tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71503567584055974002024-03-18T19:57:25.989-04:00Glass Petal SmokeGleanings from the World of the SensesMichelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comBlogger247125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-33941217943186782682024-03-18T14:00:00.002-04:002024-03-18T14:03:17.613-04:00The Scent of Morphia and Confabulation
Stripped Cat by Léonard Tsuguharu Foujita (1924)Our story begins and nearly ends for a cat, introducing us to its peculiar owner and an unsavory trick he played on the feline with the express purpose of ending its life. Consider the following four points before engaging with the tale:№ 1: Cats. They’re an interesting subject because they’re cats. And they let you know it.№ 2: People. Always Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-15116956767253880592024-03-05T00:00:00.262-05:002024-03-05T15:15:53.674-05:00Reading This? You Might Be WEIRDUntitled Image by Joe Brainard (1942-1994)“If I’m as normal as I think I am, we’re all a bunch of weirdos.”—Joe Brainard, artist, poet and writer I finished reading a research paper that included children's evaluations of 17 hedonic scents. The authors, 28 in number, included the acronym "WEIRD" as a phenotype (an individual's observable traits) vs. a genotype (genetic constitution). If Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-54441430163652072692024-02-19T20:00:00.073-05:002024-02-21T14:34:23.832-05:00Myrrh Casati Perfume by Mona di Orio
How we relate to the smell of a perfume can change over time. I purchased Myrrh Casati by Mona di Orio in 2014. There was something about it I couldn't relate to, which is why it was relegated to the back shelf in a fragrance storage closet. After reading mixed fragrance reviews, the only tangible sentiment I had for the luxury perfume was buyer’s remorse. Ten years later, the Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-25732423376413980652024-01-05T00:57:00.007-05:002024-02-07T14:24:32.554-05:00A Taste of Poetry: Bread by Francis Ponge
Some poems (in this case, a prose poem about bread by Francis Ponge translated by C.K. Williams) deserve to be consumed with their subject as an immersive form of sensory indulgence.The scent, flavor and texture of bread is one of the best antidotes for winter blues. Heck, it's the antidote for just about anything provided you have a big hunk of butter, and a cup of coffee or tea to go along Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-76582805475672176362023-11-07T14:31:00.048-05:002023-11-09T14:24:54.216-05:00Dogs of Smell & Tell: An Interview with Stella the Terrier
The many moods of Stella the terrier as she sniffsa variety of fragrance blotters on March 4, 2020.Stella isn't a typical Smell & Tell fan. She walks on all fours, has a superior sense of smell, and is quite curious when encountering novel scents. Stella has an interesting habit. She likes to smell fragrance blotters her owner brings home from Smell & Tell. Her reactions vary, but Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-89348399789878187712023-10-18T14:30:00.043-04:002023-10-21T13:37:45.378-04:00Remembering Nubia Through Scent at Narrating Nubia (Thru Oct 27th) "Remembering Nubia Through Scent" supports the work of Dr. Yasmin Moll in the Narrating Nubia exhibition at theDuderstadt Gallery at the University of Michigan. Scent references in literature connect us to emotions and memories embodied in ourselves and fellow human beings. We extract smells from text without realizing it, locating internal experiences in the brain and sense Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-1106261010987819342023-10-02T00:32:00.015-04:002023-10-19T12:51:15.871-04:00Stink, Stank, Smellmatize (Eau Ferula)!Wheel of aromatic ferula resins or secret stink device?Teaching people how to evaluate the smell of an unknown material on a perfume blotter requires trust and a sense of adventure. This is true for novices and experienced attendees at Smell & Tell in Ann Arbor, which was highly evident at a recent AI-themed program.The sense of apprehension that’s experienced before blind smelling an odorantMichelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-36722702953241911422023-09-26T10:40:00.017-04:002023-10-09T15:02:53.129-04:00Smell and the Past: Noses, Archives and Narratives by William Tullett
December 31, 2023 marks the end of Odeuropa's research grant, which is focused on olfactory heritage. The scope of their work and what they're delivering for public consumption is a priceless foundation for future scholarship on tangible and intangible olfactory heritage. Dr. William Tullett is in charge of developing the Encyclopaedia of European Olfactory Heritage Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-90576545702330896432023-09-13T00:00:00.377-04:002023-10-02T08:21:59.738-04:00Smell Edition: | Issue 32 of Garland Magazine (2023 Sensorium Series)Craft offers a lingua franca between cultures. It sits outside the developmental narrative, which is mostly about catching up with the West. There is much to learn about the value of the object in different cultures as a way of sustaining meaning across time and space. Embedded in the object is the deep time necessary to master techniques for giving expression to the language of materials. As theMichelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-78306536421956431032023-09-11T16:19:00.011-04:002023-09-26T11:29:44.467-04:00Smell & Tell Event | AI, Machine Learning and Smells! Spock smells "the spores" and sees the future.Smell & Tell | AI, Machine Learning and Smells! Date: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 Time: 5:30PM-7:30PM Location: Ann Arbor District Library (Downtown) Address: 343 S 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Phone: 734-327-4200You really need to think like a Vulcan when it comes to prognostication and AI. The future is unknown and as Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-38936776104234310692023-09-09T14:15:00.022-04:002023-09-26T11:17:56.595-04:00Smell & Tell Event | Inside the Olfactory Mind of Steffen ArctanderMark your calendars! Steffen Arctander isthe focus of an upcoming Smell & Tell at the Ann Arbor District Library.Inside the Olfactory Mind of Steffen Arctander Date: Wednesday, October 18, 2023 Time: 5:30PM -7:30PM Location: Ann Arbor District Library (Downtown) Address: 343 S 5th Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 Phone: 734-327-4200Steffen Arctander was a renowned Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-44176775997845229172022-09-09T00:00:01.286-04:002023-08-09T13:48:18.414-04:00Birthday of Note: Steffen Arctander, Perfumer and Flavorist (September 9) Steffen Arctander was born in Denmark on September 9, 1919. He is best known as the author of Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, which was independently published in 1960. His birthday is the perfect time to reflect on his unique and atypical career. Arctander was one of the founders of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists of Denmark (Dansk Kosmetic-Kemisk Selskab) in 1955, Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-16205916624654220962022-03-07T16:35:00.016-05:002023-02-25T21:51:35.703-05:00Baking with Flavor: Spiced Rose Hamantaschen Bronx bakeries of my youth sold large, unruly hamantaschen. Eating them was a war between front teeth and a solid wall of dry cookie dough that cracked and crumbled with every bite. Elastic textures of apricot, prune and poppy seed filling offered little reward for the effort it took to get to the center of the triangular-shaped pastry. Taking a bite out of the holiday cookie eaten on Purim Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-65159559736516660872022-02-02T20:12:00.062-05:002023-03-01T22:24:04.407-05:00Scent in Film: Rebellion of the Flowers
Rebellion of the Flowers (1992, Millie Goldsholl) from Chicago Film Archives on Vimeo.Rebellion of the Flowers begins with the efforts of a farmer named Jan, who thoughtfully relates to working the land and growing a plot of flowers from seed. His relationship to the flowers is infused with spiritual reverence and humility, embracing the interdependent relationship between nature, the elements, Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-79532291711328247112021-08-30T23:45:00.003-04:002021-08-31T18:22:04.167-04:00The Time for Nose-on Learning is Now
Imagine starting a class by saying "If you have a compromised sense of smell as a result of COVID-19 there's hope. The smelling exercises taught at Smell & Tell are related to olfactory calisthenics used to recover the sense of smell." Talking about smell loss isn't off limits if smelling exercises are integral to your presentation. It's a teachable moment even if no one in the virtualMichelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-38589930982676584482021-03-07T16:30:00.041-05:002021-03-08T20:15:12.952-05:00The Incense Project and Lessons from Peruvian Myrrh Abundancia by Gerasimo Sosa Alache from Chulucanas, Piura Region, in Peru. Image by David Stanley on Flickr.I started The Incense Project during the March 2020 pandemic lockdown. Cataloging aromas of plant resins and related incense materials was something I'd always wanted to do, but the idea was quashed by work and everyday responsibilities. In the silence of the lockdown The Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-24075384093898648542021-02-17T00:45:00.045-05:002023-10-11T00:17:39.760-04:00Steffen Arctander: Fragrance Expert and Game Show Contestant
Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin by Steffen Arctander is the go-to source for flavor and fragrance descriptions related to natural materials. Arctander described his book as "a one-volume dictionary form of [a] practical handbook", but Arctander's book is more than that; it's a dictionary of smells that accounts for a posthumous cult following among perfumers, flavorists, chefs Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-62836501457849626172021-02-01T00:00:00.037-05:002021-02-01T17:30:07.468-05:00Love Potion No. 99: An Aphrodisiac Elixir for the SensesLove potion. The very notion tastes like alchemy, dry ice and witchery. The concept of food as a talisman isn't new, but when it's attached to love there seems to be an unending string of incarnations. Every act of coupling has a unique quality and whether or not it is intended, the potential for creating new life is written into the physical expression of affection. In that Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-81098799117790242142020-10-08T18:44:00.026-04:002020-12-02T14:48:41.759-05:00The Use of Frankincense in Aesop's FablesA handful of large frankincense tears from Oman by Michelle Krell Kydd
Aesop was an ancient Greek slave and storyteller who lived between 620 and 560 BC, so it isn't surprising that frankincense appears in two of his fables; “The Crow and Mercury” and “The Mole and His Mother." Incense is deeply embedded in ancient Greek scent culture. It's the difference in how the aromatic resin is used Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-33887110930234081832020-05-12T00:00:00.000-04:002020-05-12T00:30:25.528-04:00Baking with Flavor: Persian Orange Blossom Cookies
Persian Orange Blossom Cookies are one of Glass Petal Smoke's signature cookies. Food grade essential oil of neroli and orange zest infuse the pastry, which is accented by a flourish of apricot jam and a smattering of pistachio nuts. The result is an intoxicating pastry that delights the senses before, during and after baking.
The pastry base for Persian Orange Blossom Cookies Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-20771738178404231092020-05-05T22:14:00.002-04:002020-05-16T18:39:14.715-04:00Baking with Flavor: Recipe for Semolina Spice Cake
The crumb structure in Semolina Spice Cake resembles tiny interlaced flowers. Zoom into the image and see if you can find a few cakey flower heads. The center of the these crumbs looks like a circle of air—just like the flowers on the dessert plate.
Semolina cake soaked in sweet syrup tastes divine, but an equally delicious and less sugary alternative exists. A pastry base that Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-69011020605663334352020-04-18T18:18:00.003-04:002020-04-20T19:36:20.315-04:00COVID-19 & Smell Loss: The Case for Critical Thinking
Sniffing out the truth regarding smell loss requires critical thinking.
When we skim the surface of a news story we risk indifference to the facts. Goldman Sachs allegedly believes that a post-peak reduction in "loss of smell" inquiries on Google Search is "a positive sign for the pandemic" (language embedded in CNBC's hyperlink to the news story). Is this a fact, opinion or Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-1589352895430769812020-04-11T01:04:00.004-04:002020-04-15T00:05:23.747-04:00COVID-19 Chronicles: Grief, Camay and the Wailing Wall of Soap
Image of Rachel Krell ©Michelle Krell Kydd
I built a small wall of soap in the lower section of my linen closet after my mother died in 2017. It started with a few three-packs and eventually became the Wailing Wall of soap. It got started after I overheard a conversation between my sister and my cousin regarding our mothers' hoarding habits.
My aunt collected boxes of Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-8883868409308571052020-03-06T21:37:00.000-05:002020-05-09T15:25:33.266-04:00Sensibilia: Explorations in Arabic Poetry
April is Arab-American Heritage Month and National Poetry Month. Sensibilia is inspired by their confluence.
Ideas germinate in the furrows of imagination as the reader’s eyes encounter words in a poem. What if the smells, tastes, textures and sounds that infused the text came to life, and could be experienced as tangibly as text perceived by the human eye?
Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7150356758405597400.post-49411022933447419122020-02-29T22:42:00.001-05:002020-02-29T23:08:49.100-05:00A Leap of Faith on Leap Day: How to Evaluate Smells
The temple bell stops,
but the sound keeps coming
out of the flowers.
—Matsuo Bashō (1644—94)
For the past 29 days interesting patterns have appeared in double digit annotations for each day. Something new appears between 02 and 20 and today it ends with 022920, which also happens to be the hex code for a very dark cyan at 0.8% red, 16.1% green and 12.5% blue. Humans Michelle Krell Kyddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06159413353565564951noreply@blogger.com