Indian Summer Research Articles

Paclobutrazol Substrate Drenches Control Growth of Nine Black-eyed Susan Cultivars

Our objective was to quantify the efficacy of paclobutrazol substrate drenches on growth of nine black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta) cultivars. Liners of ‘Autumn Colors’, ‘Cherokee Sunset’, ‘Cherry Brandy’, ‘Denver Daisy’, ‘Glowing’, ‘Happy’, ‘Indian Summer’, ‘Prairie Sun’, and ‘Sunny’ black-eyed Susan were transplanted into 6.5-inch-diameter plastic containers (2 qt) filled with a commercial soilless peat-based substrate. After 16 days, six single-plant replicates received a substrate drench of 5-fl-oz aliquots of solutions containing deionized water [0 mg·L−1 paclobutrazol (control)] or 2.5, 5, 10, or 20 mg·L−1 paclobutrazol (0, 0.375, 0.75, 1.5, and 3.0 mg/pot). Paclobutrazol drenches of 2.5 to 20 mg·L−1 significantly influenced plant height, plant diameter, growth index (GI), and shoot dry weight (SDW) of all black-eyed Susan cultivars, although the magnitude of response to paclobutrazol substrate drench concentration varied with cultivar. For most cultivars, GI, an integrated measurement of height and diameter, was suppressed as paclobutrazol substrate drench concentrations increased from 2.5 to 20 mg·L−1, resulting in plants that were 30% to 43% smaller than untreated plants. Increasing paclobutrazol substrate drench concentrations from 2.5 to 20 mg·L−1 limited SDW of each cultivar differently, although plants were 5% to 59% smaller at 20 mg·L−1 paclobutrazol than untreated plants. Time to flower for ‘Autumn Colors’, ‘Cherry Brandy’, ‘Happy’, ‘Indian Summer’, and ‘Prairie Sunset’ was unaffected by any paclobutrazol substrate drench concentration; however, concentrations of ≤10 mg·L−1 paclobutrazol are suggested for ‘Cherokee Sunset’, ‘Denver Daisy’, ‘Glowing’, and ‘Sunny’, as higher concentrations delay flowering. Our results indicate that growers can attain growth control with substrate drenches containing 5 to 10 mg·L−1 paclobutrazol during greenhouse black-eyed Susan production without delaying flowering.

Small RNA and Degradome Sequencing Reveal Roles of miRNAs in the Petal Color Fading of Malus Crabapple.

The Malus crabapple is an important woody ornamental plant. The fading of petals during its development significantly affects their ornamental value. Petal color is related to anthocyanin content and miRNAs play an important role in the post-transcriptional regulation of anthocyanin synthesis. However, the mechanisms underlying miRNA regulation of petal fading have rarely been studied. Transcriptome and small RNA sequencing of petals from the blooming phases of Malus. 'Indian Summer' varieties S1 (small bud), S2 (initial-flowering), and S3 (late-flowering) allowed us to identify 230 known miRNAs and 17 novel miRNAs, including 52 differentially expressed miRNAs which targeted 494 genes and formed 823 miRNA-target pairs. Based on the target gene annotation results, miRNA-target pairs were screened that may be involved in the fading process of Malus crabapple petals through three different pathways: anthocyanin synthesis, transport, and degradation, involving mcr-miR858-MYB1\MYB5 and mcr-miR396-McCHI inhibiting anthocyanin synthesis; mcr-miR167, mcr-miR390, mcr-miR535, and mcr-miR858 inhibiting anthocyanin transport from the cytoplasm to the vacuole by targeting ABC transporter genes (ABCB, ABCC, ABCD, and ABCG); and mcr-miR398 targeting the superoxide dismutase genes (CZSOD2 and CCS) to accelerate anthocyanin degradation. These findings offer a novel approach to understanding the mechanism of petal fading and serve as a reference for other plants with floral fading.

Gardening the Planet: Literature and the Reimagining of Human/Nature Relations for the Anthropocene

Gardening as an activity characterised by attentiveness to nature and willingness to adapt to and care for it, and the idea of gardening the planet are attracting growing interest in the context of debates on the Anthropocene. Garden writing exists in forms ranging from autobiographically framed essays describing plants and their care to prose fiction and even poetry. This article is concerned with its contribution to reimagining human/nature relations in a way which is particularly relevant in the Anthropocene: homo hortensis is a conception of humanity as an integral part of nature, dwelling actively in it and enhancing it rather than consuming or destroying it. Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s Julie or the New Heloise (1761) and Adalbert Stifter’s Indian Summer (1857–9) are examined as Early Anthropocene novels which anticipate through the gardens they depict aspects of Anthropocene thinking which find more explicit formulation in Michael Pollan’s work of nonfiction garden writing, Second Nature (1991).

Indian Summer at Sand Hill: The Revey and Richardson Families at the New Jersey Shore

This essay discusses the centuries-long history of Monmouth County’s Lenape-Delaware Revey clan and the Cherokee Richardson clan using historical records and photographs from Monmouth County and the States of New Jersey and New York – as well as from the Sand Hill Indian Historical Association and private family archives. Although much of the general public today persists in thinking that all Lenape have left the state, small communities continued to inhabit the northern shore area throughout the colonial period and to this day, as documented by land transactions, vital statistics, censuses, military records, and archival references. They intermarried with whites, other indigenous people, and African Americans, and contributed greatly to their communities. The story of the Sand Hill Indians of Monmouth County told in part here illuminates the historical interactions of Native American, European, and African cultures at the New Jersey shore and how those interconnected communities evolved over two centuries.

Reading Anna Frajlich's Latest Volume of Poetry

Reading Anna Frajlich's Latest Volume of Poetry

Coping with the 'Indian summer': unique nesting cycle and nest architecture of the paper wasp, Polistes wattii.

Polistes is one of the most widely distributed and extensively studied primitively eusocial wasps. Based on where they are found, there are two established nesting cycles in this genus. The temperate wasps follow an annual cycle with diapause in winter while the tropical wasps of South America can initiate nests any time of the year and do not hibernate. Additionally, some subtropical Polistes are known to form nest free aggregations during the cold, dry, unfavorable season. Although several species of Polistes wasps are found in India, our knowledge about their biology is pitifully small and is restricted to taxonomic reports. Here, we report the unique nesting cycle of Polistes wattii, a wasp abundantly found in north India and other Asian countries. P. wattii hibernates in winter as well as forms nest-free aggregations in the dry summer season and thus has a nesting cycle with two inactive periods, which no other Polistes is known to follow. The study site in North India experiences short, cold, snow-free winters, spring, a very dry early summer, and humid late summer with intermittent rain. We found that P. wattii here shows several unique adaptations to survive the long Indian summer where it shows two rounds of nest-founding in the same year, once as overwintered, solitary foundress in spring and once with multiple foundresses during summer. To meet the demands of expanding colony in late summer, P. wattii often adds multiple combs to their nest, which are architecturally different from the multiple comb nests reported from neotropical regions and strikingly different from all temperate Polistes who make only single comb nests. This study investigates the nesting biology and natural history of P. wattii to understand how they maximize survival and fitness.

Experimental evidences for the fallacy of the STR version in the physics textbooks

The article presents experimental proofs of falsity of the generally accepted version of the SRT studied in physics textbooks and truth of its alternative version. It is explained that the practical activity of radio engineers all over the world daily proves the principle of physical reality of imaginary numbers. Therefore, the postulate of not exceeding the speed of light was refuted actually even before the creation of SRT. And very complicated and expensive experiments OPERA and ICARUS in order to disprove this postulate of STR were not really necessary and are explained only by serious deficiencies in physics education, which ignores the need for knowledge of radio engineering. It is shown that if the generally accepted version of STR was true, then our world would be very different, because there would be no television, no mobile telephony, no radar, no GPS trackers, we would know neither the physical law of Ohm in Steinmetz interpretation, nor the physical phenomenon of resonance, we would hear neither bell ringing nor piano music, in nature there would be no tsunami, no 'Indian summer' and much more. Even children’s swing wouldn’t sway after being pushed by parents. Therefore, it is concluded that the sections of physics textbooks related to relativistic physics, astronomy and astrophysics require correction.

Fruit Qualities of Interspecific Hybrid and First Backcross Generations between Red Raspberry and Rubus parvifolius

Interspecific hybridization is useful in raspberry (Rubus idaeus L. ssp. idaeus) breeding to introgression of traits such as heat or cold tolerance, and excellent fruit qualities. Rubus L. wild species in Asia, including Rubus parvifolius L., have been attracting a great deal of attention as sources of new traits in breeding raspberry and blackberry (Rubus fruticosus Agg.). We previously developed and selected IPI-1 and IPI-3 first backcross (BC1) hybrids, [‘Indian Summer’ (R. idaeus ssp. idaeus) × R. parvifolius] × ‘Indian Summer’, as raspberry cultivars adapted to the warm climate in parts of Japan. In this study, we investigated the growth, morphological traits, and fruit qualities, such as sugar, organic acid, anthocyanins, and carotenoids, of each of these IPI lines over a 2-year period to discern their potential as commercial raspberry cultivars. IPI lines had the characteristic of primocane fruit with overflowing from side buds while the parent, IP-1 (‘Indian Summer’ × R. parvifolius), did not. IPI lines showed significantly lower values in anthocyanin content than red raspberry ‘Skeena’, while showing higher carotenoid contents. This study is the first research about fruit qualities such as anthocyanin and carotenoid content of BC1 hybrids using Japanese wild Rubus species.

Patterns of Anthropogenic Fire within the Midwestern Tallgrass Prairie 1673–1905: Evidence from Written Accounts

We conducted literature searches of records from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, and Wisconsin to create a source bibliography of wildland fire descriptions occurring between 1673 and 1905. A total of 795 landscape fire records were identified within or near the eastern tallgrass prairie–forest transition region, including 32 attributed to Native Americans, 194 to Europeans from spontaneous records in the nineteenth century, and 569 to Europeans from a systematic dataset collected during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in Minnesota. From these historical accounts, we find overwhelming evidence that a two- to three-week period during October and November, known then as “Indian summer,” was the primary wildland fire season. Our records indicate that Native Americans used fire primarily for hunting, whereas Euro-American fires were set to reduce fire hazards near their habitations, to eliminate crop residues, and to facilitate plowing, or they were escapes due to mere carelessness. Only five lightning-caused fires were identified. Individual fires frequently burned thousands of hectares, creating dense smoke, damaging trees, personal property, and occasionally burning inhabitants fatally. South and southwest were the most frequent wind directions during wildfires. Drought years, including 1796, 1819, 1856, and 1871, were characterized by extensive fires, which ultimately resulted in legislation to protect property owners and public welfare. Fire events for the study period are certainly underestimated by this dataset because only large, spectacular, threatening fires were recorded, especially during European settlement. In addition, our estimate of Native American fire frequency and prevalence is less than their historical/expected frequency, due to their widespread population collapse and changed hunting methods following contact and dispossession by Europeans.

Spatial and temporal variability of solar penetration depths in the Bay of Bengal and its impact on sea surface temperature (SST) during the summer monsoon

Abstract. Chlorophyll has long been known to influence air–sea gas exchange and CO2 drawdown. But chlorophyll also influences regional climate through its effect on solar radiation absorption and thus sea surface temperature (SST). In the Bay of Bengal, the effect of chlorophyll on SST has been demonstrated to have a significant impact on the Indian summer (southwest) monsoon. However, little is known about the drivers and impacts of chlorophyll variability in the Bay of Bengal during the southwest monsoon. Here we use observations of downwelling irradiance measured by an ocean glider and three profiling floats to determine the spatial and temporal variability of solar absorption across the southern Bay of Bengal during the 2016 summer monsoon. A two-band exponential solar absorption scheme is fitted to vertical profiles of photosynthetically active radiation to determine the effective scale depth of blue light. Scale depths of blue light are found to vary from 12 m during the highest (0.3–0.5 mg m−3) mixed-layer chlorophyll concentrations to over 25 m when the mixed-layer chlorophyll concentrations are below 0.1 mg m−3. The Southwest Monsoon Current and coastal regions of the Bay of Bengal are observed to have higher mixed-layer chlorophyll concentrations and shallower solar penetration depths than other regions of the southern Bay of Bengal. Substantial sub-daily variability in solar radiation absorption is observed, which highlights the importance of near-surface ocean processes in modulating mixed-layer chlorophyll. Simulations using a one-dimensional K-profile parameterization ocean mixed-layer model with observed surface forcing from July 2016 show that a 0.3 mg m−3 increase in chlorophyll concentration increases sea surface temperature by 0.35 ∘C in 1 month, with SST differences growing rapidly during calm and sunny conditions. This has the potential to influence monsoon rainfall around the Bay of Bengal and its intraseasonal variability.

Peter Wilson and Mark Dorrian in conversation

This is an edited transcript of a conversation held in Thurloe Sq, London, on 25 July 2020. Peter Wilson’s exhibition ‘Indian Summer and Thereafter’ had opened at Betts Project the previous evening...

Primal Images of a Peaceful Being: Tracing a Novel (Works by Alfonsas Nyka-Niliūnas and Adalbert Stifter)

The aim of the article is to examine the longing for a “peaceful being” identified in the works of the 20th-century Lithuanian writer Alfonsas Nyka-Niliūnas and to explore his literary sources. The focus is on the novel Der Nachsommer (1857) [Indian Summer] of the 19th-century Austrian writer Adalbert Stifter, which Nyka-Niliūnas constantly mentions in his diaries. The author of the article also introduces the most important observations by the German / Austrian literary critics about the novel on this subject. From a comparative point of view, the author elaborates on the aspects that are close to the worldview of both Stifter and Niliūnas. Finally, she talks about the history of reception of Stifter’s works mentioned in Niliūnas’s diaries.Stifter’s novel depicts a closed, calm, and „storm-free“ world deliberately created by an individual. In this respect, Niliūnas’s works depict a clear connection between the space of the childhood home and loved ones, providing a sense of security and the importance of consistency and daily monotony that ensures a sense of stability. The relationship with the reality of things in the writers’ works differs: Stifter experiences the positivist closeness to reality, whereas Niliūnas’s works are characterized by the sensory and ontological being.In terms of time, Niliūnas puts his own twist on a safe nest of existence. He perceives the change of the seasons and their turnover as a measure of the stability of existence. The poet stops / restores the flow of time by remembering and by layering the segments of time. In this way, the time revolving around the circle of nature, or the circle of memories ensures the sustainability of the personal world. Stifter’s “Rosenhaus” is an idyllic place where a person goes through a thorough process of self-education (the novel is considered a Bildungsroman).Niliūnas recognizes in Stifter’s novel the importance of selfdevelopment. In silent solitude, to set off purposefully to the worlds of art and philosophy had been poet's main frame of mind through his entire life. Like Stifter, Niliūnas uses intertextual substitutions and cultural plots. It is probable that with the outbreak of war in Europe and the collapse of stability, to Niliūnas, the connoisseur of books, Stifter’s novel was personally a very significant discovery, becoming one of the pillars of his worldview. The author of the article concludes that Niliūnas was affected by the conceptual layer of the Stifter’s novel—the revolving of the ontologically safe existence.

Regional features of intraseasonal temperature variability in the regions of Northern Eurasia with global climate change

Polymodal (bimodal) features of the probability density functions (PDFs) for long term series of surface air temperature anomalies in transitional (fall, spring) seasons are studied based on daily data from meteorological observations in various North Eurasian regions using a stochastic energy balance model. The observed PDFs are characterized by bimodality with the minimums laying near 0° C. Changes of weather regimes since the middle of 20th century until recent years are analyzed. The increase in probability of negative temperatures for both transitional seasons in the 21st century compared to the 20th century can be linked to global changes in atmosphere circulation patterns and, particularly, to intensification of cold air outbreaks occurrence in spring seasons. “Indian summer” (the effect of recurrent warming in fall seasons) phenomenon is stronger in the 20th century PDF, while the bimodality of PDF around 0° C can signify the nonlinear dependence of albedo on SAT.

Annuals and Herbaceous Perennials Tolerant or Resistant to Phytophthora Species in the Landscape1

Abstract Plants of one or two cultivars of 16 annuals and 14 herbaceous perennials were evaluated based on desirability and anecdotal evidence of resistance to Phytophthora root or crown rot. Six plant cultivars served as susceptible controls. Three landscape beds were established in North Carolina and each was infested with three species of Phytophthora: P. nicotianae, P. drechsleri, and P. tropicalis. Plants were regularly rated for disease incidence and symptomatic plants were assayed to determine the presence of Phytophthora species. Ten cultivars of annuals and seven cultivars of herbaceous perennials did not exhibit symptoms of Phytophthora root or crown rot or other disease throughout the season (June 4 to October 15, 2018). Phytophthora spp. were recovered from seven and six cultivars of the evaluated annuals and herbaceous perennials, respectively. Phytophthora nicotianae, P. drechsleri, or P. cryptogea were recovered from a susceptible host in each landscape bed. P. tropicalis was recovered from one plant cultivar evaluated. Phytophthora cryptogea was recovered from three plant cultivars, although this species was not intentionally introduced in the landscape beds. We identified 22 plant cultivars within 13 herbaceous plant species that grew vigorously in landscape beds infested with species of Phytophthora. Index words: bedding plants, disease resistance, herbaceous perennials, landscape plants, Phytophthora nicotianae, Phytophthora drechsleri, Phytophthora tropicalis. Species used in this study: yarrow (Achillea millefolium L. ‘Desert Eve Red'), fernleaf yarrow (Achillea filipendulina Lam. ‘Moonshine Yellow'), angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia Benth. ‘ArchAngel Pink', ‘Serenita White'), annual vinca (Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don ‘Cora Apricot', ‘Cora Strawberry', ‘Pacifica Raspberry'), celosia (Celosia argentea L. ‘New Look'), tickseed (Coreopsis auriculata L. ‘Nana', ‘Yellow Jethro Tull'), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench ‘Cheyenne Spirit', ‘PowWow Wild Berry'), blanket flower (Gaillardia x grandiflora Hort. ‘Goblin', ‘Mesa Bi-color'), Barberton daisy (Gerbera jamesonii Bolus ex Hooker f. ‘Crazy Daisy'), verbena (Glandularia canadensis ‘Homestead Purple'), >dusty miller (Jacobaea maritima (L.) Pelser & Meijden ‘Silver Dust'), New Guinea impatiens (Impatienshawkeri W.Bull ‘Hamony', ‘Sunpatiens Compact Orchid', ‘Sunpatiens Lilac'), sweet potato vine (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam. ‘Ace of Spades', ‘Bright Idea Tri-color'), West Indian lantana (Lantana camara L. ‘Miss Huff'), lantana (Lantana x hybrida ‘New Gold'), shasta daisy (Leucanthemum x superbum (Bergmans ex J.W. Ingram) Bergmans ex Kent. ‘Becky', ‘Snow Lady'), bee balm (Monarda didyma L. ‘Petite Delight', ‘Jacob Cline'), ornamental grass (Panicum virgatum L. ‘Rotstrahlbusch', ‘Shenandoah'), geranium (Pelargonium x hortorum L.H. Bailey (pro. sp.) ‘Bullseye Cherry', Calliope Dark Red'), calibrachoa (Petunia x calibrachoa ‘Super Cal'), petunia (Petunia x hybrida (Hooker) Vilmorin ‘Easy Wave Red', ‘Easy Wave White', ‘Wave Purple', ‘Yellow Madness', Violet Picotee'), annual phlox (Phlox drummondii Hook. ‘Intensia Red Hot', ‘Phlox Star'), garden phlox (Phlox paniculata L. ‘Amethyst True Gal'), black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta L. ‘Indian Summer', ‘Prairie Sun'), mealy blue sage (Salvia farinacea Benth. ‘Victoria Blue'), African marigold (Tagetes erecta L. ‘Inca Yellow', ‘Proud Yellow'), French marigold (Tagetes patula L. ‘Disco Mix', ‘Disco Yellow'), narrowleaf zinnia (Zinnia angustifolia Kunth. ‘Star Orange', ‘Star White'), Phytophthora nicotianae Breda de Haan, Phytophthora cryptogea Pethybr. and Laff, Phytophthora drechsleri Tucker, Phytophthora tropicalis Aragaki and J.Y. Uchida, zinnia (Zinnia elegans Jacq. ‘Magellan Orange').

A Great Yankee's Indian Summer: Did Lou Gehrig Experience a Temporary ALS Reversal While Playing in August 1938?

Nineteen thirty-eight was the last full season played by baseball slugger Lou Gehrig before amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) forced him to retire. He struggled to hit and field well for much of the season, and his final statistics -- a .295 batting average, 29 home runs, 114 runs batted in – were unusually low for him. But in mid-season, Gehrig enjoyed a streak in which he seemed to regain his previous power. This three-week stretch, not studied closely by neurologists or baseball historians until now, suggests that the “Iron Horse” may have experienced a temporary ALS reversal, which can be instructive for researchers and those coping with the disease.

Językowe oraz pozawerbalne wyróżniki XIX-wiecznego savoir-vivre’u i rozmów salonowych w opowiadaniu Stefanii Ulanowskiej Babie lato

The article discusses linguistic and non-verbal features of 19th-century savoir-ivre. Babie lato [Indian Summer] by Stefania Ulanowska (1839–?), the source text under scrutiny, is a 21-page short story, which has most probably never come out in print. There are four conversation situations in the text: 1) a symmetrical setup (the interlocutors have equal social status and comparable pragmatic rank), 2) a symmetrical setup with asymmetrical features, related to the conversation between a man and a woman, 3) a less distanced asymmetrical setup, where the participants of the conversation are the mother and children, 4) a full asymmetric setup, in which the mistress of the house addresses the maid. The short story moreover features non-verbal etiquette features, such as a man tipping over his hat when he sees a woman and a man kissing a woman’s hand. The characteristics of etiquette observed in Babie lato are a supplement to the deliberations on savoir-vivre in the 19th century and confirm the changes that took place at that time in terms of courtesy in comparison with the old Polish period. They are also a testimony to the old culture of the nobility, transferred to bourgeoisie houses.

Bollywood in Britain: Cinema, Brand, Discursive Complex by Lucia Kr�mer (review)

Reviewed by: Bollywood in Britain: Cinema, Brand, Discursive Complex by Lucia Krämer Kinga Földváry Lucia Krämer, Bollywood in Britain: Cinema, Brand, Discursive Complex. New York & London. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016. 296 pages, $130.00 hardback, $39.95 paperback $35.95 eBook. Public awareness of Bollywood, the world of popular Hindi cinema, has slowly but surely grown during the past few decades, and although this increase in recognition must clearly be seen as a global phenomenon, there are significant differences between the ways individual countries and social groups view this exciting universe. Lucia Krämer's thorough examination of the state of affairs in Britain is therefore not only an excellent addition to the already available academic writings on Bollywood, but it also offers a timely investigation into a previously unexplored aspect of this complex field. Even though Bollywood as a term has long become common currency both in popular and academic discourse, the author points out the considerable discrepancies among the diverse contemporary interpretations of the word. Interestingly, while the popular etymology of the term is well known ("Bombay + Hollywood"), the exact meaning of Bollywood is much less settled. It is sometimes used to encompass Indian cinema as a whole; at other times it is restricted to mainstream Hindi cinema produced in the Mumbai area. Some of these uses are neutral and non-judgmental, but the word is also frequently associated with a pejorative sense of spectacular lowbrow entertainment, lacking in artistic merit. Yet, as Krämer argues, the past decades have witnessed not only a broader global understanding of the heterogeneous nature of Indian cinema, but also considerable changes in Indian filmmaking as well, and this raised awareness begins to be reflected in the language of reviews, too. Since the volume is interested in the way Bollywood is perceived in Britain, it focuses on what Bollywood means for British audiences, and in what ways these meanings are created and disseminated in image and text, fiction and non-fiction, by amateur and professional reviewers and interpreters. Following its detailed discussion of the plethora of meanings associated with Bollywood, the volume goes on to look at the contemporary position of popular Indian cinema in Britain, relying on statistical evidence partly gathered by the author from a variety of target groups. As a result, the arguments presented are convincingly grounded in facts and figures, socio-demographic and industrial observations, rather than simply on hypothetical or metaphorical interpretations. Putting the Bollywood phenomenon in its socio-historical context, the author presents its changing themes and emphases on certain aspects of Indianness or the diasporic existence manifested in the cinema. Nonetheless, the film analyses that also form an inevitable part of the study, add similarly sound and thought-provoking aspects to the investigation. The book also sheds light on intertextual references between individual films, both Indian classics and contemporary diaspora narratives. One particularly praiseworthy feature is that these short summaries include not only the usual cinematographic details, but even more interestingly, translated excerpts from film lyrics and descriptions of their visual background ("song picturization") as well, which audiences often perceive as the most authentic, even compulsory Bollywood features. A detailed timeline illustrates how the 1990s brought about the first stage of Bollywood's visibility in Britain, followed by a Bollywood boom in the early 2000s, particularly the so-called "Indian Summer" in 2002, which gave way to a new, though more subtle and therefore less observable change in stylistic and structural elements of production and reception. Many of the films selected for in- depth analysis belong to the so-called diaspora films, thematising the concerns and anxieties inherent in diasporic existence, as seen from the viewpoints of both the mother country and the various groups of non-resident Indians. A central thematic element examined here is nostalgia, which the author also puts into theoretical perspective, before examining its textual and visual manifestations. Yet it is the second half of the volume where the endeavour moves into previously uncharted territory. Krämer undertakes more than just a handful of film analyses, and contextualises her argument by interpreting Bollywood as a brand, a label that points beyond individual works and [End Page 7] authors...

Never A Lovely So Real: The Life and Work of Nelson Algren

Never A Lovely So Real: The Life and Work of Nelson Algren

Funde in Schichten

Abstract A key passage in Adalbert Stifter’s Der Nachsommer (Indian Summer) tells of the discovery of an antique marble statue in Cumae, Italy. The account can be read as an archeological scene in which a pretext, Prosper Mérimée’s La Vénus d’Ille, is overwritten and inverted. Both texts were written by authors who were officially nominated inspectors of historical monuments; both reflect on archeological practices related to national heritage. While Mérimée’s novella satirizes a destructive practice of exposure, Stifter promotes a gentle form of excavation in order to restore an intact antiquity. The passage refers to a stratigraphic concept discussed in contemporary archeology which also characterizes the working method of the author himself: a writing in ‘layers’ of pretexts and subtexts that at the same time removes and stacks different levels of structure and meaning.

Biophysics of the Indian Summer: Reflections on the Relationship of Photosynthesis with Seasonal Temperature Variations

Biophysics of the Indian Summer: Reflections on the Relationship of Photosynthesis with Seasonal Temperature Variations