film blog | Silent-ology

It’s been a long time since I’ve done one of these posts! Being that blustery time of the year when spring is just starting to seem like a possibility (at least where I live), in the spirit of the shifting seasons it it feels like a good time to share what Silent-ology’s been up to and what’s coming up next.

By “blustery” I mean it’s basically been this.

Recently I returned from attending the 29th Kansas Silent Film Festival with special guest Melissa Talmadge Cox–Buster Keaton’s granddaughter! It was a lovely event as usual with impeccable accompaniment by the likes of Ben Model and Jeff Rapsis, and the weather was excellent too (70 degrees in Kansas in February–my Minnesota self had a bit of mental whiplash!). The showing of The Wind (1928)–on film!–was a major highlight for me. Plus, if I might add another plug for the event, the whole thing was free–as always.

I’m in this picture!! (Towards the back…you’ll have to take my word for it.)

If you’re a regular reader you might recall that last year I mentioned wanting to do a book compilation of some of my Silent-ology posts. The real-but-maybe-not-100%-permanent-who-knows-really nature of the World Wide Web does make me wary. I’ve since put together a draft of what this book could be, choosing the articles/essays that would work best for various sections and revising them (some Internet-style writing simply doesn’t work in the context of a book). For a section on silent era personalities, for instance, my Clara Bow, Rudolph Valentino and Wallace Reid pieces would be included. I’d like to add a few brand-new essays too.

Other regular readers will recall my interest in the life and career of comedienne Louise Fazenda, a popular and reliable slapstick performer in her day who’s wildly overlooked nowadays. My latest work on Louise is the article “Louise Fazenda: The Forgotten Queen of Slapstick” for the latest issue of Comique: The Classic Comedy Magazine, Issue 3–available to read for free right here. Feel free to check it out!

And now for any new readers–hello and welcome! Silent-ology is my personal “dig” through silent film history, a dig that’s lasted over twelve years now. I cover a bit of everything from silent comedy to Soviet avant-garde to the history of stop-motion animation–whatever piques my interest, which is basically everything to do with this fascinating era of film. My “About” page is a nice little intro to the site, as well as the My Articles page. (Rumor has it that the page, err, really needs to be updated–but never underestimate the power of the Search box.) I host a Buster Keaton Blogathon every year and do the occasional theme month where I deep-dive into a film topic or personality (Mary Pickford Month, for instance).

My writing shows up elsewhere, too–I’ve written for organizations like the San Francisco Silent Film Festival and the Library of Congress, and have a monthly column at Classic Movie Hub. I also contributed to the book CHASE! A Tribute to the Keystone Cops. It’s a growing portfolio, I’m proud to say!

Not sure where to start on Silent-ology? If you’re looking to read about some specific films, here’s an eclectic collection for you:

There’s an awful lot of personalities to read about, too. How about getting acquainted with the following?

I also do book reviews, such as my recent piece on Ben Model’s The Silent Film Universe, and occasionally share commentary on current events such as the Great Fiasco of the 2022 Sight & Sound list, and why modern Hollywood could learn a thing or two from Mary Pickford. And now and then I dig up quirky items from very old film magazines that seem quite baffling out of context.

So yes, there’s a little something for everyone on Silent-ology! So settle in, do some browsing, and feel free to share your thoughts–the comment sections are always open!

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Recently my fellow film blogger nitrateglow nominated me for a Sunshine Award! If you haven’t heard of something like this before, these kinds of blogging awards are a fun way of connecting with other bloggers and helping spread awareness of their work. Thank you very much, my friend, I appreciate the shout out!