of your eyes

“the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses”

—e.e. cummings, from somewhere i have never travelled; quoted by Azar Nafisi in Reading Lolita in Tehran, 2003.

Splashes of color

“I have the two photographs in front of me now. In the first there are seven women, standing against a white wall. They are, according to the law of the land, dressed in black robes and head scarves, covered except for the oval of their faces and their hands. In the second photograph the same group, in the same position, stands against the same wall. Only they have taken off their coverings. Splashes of color separate one from the next. Each has become distinct through the color and style of her clothes, the color and the length of her hair; not even the two who are still wearing their head scarves look the same.”

—Azar Nafisi, Reading Lolita in Tehran, 2003.

outrageous colors

“The Islamic Republic coarsened my taste in colors, Manna said, fingering the discarded leaves of her roses. I want to wear outrageous colors, like shocking pink or tomato red.”

—Azar Nafisi, Reading Lolita in Tehran, 2003.

an abyss

“Whoever fights monsters, should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look long into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.”

—Friedrich Nietzsche, quoted by Azar Nafisi in Reading Lolita in Tehran, 2003.

Colours change our emotions

“Colours change our emotions. . . . Room colours alter moods and can be adjusted using projection: coloured glass or plastic, or coloured light bulbs or overhead transparencies or electronic software. Red stimulates blood and is good for activity areas. Violet is good for sleep, calms the body and balances the mind. Blue lowers blood pressure and reduces stress, whereas green balances the body and is a spirit colour.”

—Colin Beard & John P. Wilson, Experiential Learning: A Best Practice Handbook for Educators and Trainers, second edition, 2006.

the White Room . . . [and] the Black Room

“The white room uses light and sound and is accompanied with white furniture and walls to create an environment that can help relax, calm and stimulate individuals. This therapeutic environment has a proven record with clients with various difficulties. . . . Imagine the White Room as a blank canvas where a colourful palette of lights are projected to give a stunning world of colour and imagery. Relaxing music gently plays in the background whilst the Vibro Acoustic Seat resonates deep bass sounds through the body. All these combine to provide a powerful sensory experience and valuable tool for carers and teachers.

The Black Room . . . helps with particular visual problems; brightly coloured items against a black surface are easier to identify because the black doesn’t reflect the light. . . . Ultra violet is . . . used extensively along with UV reactive equipment. Imagine the Black Room as a darkened theatre where occasionally a glowing hand held object appears as if by magic.”

—SpaceKraft, from their website, www.spacekraft.co.uk, 2005; quoted in Experiential Learning: A Best Practice Handbook for Educators and Trainers by Colin Beard & John P. Wilson, second edition, 2006.