Jesus Christ and his apostles and prophets have repeatedly announced the "good news" or "gospel" that by coming to Christ, a person may be saved. The Father is the author of the gospel, but it is called the gospel of Jesus Christ because, in agreement with the Father's plan, Christ's Atonement makes the gospel operative in human lives. Christ's gospel is the only true gospel, and "there shall be no other name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent" (Mosiah 3:17; cf. Acts 4:12).
Even though Latter-day Saints use the term "gospel" in several ways, including traditional Christian usages, the Book of Mormon and other latter-day scriptures define it precisely as the way or means by which an individual can come to Christ. In all these scriptural passages, the gospel or doctrine of Christ teaches that salvation is available through his authorized servants to all who will (1) believe in Christ; (2) repent of their sins; (3) be baptized in water as a witness of their willingness to take his name upon them and keep his commandments; (4) receive the Holy Ghost by the laying-on of hands; and (5) endure to the end. All who obey these commandments and receive the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost and endure in faith, hope, and charity will be found guiltless at the last day and will enter into the kingdom of heaven (Alma 7:14-16, 24-25; Heb. 6:1-2).
THE PLAN OF SALVATION. President Brigham Young taught that the "Gospel of the Son of God that has been revealed is a plan or system of laws and ordinances, by strict obedience to which the people who inhabit this earth are assured that they may return again into the presence of the Father and the Son" (JD, 13:233). The gospel of Jesus Christ is a key part of the Plan of Salvation (or plan of redemption), which provides an opportunity for all people to obtain eternal life. Because of the Fall of Adam, which has passed upon all individuals by inheritance, all are subject to a physical death and a spiritual death (2 Ne. 9:4-12; D&C 29:39-45; 1 Cor. 15:12-22) and cannot save themselves. God, the loving Father of all spirits, has declared that it is his work and glory "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). For this purpose he provided a savior, Jesus Christ, who, because of his perfect love, his sinlessness, and his being the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh, was both willing and able to offer himself as a sacrifice for the sins of the world (John 3:16). Through his Atonement, Christ redeemed all men, women, and children unconditionally from the two deaths occasioned by the transgression of Adam and Eve, and will also redeem them from their own sins, if they accept and obey his gospel (Moses 6:62; D&C 20:17-25;76:40-53).
BASIC ELEMENTS. Modern revelations state that the Book of Mormon contains "the fulness of the gospel" (D&C 20:9;27:5;42:12). Of all the standard works, the Book of Mormon contains the most detailed exposition of the gospel. In three separate passages the basic elements of the gospel are explained by a prophet or by Jesus himself (2 Ne. 31:2-32:6; 3 Ne. 11:31-41;27:13-21). Each of these passages is framed by the affirmation that "this is my doctrine" or "this is my gospel." The revelations to the Prophet Joseph Smith confirm these Book of Mormon statements of the gospel in every detail (see D&C 18:17-23;19:29-31;20:25-29).
These core texts repeat the basic elements of the gospel message several times in slightly varied ways. Joseph Smith referred to them in abbreviated form as "the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel" (A of F 4).
1. Faith. LDS teaching emphasizes faith in Jesus Christ as the first principle of the gospel. The priority of faith is twofold. The individual who accepts the gospel must start with faith in Jesus Christ, believing in him and his power to save people from their sins. Without faith, no one would be strongly motivated to repent and to live the rest of the gospel principles. Faith is also fundamental to the other elements of the gospel in that each of them is dependent on acts of faith in important ways. In this sense, Nephi 1 compares living the gospel to entering a strait and narrow path that leads to eternal life. The gate by which one can enter this path is repentance and baptism. With the guidance of the Holy Ghost, one can follow the path, exercising faith and enduring to the end. Thus, faith in Jesus Christ is a link between what one does to enter the gate and what must be done thereafter. One cannot have entered the gate by repenting and making baptismal covenants "save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save" (2 Ne. 31:19). After starting on this strait and narrow path, one cannot reach salvation except by "press[ing] forward with a steadfastness [faith] in Christ…feasting upon the word of Christ" (2 Ne. 31:20), which includes those things that the Holy Ghost tells one to do (2 Ne. 32:3, 5).
2. Repentance. The centrality of faith is emphasized by the way the gospel is presented in the Book of Mormon, with faith usually mentioned in the center and the call to repentance at the first. Individuals must forsake their sins and offer up "a sacrifice…[of] a broken heart and a contrite spirit." This requires that the sinner come down into the depths of humility and become "as a little child" (3 Ne. 9:20-22).
3. Baptism. The gospel emphasizes the absolute need for baptism for those accountable and capable of sin. Like repentance, baptism is also a commandment, and candidates for salvation must be baptized in order to obey the commandment (see 2 Ne. 31:6-7).
This essential ordinance is a witness to the Father that the repentant individual has covenanted with God to keep his commandments and has taken upon himself or herself the name of Christ. Faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, and baptism are the gate by which one enters into the way that leads to eternal life (2 Ne. 31:13-15). Because infants are incapable of sin or of making such covenants, parents are instructed to prepare them for baptism by the time they reach eight years of age, the age of accountability established in revelation (D&C 68:25-28; see Infant Baptism).
4. The Holy Ghost. While water baptism symbolizes purification and rising from death to life, the actual cleansing or remission of sins comes by obedience, and as a gift from God "by fire and by the Holy Ghost" (2 Ne. 31:17; Matt. 3:11), by which the individual is born of God, having become a "new creature" (Mosiah 27:24-26; 1 Pet. 1:23). This spiritual experience is a witness from the Father and the Son that the sacrifice of the penitent has been accepted. After Jesus had taught the Nephites and they were baptized, "the Holy Ghost did fall upon them, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost and with fire" (3 Ne. 19:13; cf. Acts 2:4).
The gift of the Holy Ghost, administered by the laying on of hands by one having authority, includes the promise "If ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do" (2 Ne. 32:5). This gift is a constant companion by which the individual receives "the words of Christ" directly for guidance in his or her own life, in addition to inspired instruction from Church leaders (2 Ne. 32:3; see also John 14:26;16:13).
5. Endure to the End. "Enduring to the end" is the scriptural phrase describing the subsequent life of a member of Christ's church who has embraced the first principles of the gospel and has entered the gate that leads to eternal life. Once on this strait and narrow path, the member must press forward in faith, and continue in obedience to all the commandments of God. Faith is linked with hope and charity. Receiving a remission of sins generates a hope of salvation. This is more than a desire, and gives a feeling of assurance. Such hope grows continually brighter through the workings of the Holy Ghost if one is consistently obedient (Ether 12:4). Charity, the "pure love of Christ," is characteristic of those who obey the commandments (Moro. 7:3-4, 47). Such persons reflect to others the same kind of pure love that they experience from the Lord.
6. Salvation. In addition to receiving daily blessings, Jesus Christ promises that those who comply with all of the principles and ordinances will receive eternal life. As revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, salvation entails becoming an heir to the fulness of the Celestial Kingdom (D&C 76:50-70).
All LDS standard works contain clear statements of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C 10:63-70;11:9-24;19:29-32;20:37;33:10-13;39:6;68:25; Moses 5:14-15, 58;6:50-53). Latter-day Saints find the same concept in many New Testament passages (Matt. 3:11;24:13-14; Acts 2:38;19:4-6; Rom. 1:16), although frequently only a few of the six key elements are specifically mentioned in any one passage. This is also true of the Book of Mormon. For example, the promise "They that believe in him shall be saved" (2 Ne. 2:9) may be understood as a merism (an abbreviation of a formula retaining only the first and last elements) that implicitly invokes all six components even though they are not mentioned individually. Another merism states that believing in Jesus and enduring to the end is life eternal (2 Ne. 33:4; cf. v. 9).
OTHER MEANINGS. Although emphasis is placed on truths necessary for salvation, LDS usage of the term "gospel" is not confined to the scriptural definition. Latter-day Saints commonly refer to the entire body of their religious beliefs as "the gospel." By the broadest interpretation, all truth originating with God may be included within the gospel. President Joseph F. Smith said: In the theological sense, the gospel means more than just the tidings of good news, with accompanying joy to the souls of men, for it embraces every principle of eternal truth. There is no fundamental principle, or truth anywhere in the universe, that is not embraced in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and it is not confined to the simple first principles, such as faith in God, repentance from sin, baptism for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, although these are absolutely essential to salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of God [pp. 85-86].
Notwithstanding this wide range of meanings associated with the gospel, as President Smith explained, the saving truths encompassed by the first principles are indispensable and must be followed to obtain salvation. They are the central focus of the Church's teachings and practices. Latter-day Saints are under strict command to share the fundamental, first principles of the gospel with others so that all may have an equal chance to obtain salvation. Proselytizing efforts of individual members and full-time missionaries are intended to invite others to come to Christ through obedience to gospel principles and ordinances.
President Ezra Taft Benson has similarly explained that "the gospel can be viewed from two perspectives. In the broadest sense, the gospel embraces all truth, all light, all revealed knowledge to mankind. In a more restrictive sense the gospel means the doctrine of the Fall…[and] Atonement." Clarifying the restrictive sense, he explained: When the Savior referred to his gospel, He meant the…laws, covenants, and ordinances that men must comply with to work out their salvation. He meant faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance from all sin, baptism by immersion by a legal administrator for the remission of our sins, and the receipt of the gift of the Holy Ghost, and finally he meant that one should be valiant in his testimony of Jesus until the end of his days. This is the gospel Jesus preached [p. 30].
Those who die without hearing the gospel while in mortality will receive this opportunity in the spirit world. The necessary ordinances of baptism and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost will be performed on behalf of the dead by living members in Latter-day Saint temples. The deceased will decide for themselves whether to accept or reject the ordinances performed in their behalf (see Salvation of the Dead).
ETERNAL NATURE OF THE GOSPEL. Latter-day Saints believe that the gospel has always existed and will continue to exist throughout the eternities. The Prophet Joseph Smith said, "The great Jehovah contemplated the whole of the events connected with the earth, pertaining to the Plan of Salvation, before it rolled into existence, or ever "the morning stars sang together' for joy" (TPJS, p. 220). The eternal nature of the gospel was also emphasized by President John Taylor, who declared that "the gospel is a living, abiding, eternal, and unchangeable principle that has existed co-equal with God, and always will exist, while time and eternity endure, wherever it is developed and made manifest" (p. 88).
LDS scriptures explain that after the Lord had taught Adam and Eve the Plan of Salvation and the gospel (Moses 5:4-11), Adam was "caught away by the Spirit of the Lord" into the water where he was baptized. Following his baptism, the "Spirit of God descended upon him, and thus he was born of the Spirit" (Moses 6:48-68). In later describing this experience, Enoch explained that God called upon Adam with his own voice, teaching him the same gospel set out in other scriptures: If thou wilt turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, and believe, and repent of all thy transgressions, and be baptized, even in water, in the name of mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth, which is Jesus Christ, the only name which shall be given under heaven, whereby salvation shall come unto the children of men, ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost [Moses 6:52].
Latter-day scripture records that Adam and Eve taught their children the gospel, but that Satan came among them and persuaded some to love him more than God (Moses 5:13; see Devils). Thus it has been with the descendants of Adam and Eve, and in this situation, the Lord called upon people everywhere to believe in the Son and to repent of their sins that they might be saved. This gospel message was a "firm decree" sent forth "in the world, until the end thereof," and was preached from the beginning by angels, by the voice of God, and by the Holy Ghost (Moses 5:12-15, 58-59).
Latter-day Saints understand the history of the world in terms of periods of faithfulness and of apostasy. Although there have been many times when the gospel of Jesus Christ has been lost from the earth, it has repeatedly been restored through prophets sent to declare new dispensations of the gospel. The gospel has been given to successive generations and will maintain its efficacy forever. The restoration of the fulness of the gospel to Joseph Smith initiated the "last dispensation," or the dispensation of the fulness of times, and he was promised that the gospel will never again be taken from the earth. The gospel of Jesus Christ continues to be the only means given under heaven whereby men and women can come to their Savior and be saved, and is the standard against which all people will be judged (see Judgment Day, Final).
Gospel of Jesus Christ: Etymological Considerations for "Gospel"
The English word "gospel" is derived from the Old English godspel (god story). It was chosen by English translators of the New Testament as a translation of the Greek euaggelion (Latin, evangelium ) or "good news." The term is used in the New Testament principally to refer to the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, often referred to as the "gospel of Jesus Christ" (Mark 1:1) or the "gospel of the Kingdom of God" (Mark 1:14; Luke 8:1). The gospel or "good news" in the New Testament is the "glad tidings" to all that if they will come to Christ and keep his commandments, they will be saved (Matt. 7:21; Mark 16:15-16). Paul uses euaggelion more than other New Testament writers, adopting both noun and verb forms of the Greek term. The practice of referring to written accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus as "gospels" arose among Christians in the first century and was well established by the second.
Although latter-day scriptures give a more definite and formulaic concept of the gospel, their teaching is consistent with and enhanced by scholarly reflections on the possible etymologies of the New Testament term. Both Hebrew and Greek antecedents occur in verb and derivative noun forms, the primary sense referring to the delivery of messages, particularly good news-victory in battle being a common example. This is expanded in Isaiah by application to the herald who announces the return of exiles to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news of prosperity and deliverance and the kingship of Jehovah (Isaiah 52:7; see Friedrich, p. 708).
Ancient Greek usage of euaggelion included the ideas of liberation from enemies and deliverance from demonic powers. It can refer to oracular sayings, but more precisely to their fulfillment. This cluster of meanings made euaggelion an appropriate term for New Testament writers who understood the gospel as the means by which men can escape the evil powers of this world and as the fulfillment of ancient prophecies of a coming Messiah.
Religious usage of euaggelion before Christian times was common to the popular imperial cults in which the worship of Greek and Roman emperors was believed to bring wealth and power in various forms. When first used by Christians, this language must have been ironic, having the effect of forcing its hearers and readers to compare Caesar on his throne and Christ on the cross, and to make the corresponding choice between the universal pursuit of power and wealth (material benefits) in this world and the singular way of faith, repentance, and the Spirit taught by Jesus. This implicit comparison becomes explicit when three New Testament gospels report Jesus' instruction to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Mark 12:17; cf. Matt. 22:21 andLuke 20:25). Paul uses the same irony when he calls the gospel a mystery (see Friedrich, pp. 712, 723-25; Eph. 6:19). The disappointment of some with Jesus as Messiah was precisely that he was not the kind of savior worshiped in the cults of emperors.
The Book of Mormon uses the terms "gospel" and "doctrine" interchangeably, in a way that is consistent with New Testament usage, at least to the extent that both imply communications that can be reduced to verbal statements (see Doctrine). The New Testament term "doctrine" (didaskalia ) means "teaching" and refers either to the doctrine of Christ, or to the vain teachings of people or devils. Similarly, Book of Mormon writers use both "gospel" and "doctrine" to refer to a teaching that can be reduced to a set of statements or "points of…doctrine" (1 Ne. 15:14; Hel. 11:22).
Collins, Raymond F. "Gospel." Encyclopedia of Religion, Vol. 6, pp. 79-82. New York, 1987.
Friedrich, Gerhard. "Euaggelizomai, Euaggelion,…" In Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Gerhard Kittel, ed., Vol. 2, pp. 707-737. Grand Rapids, Mich., 1964.
Nibley, Hugh. "Prophets and Glad Tidings." In CWHN 3: 259-67.
Piper, O. A. "Gospel," In Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 2, pp. 442-48. Nashville, Tenn., 1962.
Roberts, B. H. The Gospel: An Exposition of Its First Principles and Man's Relationship to Deity. Salt Lake City, 1966.
Smith, Joseph F. GD, pp. 85-86, 95-106.
Talmage, James E. AF, pp. 52-170.
Taylor, John. Gospel Kingdom, Salt Lake City, 1964.
Yarn, David H., Jr. The Gospel: God, Man, and Truth. Salt Lake City, 1965.


Colour photograph of a traditional boat built by Donald MacIntyre, Gott, on the machair. He wasn't happy with it, saying that it didn't sit right in the water.
Colour photograph of Dr John Holliday (b. 1954), Tiree GP during 1988-2014, in the 'Ròs', a traditional dipping lug sail boat at the 1988 Tiree Regatta.
Colour photograph of a scene at Scarinish Harbour during the 1988 Regatta.


text:
Kim at SDCC 2018
I am happy to say that I am returning to San Diego Comic Con with the Thursday afternoon panel Splashing Ink on Museum Walls: "Do comics belong in museums? Lots of major art and cultural institutions seem to think so, with ambitious new shows and comic art museums springing up everywhere, including one spearheaded by Comic-Con itself. Artist/writer Emil Ferris (My Favorite Thing Is Monsters), Kim Munson (editor, From Comics to Frames: Comic Art in Museums), writer/editor and exhibition consultant Ann Nocenti, and SDCC museum director Adam Smith converse about the future of comics on display, moderated by Rob Salkowitz (Forbes, Full Bleed). http://sched.co/FQnu
SDCC, fp2f, exhibtions, comics, SDCC Museum, Rob Salkowitz, Emil Ferris, Marvel, MOPOP
Dwayne McDuffie on Black Panther, 1992
Prior to working on my current book project, From Panels to Frames: Comic Art in Museums, I wrote an essay about the founding of the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco by Malcolm Whyte. The essay also covered the first 10 years or so of the museum's exhibition history while Whyte was still directly involved with the museum and its choice of exhibits. In 1992, they did 3 fascinating and well-received exhibits back to back: Broad Humor: Art of Women Cartoonists, Black Ink: African-American Cartoonist Showcase (toured), and Visions of the Floating World (manga & anime).
After seeing the excellent Marvel film Black Panther this weekend, I was reminded of this essay Dwayne McDuffie (1962-2011) wrote for the Black Ink catalog about how much Black Panther meant to him. Here is the text of his essay:
"Our Heroes: African-American Artists and Images in the American Comic Book" by Dwayne McDuffie, originally published in the exhibition catalog Black Ink: African American Cartoonists Showcase, Cartoon Art Museum San Francisco, February 5 – May 16, 1992
Alan Thompkins interrupted my one-on-none backyard basketball game with some important news. "The Hulk is gonna fight Thor. It's supposed to be out already."
If Alan said so, it must be true. He knew more about comic books than anybody in the whole neighborhood. Even though my interest in the subject was a good less fanatical than Alan's, this was definitely worth checking out. Much of our rapidly-dwindling summer vacation had been spent in heated arguments over who would emerge victorious from such a contest. I was quite certain the Incredible Hulk would have no problem waxing a little guy who wore a cape and feathers in his hat. Alan, however, favored Thor, citing the Asgardian's mighty hammer and mystical control over the weather as decisive factors. Maybe so, but then, Alan also preferred Joe Frazier to Muhammad Ali.
In any case, the solution to our debate was suddenly at hand. Only one obstacle remained in our way. Lindsay Drugs, the "good comic store," was over three miles from my house and I was expressly forbidden from going there. I concocted a clever story to cover my illicit tracks, "I'm going over to Alan's, okay?"
Mom went for it.
Alan and I hopped on our bikes and made the long ride. It was 1973. We were both eleven years old.
We ran into the drug store and scanned the comic racks. The Hulk vs. Thor comic was nowhere to be found. We were greatly disappointed. Alan consoled himself with a bag of "Gold Rush" bubble gum. I had twenty cents burning a hole in my pocket and was determined to buy a comic book. I'm very glad I did.
The comic book was Jungle Action #7, featuring a superhero I'd never heard of called The Black Panther, but then, I'd never heard of the Black Panther political party either. And the irony of a black character being the lead in a book called Jungle Action escaped me completely. What didn't escape me was the powerful sense of dignity that the characters in this book possessed. I was instantly and hopelessly hooked.
It wasn't that The Black Panther was the first black character I'd seen in comics. Blacks had occasionally appeared in crowd scenes and as supporting characters long before (the Panther himself first appeared as a supporting character in The Fantastic Four). One black character even had his own book. Marvel's Luke Cage, Hero for Hire had been running for over a year when I first discovered the Panther. But I never connected with Cage, a super-strong "angry black man" who wore chains around his waist, didn't seem particularly bright, and spoke in a bizarre version of "street slang" that didn't even remotely resemble the speech of any black people I knew. Spider-Man made sense to me. Cage? I just couldn't relate.
In those days, when black people weren't busy being angry, they appeared either as faithful sidekicks, or worse, helpless victims who begged the white superheroes to rescue them. The Black Panther was nobody's sidekick and if there was any rescuing to do, he'd take care of it himself, thank you. Moreover, the Black Panther was king of a mythical African country where black people were visible in every position in society, soldier, doctor, philosopher, street sweeper, ambassador – suddenly everything was possible. In the space of 15 pages, black people moved from invisible to inevitable.
In 1972, there were very few black people involved in the creation of the black images that occasionally graced the pages of comic books. In those days we were dependant on white creators to represent us. As noted about, some of them did remarkably well. Most did not.
Today, the responsibility for African-American images lies with us. If there's any rescuing to do, we'll take care of it ourselves, thank you. As African-American artists enter the industry in ever-increasing numbers, our dependence on whites for how we are depicted diminishes accordingly. The relatively new phenomenon of creator-owned and self-published comics further consolidates our control over how we will be portrayed. Nor is our output limited merely to African-American images. We've demonstrated our ability to communicate artistically concerning the whole of human experience.
When I talk about "Our Heroes," I don't mean The Black Panther, Brotherman, and Deathlok. Our Heroes are the growing numbers of African-American comic book creators who, each in their own way, open our eyes to the multiplicity of the African-American experience.
Our Heroes appearing in the Black Ink exhibit include: [inset images: Gil Ashby (The Laziest Secretary in the World, Hellraiser); Reggie Byers (Robotech, Shuriken, Jam Quacky); Denys Cowan (Deathlok, Punisher: War Zone, Batman, The Question, Prince, The Spook); Michael Davis-Lawerence (ETC, The Freedom Project, Shado); Matt Baker (Hooks Devlin); Grass Green (The Devil You Say); Shepherd Hendrix (Mile Up, Swamp Thing); Seitu Hayden (Tales from the Heart, the Marion Berry Game); Roland Laird (MC Squared); Milton Knight (Slug 'n Ginger, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles); Turtel Onli (NOG, Future Funk); David, Guy, and Jason Sims (Brotherman); Dwayne Turner (Black Panther).]
The Black Ink exhibit barely skims the surface of the deep pool of African-American talent in the comic industry today. The artists who are included represent merely a small sampling of the staggering breadth and ability of African-American contributors to the form.
~ Dwayne McDuffie writes the adventures of the African-American superheroes Deathlok and Captain Marvel, as well as Double Dragon, Back to the Future, Damage Control, The Demon, and Ultra Man. In the fall of 1973, he and Alan finally got their hands on a copy of the Hulk vs. Thor comic book. It was a tie. ~
Black Ink also toured to the San Francisco International Airport (93), and to the International Museum of Cartoon Art in Florida (94). In the catalog, the title is Black Ink: Black Cartoonist Showcase, for the Florida show this was changed to Black Ink: African-American Cartoonist Showcase. I do not know which title SFO used. This catalog had no formal checklist. Artists included are: Ollie Harrington; Chester Commodore; Leslie Rodgers; Fred B. Watson; Bobby Thomas; E. Simms Campbell; Tom Feelings; Morrie Turner; Brumsic Brandon Jr.; Seitu Hayden; Yaounde Olu; Ray Billingsley; Steven Bentley; Robb Armstrong; Barbara Brandon; Hazel Henigan; Greg Harris; Darnell Towns; Rick Rogers; Jonathan Smith; Walt Carr; Len Bethel; Al Dree; Ron "Stozo" Edwards; Prof. I.B. Gitten' Downe; Edwina Owens; Pedro Bell; Overton Lloyd; Cortez McCoy; Gil Ashby; Reggie Byers; Denys Cowan; Michael Davis-Lawrence; Matt Baker; Grass Green; Shepherd Hendrix; Roland Laird; Elihu Bey; Milton Knight; Turtel Onli; David & Jason Sims; Dwayne Turner; Craig Rex Perry; Leo Sullivan; Louis Scarborough Jr.; Byron Vaughns; Leonard Robinson; Jackie Ormes (who had a special spotlight section).
exhibtions, Cartoon Art Museum, fp2f
Art Spiegelman's Co-Mix in Toronto
In support of my upcoming book From Panels to Frames: Comic Art in Museums, I'm posting some exhibition photos and checklists as additional reference material.
To flesh out my interview with Art Spiegelman, I've assembled photos I took of his retrospective exhibition Co-Mix at the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto) in January of 2015. I apologize for the quality of these shots, they were intended only to document the show. There is also a rough floor plan. They are posted in order as I walked through the galleries.
exhibtions, AGO, comics, underground comix, Art Spiegelman, fp2f
Carol Tyler's Pages & Progress
In my upcoming book, From Panels to Frames: Comics Art and Museums, I am including an interview with Carol Tyler about the very tactile, personal art installations she created based on her multi-Eisner nominated You'll Never Know graphic novel trilogy, and Soldier's Heart - the Campaign to Understand My WWII Veteran Father: a Daughter's Memoir (Fantagraphics), the 2015 book that collects them all together. Her quest to make sense of life's challenges and her family relationships (parents, husband, and daughter) is both intensely personal and universal for anyone that has ever tried to figure out a difficult relationship.
Here I am collecting Carol's video, exhibition photos, and other information about her exhibitions. Pages and Progress (video and slides below) was presented at the University of Cincinnati at DAAP Galleries, Meyers Gallery, February-March, 2016).
Many shows by artists known for comics have become "museumified," with everything perfectly framed and starkly presented in the Alfred Barr/Museum of Modern Art tradition. Tyler's installations are very different, distinctly apart from the antiseptic feeling of the white cube. Her graphic style, crammed with detail and drawn in a limited palette of warm tones, is reflected in the design of the exhibition. She invites us in to look at the flotsam of her life and art. Her down to Earth mid-western quality is reflected in a room of drawings fluttering gently on a clothesline, and a second gallery filled with objects like her father's woodworking tools, toys, memorabilia, and other props that Tyler crafted herself as signs of her process and emotional state.
In the photos below, you can see some of these handmade props, such as the "table of tears" (a table covered with glass fragments wet with "tears" from a tube feeder on the wall) and the "egometer" where Tyler's own face appears and disappears like a window shade. There are also self-portraits and thorn sculptures from a later show, Cincinnati Five.
In July 2018, Tyler has created 6 elegant mini-sculptures from the thorns of her honey locust tree and other materials from her farmhouse. If you are interested in purchasing one of these pieces, please contact her directly at cmxmakr@gmail.com.
exhibitions, books, Kim interview
fp2f, exhibtions, comics, Carol Tyler
"American Cartooning" Artist List
In support of my new book From Panels to Frames: Comics Art in Museums (coming out in 2018), I'm going to be posting some checklists and exhibition photos. The first of these is the artist list for the 1951 show American Cartooning, exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (NY) May 11 - June 10.
The show brochure includes a paragraph about the show's purpose: "This exhibition was planned, in cooperation with the National Cartoonists' Society, to illustrate the art of the American professional cartoonist in our time. Members of the Society, together with other cartoonists, were invited to submit several original drawings to a committee of selection composed of representatives of the Metropolitan Museum and the Society. Those drawings were chosen which, in the opinion of the committee, best represented each artist's work, and at the same time provided a broad picture of contemporary cartooning in this country."
I have not found many photos of this show. Here, for scholarly purposes only, is a clipping from the Colorado Springs (CO) Free Press, showing the Mondrian style grid display. Otto Soglow was the Chair of the NCS committee that organized the exhibit.
The NCS wanted to include at least one piece from all members who submitted work, plus some classics (such as McCay, Herriman) and a few drawings from the Met's collection. The drawings, over 200 of them, were displayed unframed, lined up in a grid inspired by Mondrian (a concept mentioned in NCS correspondence). The exhibit followed the nation-wide publicity the NCS received during the US Saving Bond Tour in 1949, a multi-city cross-country tour for the US Treasury Department that kicked off with NCS members sketching President Truman at the White House and included a touring exhibition on comics history that started at the Library of Congress.
The Met show was planned to run over the summer but was cut short by a large remodeling project at the museum. My book includes details of the many reviews, which were mixed (the NCS wanted a neutral representation of everyone's work and the critics wanted the Met's curators to take more of a hand in the selection), info about how this show came together, and its effect on future exhibitions of comic art.
Here are the 239 artists, in alphabetical order as published in the Met's brochure: Jay Allan; F. O. Alexander; Clarence C. Allen; Colin Allen; Carl Anderson; Alfred Andriola; Emidio (Mike) Angelo; Gus Arriola; Edd Ashe, Jr. - Mickey Bach; Ray W. Bailey; Perry Barlow; James D. Barstow; C.D. Batchelor; Frank H. Beck; Janice Berenstain; Stanley Berenstain; Walter Berndt; Michael Berry; Jame T. (Jim) Berryman; Jim Bettersworth; Charles B. Biro; Daniel Bishop; Wally Bishop; Merrill Blosser; Henry Boltinoff; Wayne D. Boring; Dave Breger; Morrie Brickman; Clare Briggs; Bo Brown; Ernie Bushmiller - Milton Caniff; Irwin Caplin; Al Capp; Mel Casson; Sam Cobean; Roland Rae Coe; Fred Cooper; Gibson M. (Gib) Crockett; Percy Crosby; Herbert E. Crowley; Matt Curzon; Otho Cushing - Gregory D'Alessio (NCS Secretary); Phil Davis; Chon Day' Abner Dean; Billy de Beck; William de la Torre; Harry Arthur Devlin; Anthony Louis (Tony) Di Preta; Walt Disney; Walt Ditzen; Ed Dodd; T. T. (Tad) Dorgan; Stephen Anthony Douglas; Daniel B. Dowling; Frances (Edwina) Dumm; Courtney Dunkel; Bob Dunn; Bill Dyer - Carl Ed; Gus Edson; L.G. Edwards; Will Eisner; Lee Elias; Frank Engli; Eric Ericson; Ray Stevens, Sr. - Jo Fisher; Dudley Fisher; Hammond E (Ham) Fisher; Daniel Robert Fitzpatrick; Don Flowers; Frank Fogarty; Vic Forsythe; Harold R. Foster; Gil Fox; Ving Fuller - Tom Gill; Frank Godwin; Reuben Lucius (Rube) Goldberg (Past President/NCS committee member); Ray Gotto; Chester Gould; Mel Graff; William Karr (Bill) Graham; Harold Gray; Milt Gross; Chad Grothkopf; Carl Grubert - Harry Hanan; Lou Hanlon; Fred Harman; Irwin Hasen; Jimmy Hatlo; George Herriman; Ned Hilton; Burne Hogarth; Bill Holman; Hugh M. Hutton - Jay Irving - Burris Jenkins, Jr.; Ferd Johnson; Roy B. Justus - Bob Kane; Al Kaufman; Jeff Keate; Reamer Keller; Ted Key; Frank O. King; Rollin Kirby; Ken Kling; Karl Kae Knecht; Clayton Knight; A. Kovarkey; Robert (Bob Kay) Kuwahara - Clyde Lamb; Fred Lasswell; George Lichty; Marty Links; Tom Little; Scott Long; Martin Lowenstein; Gustav Lundberg - H. A. Mac Gill; Stan Mac Govern; Bill Mac Lean; Neyer Mael; Gus Mager; Reg Manning; Jack Markow; Ernest Marquez; Charles E. (Cem) Martin; Fran Matera; Rex Maxon; Winsor McCay; Darrell McClure; Wilson McCoy; MC Cuthcheon; Elmer R. Messner; McGowan Miller; Tarpe Mills; R. B. Modell; Bob Montana; Edward MdDowell (Ed) Moore; John (Milt) Morris; Carl Louis Mortison; Zack Mosley; Willard Mullin - Fed Neher; John Norment; Paul Norris; Irving Novick - Robert Stanley (Bob) Oksner; F. Opper; R. F. Outcault; William Overgard; Frank Owen - Grover Page; Gladys Parker; David (Pascal) Pascolsca; Russell Patterson; Bill Pause; John Pierotti; Alfred John Plastino; Al Posen; T. E. Powers; Garrett Price - Connie Rasinski; Hal Rasmusson; Alex Raymond (NCS President); Gardner Rea; Rranciscc Xavier (FOXO) Reardon; Ed Reed; Paul Reinman; Laurence (Larry) Reynolds; Mischa Richter; Frank Robbins; Carl Rose; Hy Rosen; Michael J. (Mike) Roy; John Arthur Ruge; D. D. Russell; Rod Ruth - Jose Luis Slinas; William Sandeson; Leonard Sansone; Robert D. Scholnki; Lew Sayre Schwartz; Fred O. Seibel' Irma Selz; Claude Shafter; George Shellhase; Barbara Shermund; Vaughn Shoemaker; Erle B. Slack; Dorman H. Smith; George Smith; Otto Soglow (committe chair); Howard Spraber; AndrewSprague; John Spranger; Stanley Stamaty; Russell Stamm; Ralph Stein; Cliff Sterrett; J. Striebel; T. S. Sullivant; V. A. Svoboda; Swinnerton - Hilda Terry; Paul H. Terry; Barney Tobey; Buford Tune; Leslie Turner - Philip Albert (Flip) Uzanas - Charles A. Voight - Mort Walker; Dow Walling; Jerry Walter; Linda Walter; L. D. Warren; Coulton Waugh; Morris Weiss (Wes Morse); Peter Wells; Elmer Wexler; Bert Whitman; Frank H. Willard; J. R. Williams; Dick Wingert; Basil Wolverton; George Wunder - Richard Yardley; Chic Young - Bill Zaboly; Eugene (Zim) Zimmerman.
exhibtions, The Met, comics, fp2f, NCS
New Article: The Books and Exhibitions of Maurice Horn
Poster for 1967 exhibition, courtesy of Maurice Horn.
"How the French Kickstarted the Acceptance of Comics as Art in the US: the Books and Exhibitions of Maurice Horn" will be published in the Fall 2016 issue of the International Journal of Comic Art, and is currently available on Academia.edu.
Overview of the career of the French/American comics pioneer Maurice Horn. Discussion of the French interest in US comics, and the exhibitions Bande dessinée et figuration narrative (Paris 1967), AAARGH!: a Celebration of Comics (London 1970), and 75 Years of the Comics (NY 1971). Books discussed are A History of the Comic Strip (1968), World Encyclopedia of Comics (1976), Women in the Comics (1977), and several others. Includes a short history of American comics in France, and the 1960's groups, Club Bande Dessinée, and SOCERLID, that championed the idea of comics as "the ninth art" through their exhibitions and publications. Horn was a contributing member of these groups, moving on in the 1970's to edit an important string of comics reference books.
Article includes interviews with Maurice Horn, Rick Marschall, John Lent, Brian Walker, Denis Kitchen, Trina Robbins, Steve Leialoha, and Art Spiegelman.
exhibtions, France, Horn, IJOCA, comics
New Article on Malcolm Whyte and the founding of the Cartoon Art Museum
Catalog cover Zap to Zippy 1990
"A Collaborative Journey: Malcolm Whyte, Troubador Press, and the Cartoon Art Museum, San Francisco" will be published in the Fall issue of the International Journal of Comic Art, and is currently available on Academia.edu.
The longest running independent museum of comic art, the Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco, was forced out of its space in September 2015, and is still looking for a home. This is the story of the museum's founder, the author and publisher Malcolm Whyte. His amazing career began in the Navy when he and a partner started Troubador Press, which began with greeting cards and grew to high quality coloring books illustrated by Greg Irons, Larry Todd, and Edward Gorey, In the mid-80's he founded the Cartoon Art Museum, and was the director from the opening in 1988 through 1992. Key exhibitions and catalogs are discussed. Following this he moved back into publishing with the Cottage Classics books. These were illustrated by artists like S. Clay Wilson, Maxon Crumb and Spain Rodriquez. Often these publications were coordinated with exhibitions.
Art, Cartoon Art Museum, Whyte, exhibtions, comics, IJOCA, underground comix
Margaret Harrison Book at mima (UK)
Margaret Harrison. The Last Gaze. Oil on Canvas. 2013.
On Reflection: the Art of Margaret Harrison is now being sold in support of Margaret's retrospective exhibition at the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima) in the UK.
The book is also available on Amazon. Barnes & Noble, and to wholesale booksellers on Ingram (ISBN: Hardback: 9780996314503 | Softcover: 9780996314510). The book is an art historical analysis of the life and work of the British activist artist Margaret Harrison which includes an overview of trends & techniques in her work, her continuing use of the Captain America character, and in depth discussions about her prize-winning painting The Last Gaze, her family background & activism. Pages of exclusive photos! Scroll down to learn about Margaret's installation piece Common Reflections.
Harrison, exhibitions, art
exhibtions, Last Gaze, On Reflection, catalog, mima
Dual Views - SF Labor Landmarks at SFSU
Dual Views: Labor Landmarks of San Francisco, a project featuring the landscape photography of Wendy Crittenden & Tom Griscom, was on view at the SFSU library gallery 3/19 - 8/7 2015. The exhibition catalog is still available on Blurb & iTunes. Our related feature on Places Journal, The Fight for San Francisco, was selected by CityLab as one of the best articles about urban space of the week. Several SFSU classes viewed the exhibit, and we appreciate everyone's support. We'd like to thank Catherine Powell, Director of LARC and Nancy Arms Simon, SFSU's installer, for making the show look great.
We are actively looking for other venues to host this exhibit, please contact Kim if you know of a gallery that would be a good match.
exhibitions, art
exhibtions, labor, SFSU, catalog, Places Journal, Crittenden, Griscom

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Not that I've been idle. I've posted some new audio on the Listen page, including my most recent piece Bohemian Deconstruction, commissioned as part of the Polyartistry/Opera Australia collaboration Polyopera – a project designed to re-invent 3 classic operas from Opera Australia's 2011 mainstage season for the internet generation.
With a libretto put together by writer David Finnigan from lines and suggestions submitted via Twitter, it was a really interesting process – and a treat to work with artists from Opera Australia.
I was asked to write a feature article about my part in Bohemian Deconstruction for Resonate, the Australian Music Centre's online magazine. It was great to be able to write for them, as I was actually only admitted to associate artist status at the start of the year, which was good news and about time… I'd been putting off applying for representation for about 15 years! The AMC is the national service organisation dedicated to the promotion and support of new Australian music and the staff there – led by the indefatigable John Davis – have always been very supportive of me and my work, so it's been good to formalise the relationship and start to lodge my back-catalogue of pieces with them.
This and all other projects have been necessarily fitted in around my writing and production duties for the new MA album, which has finally been mixed and mastered and is awaiting release pending all the other stuff – cover art, videos, distribution agreements, licensing, etc which now fill my every waking moment. But the good news is that it sounds fantastic, I'm very pleased with the result and think it has legs… it's called Dance Until My Heart Breaks and quite frankly, I may!


text:
\section{Introduction}\label{superCartan geometry}
Since there are indications that horizons can meaningfully be assigned a thermodynamic entropy \cite{Bardeen:1973gs,Bekenstein:1973ur,Hawking:1975vcx}, the challenge is to explain it as the von Neumann-type entropy of a quantum description of the black hole. It has met with some measure of success in string theory (entropy of BPS black holes, for example \cite{Strominger:1996sh,Behrndt:1996jn}) and loop quantum gravity (entropy of isolated horizons, for example \cite{Smolin:1995vq,Rovelli:1996dv,Ashtekar:1997yu,Kaul:1998xv,Domagala:2004jt,Meissner:2004ju,Engle:2009vc,Agullo:2009eq}). Interestingly, the two approaches are very different in nature and the results concern disjoint families of black holes.
The purpose of this letter is to report on recent work \cite{Eder:2022gge} that starts to bridge this gap. The theory considered is $\mathcal{N}=1, D=4$ supergravity, on a manifold with a boundary with special boundary conditions. We calculate the entropy as the log of the size of the space of quantum states of a super Chern-Simons theory on the boundary, using analytic continuation from a compact real form, following \cite{Frodden:2012dq,Achour:2014eqa,Han:2014xna}. The Chern-Simons theory is constrained by the area of the boundary, and hence the entropy becomes area-dependent.
We find that
\begin{equation}
\label{eq:1}
    S=\frac{a_H}{4l_p^2}+\mathcal{O}(\sqrt{a_H}/l_p)
\end{equation}
where $a_H$ is the diffeomorphism and gauge invariant measure of area\footnote{Bosonic area is not an observable since it is not gauge invariant. However, in a gauge in which the superelectric field has vanishing odd components, super area and bosonic area would agree.} in the supergeometric setting.

We are using variables that were first proposed in \cite{Fulop:1993wi} and whose geometric meaning was recently clarified in \cite{Eder:2020erq,Eder:2021rgt,Eder:2022}. A super Chern-Simons theory as a source of entropy was first considered in \cite{Smolin:1995vq}. Supergravity with loop quantum gravity methods has also been considered in \cite{Ling:1999gn}, and using different variables in \cite{Bodendorfer:2011hs,Bodendorfer:2011pb,Bodendorfer:2011pc}. Our treatment follows \cite{Fulop:1993wi,Smolin:1995vq,Ling:1999gn,Gambini:1995db} in keeping supersymmetry manifest, but it goes further by making use of a detailed geometric analysis of the super Ashtekar connection and corresponding boundary conditions. It is also the first that is based on a detailed state counting in super Chern-Simons theory, as far as we know. Moreover, this is the first time that the Bekenstein-Hawking area law is derived and verified within the supersymmetric setting.

The quantum theory is obtained from a canonical formulation in terms of a supersymmetric generalization \cite{Fulop:1993wi,Eder:2020erq,Eder:2021rgt,Eder:2022} of the (chiral) Ashtekar connection $\mathcal{A}^+$ which can be obtained from a Holst modification of the McDowell Mansouri action \cite{Eder:2021rgt,Eder:2022}. The structure group in this formulation is $\Osp{1}{2}$.
We consider this theory in the presence of a causal boundary of spacetime playing the role of the horizon.The requirement of local supersymmetry also on the boundary \emph{uniquely} fixes a supersymmetric boundary term that is given by an $\Osp{1}{2}$ Chern-Simons theory and boundary conditions
\begin{equation}
    \underset{\raisebox{1pt}{$\Leftarrow$}}{F(\mathcal{A}^{+})}\propto \underset{\raisebox{1pt}{$\Leftarrow$}}{\mathcal{E}}
\end{equation}
linking curvature and super-electric field on the boundary. As in the non-supersymmetric case \cite{Ashtekar:1997yu}, the idea is to quantize bulk and boundary separately and couple them via the boundary condition. Field excitations in the bulk then couple to Chern-Simons defects in the boundary theory. Important elements of the bulk quantum theory (in fact, for $\mathcal{N}=1$ and $2$)
including the definition of the graded holonomy-flux algebra, supersymmetric generalizations of spin networks, and the supersymmetric area operator can be defined \cite{Eder:2022gge}. $\Osp{1}{2}$ is non-compact, leading to various technical problems. We therefore start from the Chern-Simons theory of a compact real form of this group, $\UOsp{1}{2}$ and use analytical continuation in the corresponding Verlinde-type formula that is counting its states, following and generalizing \cite{Frodden:2012dq,Achour:2014eqa}.

We note that the present calculation is different from the string theory one in some respects.
It applies to a large class of surfaces that carry local supersymmetry, whereas in string theory a more restrictive class of surfaces corresponding to BPS black holes is considered. Fermionic degrees of freedom
are taken directly into account in the present calculation, whereas they play no direct role in the string theory calculation.

\section{The Holst-MacDowell-Mansouri action and chiral supergravity}\label{sec:Review}
We use the Cartan geometric description of pure AdS Holst-supergravity with $\mathcal{N}$-extended supersymmetry with $\mathcal{N}=1,2$. Details are in \cite{Eder:2022,Eder:2021rgt,Eder:2020erq} (see also \cite{Andrianopoli:2014aqa,Andrianopoli:2020zbl} using standard variables).\\
Pure AdS (Holst-)supergravity can be described in terms of a super Cartan geometry modeled on the super Klein geometry $(\mathrm{OSp}(\mathcal{N}|4),\mathrm{Spin}^+(1,3)\times\mathrm{SO}(\mathcal{N}))$ with super Cartan connection
\begin{equation}
\mathcal{A}=e^IP_I+\frac{1}{2}\omega^{IJ}M_{IJ}+\frac{1}{2}\hat{A}_{rs}T^{rs}+\Psi_r^{\alpha}Q_{\alpha}^r
\label{D.eq:5.1.0}
\end{equation}
This connection can be used in order to formulate a Yang-Mills-type action principle for Holst-supergravity. One introduces a $\beta$-deformed inner product $\braket{\cdot\wedge\cdot}_{\beta}$ on $\mathfrak{g}\equiv\mathfrak{osp}(\mathcal{N}|4)$-valued differential forms on the underlying spacetime manifold $M$ with $\beta$ the Barbero-Immirzi parameter obtained via contraction of the $\mathrm{Ad}$-invariant supertrace with a $\beta$-dependent operator $\mathbf{P}_{\beta}$ on $\Omega^2(M,\mathfrak{g})$ (the precise form of this operator does not matter in what follows; for more details see \cite{Eder:2022,Eder:2021rgt}). Using this inner product, the Holst-MacDowell-Mansouri action of $\mathcal{N}$-extended pure Ads Holst-supergravity takes the form
\begin{equation}
S^{\beta}_{\text{H-MM}}(\mathcal{A})=\frac{L^2}{\kappa}\int_{M}{\braket{F(\mathcal{A})\wedge F(\mathcal{A})}_{\beta}}
\label{D.eq:6.4}
\end{equation}
with $F(\mathcal{A})$ the Cartan curvature of $\mathcal{A}$.

In the chiral limit of the theory corresponding to an imaginary $\beta=-i$, the action \eqref{D.eq:6.4} becomes manifestly invariant under an enlarged $\mathrm{Osp}(\mathcal{N}|2)_{\mathbb{C}}$-gauge symmetry: The operator $\mathbf{P}_{-i}$ decomposes as $\mathbf{P}_{-i}=\tilde{\mathbf{P}}_{-i}\circ\mathbf{P}^{\mathfrak{osp}(\mathcal{N}|2)}$ with $\mathbf{P}^{\mathfrak{osp}(\mathcal{N}|2)}:\,\mathfrak{osp}(\mathcal{N}|4)\rightarrow\mathfrak{osp}(\mathcal{N}|2)_{\mathbb{C}}$ the projection operator onto the (complexified) chiral sub superalgebra $\mathfrak{osp}(\mathcal{N}|2)_{\mathbb{C}}$ of $\mathfrak{g}$. Applying this projection operator on the super Cartan connection \eqref{D.eq:5.1.0} this yields the super Asthekar connection
\begin{equation}
\mathcal{A}^{+}:=\mathbf{P}^{\mathfrak{osp}(\mathcal{N}|2)}\mathcal{A}=A^{+ i}T_i^{+}+\frac{1}{2}\hat{A}_{rs}T^{rs}+\psi^A_r Q_A^r
\label{D.eq:SuperAshtekarGeneral}
\end{equation}
In the chiral limit, the action becomes
\begin{align}
S^{\beta=-i}_{\text{H-MM}}(\mathcal{A})=\frac{i}{\kappa}\int_{M}{\left(\braket{F(\mathcal{A^+})\wedge\mathcal{E}}+\frac{1}{4L^2}\braket{\mathcal{E}\wedge\mathcal{E}}\right)}+S_{\text{bdy}}
\label{D.eq:7.8}
\end{align}
with $\mathcal{E}$ the super electric field canonically conjugate to the super Asthekar connection $\mathcal{A}^+$ and transforming under the Adjoint representation of $\mathrm{OSp}(\mathcal{N}|2)_{\mathbb{C}}$. $L$ is related to the cosmological constant, $L^2=-3/\Lambda_\text{cos}$.
The boundary action is given by
\begin{equation}
S_{\text{bdy}}(\mathcal{A}^+)\!=\!\frac{k}{4\pi}\!\int_{H}{\braket{\mathcal{A}^+\wedge\mathrm{d}\mathcal{A}^+\!\!+\frac{1}{3}\mathcal{A}^+\!\wedge[\mathcal{A}^+\!\wedge\mathcal{A}^+]}}
\label{D.eq:7.12}
\end{equation}
i.e., the action of a $\mathrm{OSp}(\mathcal{N}|2)_{\mathbb{C}}$ super Chern-Simons theory with (complex) Chern-Simons level $k=i4\pi L^2/\kappa=-i12\pi/\kappa\Lambda_{\text{cos}}$. As discussed in detail in \cite{Eder:2022,Eder:2021rgt}, this boundary action arising from \eqref{D.eq:6.4} in the chiral limit is unique if one imposes supersymmetry invariance at the boundary (see also \cite{Andrianopoli:2014aqa,Andrianopoli:2020zbl}).

The decomposition of \eqref{D.eq:7.8} into a bulk and boundary action leads to an additional boundary condition coupling bulk and boundary degrees of freedom in order to ensure consistency with the equations of motion of the full theory,
\begin{equation}
    \underset{\raisebox{1pt}{$\Longleftarrow$}}{F(\mathcal{A}^{+})}=-\frac{1}{2L^2}\underset{\raisebox{1pt}{$\Leftarrow$}}{\mathcal{E}}
    \label{D.eq:4.11.2}
\end{equation}
where the arrow denotes the pullback of the respective fields to the boundary.

\section{Quantum theory}
Since the phase space of AdS Holst-supergravity turns out to be a graded generalization of the purely bosonic theory, we quantize the theory adapting and generalizing tools from standard LQG. For more details, see \cite{Eder:2022}.

\subsection{Super spin networks and the super area operator}\label{Section:chSUGRA-superspin}

In standard LQG, for the construction of the bulk Hilbert space $\mathfrak{H}^{\mathrm{bulk}}_{\gamma}$ associated to a graph $\gamma$ embedded in the spatial slices $\Sigma$ of the spacetime manifold $M=\mathbb{R}\times\Sigma$, one considers spin network states, a class of states invariant under local gauge transformations. They are constructed via contraction of matrix coefficients of irreducible representations of the underlying gauge group.

For this it is crucial that the representations under consideration form a tensor category. Finite-dimensional irreducible representations of the orthosymplectic series $\mathrm{OSp}(\mathcal{N}|2)$ for $\mathcal{N}=1,2$ have been intensively studied (see e.g. \cite{Scheunert:1976wj,Scheunert:1976wi,Minnaert:1990sz,Berezin:1981}. For the case $\mathcal{N}=1$, these representations form a subcategory closed under the tensor product. The corresponding spin network states
have been studied for instance in \cite{Gambini:1995db,Ling:1999gn}.
For the case $\mathcal{N}=2$ the subclass of \emph{typical representations} form such a category (see \cite{Scheunert:1976wj}).

We now describe the construction of the super spin network states for a suitable subclass $\EuScript{P}_{\mathrm{adm}}$ of irreducible representations (finite- or infinite-dimensional, possibly including those constructed in \cite{Eder:2022gge}) of $\mathrm{OSp}(\mathcal{N}|2)$ with $\mathcal{N}=1,2$. For any subset $\Vec{\pi}:=\{\pi_{e}\}_{e\in E(\gamma)}\subset\EuScript{P}_{\mathrm{adm}}$, we define the cylindrical function $T_{\gamma,\Vec{\pi},\Vec{m},\Vec{n}}$ via
\begin{equation}
    T_{\gamma,\Vec{\pi},\Vec{m},\Vec{n}}[\mathcal{A}^+]:=\prod_{e\in E(\gamma)}\tensor{\pi_e(h_e[\mathcal{A}^+])}{^{m_e}_{n_e}}
    \label{DH.eq:3.18}
\end{equation}
where, for any edge $e\in E(\gamma)$, $h_e[\mathcal{A}^+]$ denotes the super holonomy (parallel transport) of the connection $\mathcal{A}^+$ along $e$ (see \cite{Eder:2022,Eder:2021ans}) and $\tensor{(\pi_e)}{^{m_e}_{n_e}}$ denote certain matrix coefficients of the representation $\pi_e\in\EuScript{P}_{\mathrm{adm}}$. In order to get a gauge invariant state, at each vertex $v\in V(\gamma)$ of the graph $\gamma$, we have to contract \eqref{DH.eq:3.18} with an intertwiner $I_v$ projecting onto the trivial representation at any vertex. As a result, the so-constructed state transforms trivially under local gauge transformations and thus indeed forms a gauge-invariant state which we call a \emph{(gauge-invariant) super spin network state}. We take these states as a basis of the state space of the bulk theory. We assume that an inner product can be found that turns this space into a super Hilbert space $\mathfrak{H}^{\mathrm{bulk}}_{\gamma}$.

On the space of super spin networks, one can introduce a gauge-invariant operator in analogy to the area operator in ordinary LQG. More precisely, since the super electric field $\mathcal{E}$ defines a $\mathfrak{g}$-valued 2-form, for any oriented (semianalytic) surface $S$ embedded in $\Sigma$, one can define the \emph{graded} or \emph{super area} $\mathrm{gAr}(S)$ via
\begin{equation}
\mathrm{gAr}(S):=\sqrt{2}\int_{S}{\sqrt{\braket{\mathcal{E}_S,\mathcal{E}_S}}}
\label{Chapter5:area1}
\end{equation}
where, in analogy to \cite{Eder:2018uzm,Corichi:2000dm,Ashtekar:2000hw}, $\mathcal{E}_S$ is defined as the unique $\mathfrak{g}$-valued function on $S$ such that $\iota^*_S\mathcal{E}=\mathcal{E}_S\,\mathrm{vol}_S$. For  the special case $\mathcal{N}=1$, the expression \eqref{Chapter5:area1} coincides with the super area as considered in \cite{Ling:1999gn}. Here, the prefactor $\sqrt{2}$ has been chosen such that in the case of vanishing fermionic degrees of freedom, the super area reduces to the standard area of $S$ in ordinary Riemannian geometry.

By definition, the quantity \eqref{Chapter5:area1} solely depends on the super electric field which defines a phase space variable. Thus, we can implement it in the quantum theory (see \cite{Eder:2022gge} for more details). As a result, for $\mathcal{N}=1$, it follows for instance in the case that the surface $S$ intersects the graph $\gamma$ of a (gauge-invariant) super spin network state $T_{\gamma,\Vec{\pi},\Vec{m},\Vec{n}}$ labeled by super spin quantum numbers $j\in\mathbb{C}$ corresponding to the principal series representations of $\mathrm{OSp}(1|2)$ as constructed in \cite{Eder:2022gge} in a single divalent vertex $v\in V(\gamma)$ that the action of super area operator is given by
\begin{equation}
\widehat{\mathrm{gAr}}(S) T_{\gamma,\Vec{\pi},\Vec{m},\Vec{n}}=-8\pi il_p^2\sqrt{j\left(j+\frac{1}{2}\right)}T_{\gamma,\Vec{\pi},\Vec{m},\Vec{n}}
\label{eq:3.3.49}
\end{equation}
with $j\in\mathbb{C}$ the superspin quantum number labeling the edge $e\in E(\gamma)$ intersecting the surface $S$. For $j\in\frac{N_0}{2}$, this coincides with the result of \cite{Ling:1999gn}.

According to \eqref{eq:3.3.49} the super area operator has complex eigenvalues which seems to be physically inconsistent. However, the principal series contains a subclass of irreducible representations with respect to which the super area operator becomes purely real. On the series of representations labeled by superspin quantum numbers of the form
\begin{align}
    j=-\frac{1}{4}+is\text{ with }s\in\mathbb{R}
    \label{eq:4.2.21}
\end{align}
the action of the super area operator takes the form
\begin{equation}
\widehat{\mathrm{gAr}}(S) T_{\gamma,\Vec{\pi},\Vec{m},\Vec{n}}=8\pi l_p^2\sqrt{s^2+\frac{1}{16}}\,T_{\gamma,\Vec{\pi},\Vec{m},\Vec{n}}
\label{eq:4.2.23}
\end{equation}
Super spin network states whose edges are labeled by $j$ satisfying \eqref{eq:4.2.21} are indeed eigenstates of the super area operator with real eigenvalues. Interestingly, this is in complete analogy to the bosonic theory \cite{Frodden:2012dq}.

\subsection{Coupling of boundary and bulk}\label{OutlookBHentropy}

As described in Section \ref{Section:chSUGRA-superspin} the quantum excitations of the bulk degrees of freedom are represented by super spin network states associated to the gauge supergroup $\mathrm{OSp}(\mathcal{N}|2)_{\mathbb{C}}$. On the other hand, in Section \ref{sec:Review}, we have explained that the boundary theory is described in terms of a $\mathrm{OSp}(\mathcal{N}|2)_{\mathbb{C}}$ super Chern-Simons theory. Hence, for a given finite graph $\gamma$ embedded in $\Sigma$, we define the Hilbert space $\mathfrak{H}_{\text{full},\gamma}$ w.r.t. $\gamma$ of the full theory as the tensor product
\begin{equation}
    \mathfrak{H}^{\text{full}}_{\gamma}=\mathfrak{H}^{\mathrm{bulk}}_{\gamma}\otimes\mathfrak{H}^{\text{bdy}}_{\gamma}
    \label{Gauss:fullTheory1}
\end{equation}
with $\mathfrak{H}^{\mathrm{bulk}}_{\gamma}$ the Hilbert space of the quantized bulk degrees of freedom as constructed in Section \ref{Section:chSUGRA-superspin} and $\mathfrak{H}^{\text{bdy}}_{\gamma}$ the Hilbert space corresponding to the quantized super Chern-Simons theory on the boundary.\\
On this Hilbert space, we have to implement the boundary condition \eqref{D.eq:4.11.2}. To this end, at each \emph{puncture} $p\in\EuScript{P}_{\gamma}:=\gamma\cap\Delta$, we choose a disk $D_{\epsilon}(p)$ on $\Delta$ around $p$ with radius $\epsilon>0$ and set
\begin{equation}
    \mathcal{E}[\alpha](p):=\lim_{\epsilon\rightarrow 0}\int\limits_{D_{\epsilon}(p)}\braket{\alpha,\mathcal{E}},\quad F[\alpha](p):=\lim_{\epsilon\rightarrow 0}\int\limits_{D_{\epsilon}(p)}\braket{\alpha,F(\mathcal{A}^+)}
    \label{Gauss:fullTheory2}
\end{equation}
By definition, these quantities (or suitable functions thereof) can be promoted to well-defined operators in the quantum theory. Thus, \eqref{D.eq:4.11.2} yields the additional constraint equation
\begin{equation}
\mathds{1}\otimes\widehat{F}_{\underline{A}}(p)=-\frac{2\pi i}{\kappa k}\widehat{\mathcal{E}}_{\underline{A}}(p)\otimes\mathds{1}
\label{Gauss:fullTheory4}
\end{equation}
at each puncture $p\in\EuScript{P}_{\gamma}$, in analogy to the bosonic theory \cite{Engle:2009vc,Kaul:1998xv}. The quantized super electric flux $\widehat{\mathcal{E}}_{\underline{A}}(p)$ acts in terms of right- resp. left-invariant vector fields (see \cite{Eder:2022}). Hence, from \eqref{Gauss:fullTheory4}, we deduce that the Hilbert space of the quantized boundary degrees of freedom corresponds to the Hilbert space of a quantized super Chern-Simons theory on $\Delta$ with punctures $\EuScript{P}_{\gamma}$. This leads to the well-known (super)conformal blocks.

\section{Entropy calculation}\label{sec:EntropyBH}

As discussed in Section \ref{OutlookBHentropy}, the boundary theory of chiral loop quantum supergravity for the case $\mathcal{N}=1$ is described by a quantized super Chern-Simons theory with punctures and gauge supergroup $\mathrm{OSp}(1|2)_{\mathbb{C}}$ as well as complex Chern-Simons level. Hence, to the boundary one can associate an entropy in terms of the number of Chern-Simons degrees of freedom generated by the super spin network edges piercing the boundary. Unfortunately, the (super) Chern-Simons theory with complex and non-compact gauge group is not well-known. Moreover, it is not clear how to deal with the fact that the Chern-Simons level is purely imaginary. Interestingly, similar issues also seem to arise in the context of boundary theories in string theory \cite{Mikhaylov:2014aoa}.
We therefore adapt the strategy of \cite{Achour:2014eqa} in the context of the purely bosonic theory by studying a specific compact real form of $\mathrm{OSp}(1|2)_{\mathbb{C}}$ and then performing an analytic continuation to the corresponding complex Lie supergroup.

\subsection{Super characters of $\mathrm{UOSp(1|2)}$ and the Verlinde formula}
Let us consider the Chern-Simons theory with compact gauge supergroup given by the unitary orthosymplectic group $\mathrm{UOSp}(1|2)=\mathrm{U}(1|2)\cap\mathrm{OSp}(1|2)$ and integer Chern-Simons level $k=-12\pi/\kappa\Lambda_{\mathrm{cos}}$ and punctures labeled by finite-dimensional irreducible representations $\Vec{j}$ of $\mathrm{UOSp}(1|2)$ with $j\in\frac{\mathbb{N}_0}{2}$. We compute the number $\mathcal{N}_k(\Vec{j})$ of Chern-Simons degrees of freedom given by the dimension of the superconformal blocks.
To simplify the discussion, we assume that the boundary $H$ is topologically of the form $\mathbb{R}\times\mathbb{S}^2$, that is, the $2$-dimensional slices $\Delta_t$ are topologically equivalent to $2$-spheres. Furthermore, we consider the limit $k\rightarrow\infty$ corresponding to a vanishing cosmological constant $\Lambda_{\mathrm{cos}}$. Under these assumptions, the number of microstates $\mathcal{N}_{\infty}(\Vec{j})$  is given by the number of $\mathrm{UOSp}(1|2)$ gauge-invariant states, i.e., it can be identified with the number of trivial subrepresentations contained in the tensor product representation $\bigotimes_j \pi_j$. In this way, by subdividing $\Vec{j}$ into $p\leq n$ subfamilies $(n_l,j_l)$, $l=1,\ldots,p$, consisting of $0<n_l\leq n$ punctures labeled by $j_l\in\Vec{j}$, one finds that the dimension of the conformal block in the limit $k\rightarrow\infty$ can be computed via the following integral formula
\begin{align}
    \mathcal{N}_{\infty}(\{n_l,j_l\})=&\frac{1}{2\pi}\int_0^{\pi}\mathrm{d}\theta\,\sin^2(2\theta)\prod_{l=1}^p\left(\frac{\cos(d_{j_l}\theta)}{\cos\theta}\right)^{n_l}\nonumber\times\\
    &\times\left[4-n+\sum_{i=1}^p n_i d_{j_l}\frac{\tan(d_{j_i}\theta)}{\tan\theta}\right]
    \label{eq:VerlindeFormula}
\end{align}
with $d_j:=4j+1$ the dimension of the spin-$j$ representation of $\mathrm{UOSp}(1|2)$.

\subsection{The monochromatic case}
We use \eqref{eq:VerlindeFormula} to compute the entropy associated to the boundary by performing an analytic continuation $\mathrm{OSp}(1|2)_{\mathbb{C}}$ of chiral LQSG: We replace the superspin quantum numbers $j\in\Vec{j}$ in \eqref{eq:VerlindeFormula} by $j\rightarrow -\frac{1}{4}+is$, i.e., quantum numbers corresponding to the principal series with respect to which the super area operator has purely real eigenvalues.
Consider the monochromatic case, i.e., assume that the punctures on the boundary are all labeled by the same super spin quantum number $j$. Then, by replacing $j\rightarrow-\frac{1}{4}+is$ for some $s\in\mathbb{R}_{>0}$ in \eqref{eq:VerlindeFormula} for the special case $p=1$ and using $d_j=i4s=:i\tilde{s}$ as well as $\cos(ix)=\cosh(x)$ and $\sin(ix)=i\sinh(x)$, one finds that an analytically continued version of \eqref{eq:VerlindeFormula} is given by the following contour integral
\begin{align}
  \mathcal{I}_{\infty}=\frac{1}{2\pi}\int_{\mathcal{C}}\mathrm{d}z&\,\mu(z)\left(4-n\left[1+\tilde{s}\frac{\tan(\tilde{s}z)}{\tanh z}\right]\right)\times\nonumber\\
    &\times\exp\left(n\ln\left(\frac{\cos(\tilde{s} z)}{\cosh z}\right)\right)
    \label{eq:5.2.1}
\end{align}
with density $\mu(z):=i\sinh^2(2z)$. Here, $\mathcal{C}$ denotes a contour from 0 to $i\pi$.
We evaluate the integral formula \eqref{eq:5.2.1} in the macroscopic limit corresponding to the limit $s\rightarrow\infty$ and $n\rightarrow\infty$, i.e., large color and large number of punctures. In this limit, one can then apply the method of steepest descent, so we arrange $\mathcal{C}$ to go through all the (non-degenerate) critical points $z_c$, in the direction of steepest descent, of the ``action''
\begin{equation}
    \mathcal{S}(z)=\ln\left(\frac{\cos(\tilde{s} z)}{\cosh z}\right)
    \label{eq:5.2.2}
\end{equation}
located along the imaginary axis and lying between 0 and $i\pi$. $\mathcal{S}'(z_c)=0$ gives
\begin{equation}
    \tilde{s}\tan(\tilde{s}z_c)=-\tanh(z_c)
    \label{eq:5.2.4}
\end{equation}
For critical points lying on the imaginary axis, in the macroscopic limit an approximate solution to Eq. \eqref{eq:5.2.4} is given by $z_c=i(\frac{\pi}{2}-\epsilon)$ for some small $\epsilon$ of order $\epsilon=o(\tilde{s}^{-1})$. Inserting this into the action \eqref{eq:5.2.2}, one finds
\begin{equation}
    \mathcal{I}_{\infty}=\sqrt{\frac{2}{\pi}}\frac{1}{32s^3\sqrt{n}}\left(\frac{2s}{e}\right)^n\exp\left(\frac{a_H}{4}-i\frac{\pi}{2}\right)
    \label{eq:5.2.10}
\end{equation}
with $a_H=8\pi ns$ the super area of the boundary in the monochromatic case (see Eq. \eqref{eq:4.2.23}). The analytic continuation of the state sum acquires an additional complex phase which seems counter intuitive. This is, however, in analogy to the bosonic theory \cite{Achour:2014eqa} where it is argued that one instead needs to consider the modulus of \eqref{eq:5.2.10}. Doing so, for indistinguishable punctures the entropy $S:=\ln(|\mathcal{I}_{\infty}|/n!)$ of the boundary is given by
\begin{equation}
    S=\frac{a_H}{4l_p^2}+\nu\ln\left(\frac{2\sigma}{\nu}\right)\frac{\sqrt{a_H}}{l_p}-2\ln\left(\frac{a_H}{l_p^2}\right)+\mathcal{O}(1)
    \label{eq:5.2.14}
\end{equation}
where $\nu,\sigma>0$ are some numerical coefficients such that in the macroscopic limit $n=\nu\frac{\sqrt{a_H}}{l_p}$ as well as $s=\sigma\frac{\sqrt{a_H}}{l_p}$. The highest order term in \eqref{eq:5.2.14} exactly reproduces the Bekenstein-Hawking area law. This is a very intriguing result and follows here directly from the analytically continued Verlinde formula \eqref{eq:5.2.1}. In particular, we did not have to make any choices beyond working with the chiral theory and no parameter needed to be adjusted by hand. Moreover, this confirms the results of \cite{Achour:2014eqa} in the bosonic theory and supports the hypothesis that in the context of complex variables the entropy can be derived via an analytic continuation starting from a compact real form of the complex gauge group.

\subsection{The multi-color case}
Let us finally very briefly summarize the case of $j$ varying over the punctures. The analytical continuation of \eqref{eq:VerlindeFormula} is then given by
\begin{align}
  \mathcal{I}_{\infty}=\frac{1}{2\pi}\int_{\mathcal{C}}\mathrm{d}z&\,\mu(z)\exp\left(\sum_{l=1}^p n_l\ln\left(\frac{\cos(\tilde{s}_l z)}{\cosh z}\right)\right)\times\nonumber\\
    &\times\left[4-n-\sum_{i=1}^p n_i\tilde{s}_i\frac{\tan(\tilde{s}_i z)}{\tanh z}\right]
    \label{eq:5.3.1}
\end{align}
Again, in the macroscopic limit, we can evaluate \eqref{eq:5.3.1} by using the method of steepest decent. In this way, following the same steps as in the previous section, one finds that the entropy, at highest order, associated to the boundary is given by (for more details see \cite{Eder:2022gge})
\begin{equation}
    S=\ln(|\mathcal{I}_{\infty}|/n!)=\frac{a_H}{4l_p^2}+\ldots
    \label{eq:5.3.8}
\end{equation}
and thus indeed corresponds to the Bekenstein-Hawking area law. The lower order quantum corrections can be computed similarly to the monochromatic case.

 \section{Discussion and outlook}

There are several surprises that came together to yield the Bekenstein-Hawking area law:
Boundary theory and boundary conditions are uniquely fixed from the requirement of supersymmetry; the boundary theory is a Chern-Simons theory and it couples to the bulk just as for isolated horizons in the non-supersymmetric theory; there is a compact real form of $\Osp{1}{2}_{\mathbb{C}}$ that one can find a Verlinde-type formula for; that $\Osp{1}{2}_{\mathbb{C}}$ possesses representations with the right properties to carry out the analytic continuation and that the Verlinde formula allows it. Also, the Chern-Simons level is proportional to the inverse of the cosmological constant. Therefore the large-$k$ limit makes physical sense and one does not have to deal with the intricacies of \emph{quantum deformations} of super groups. Finally, the only change in comparison to the non-supersymmetric theory in highest order turns out to be a factor of 2 in the exponent which can be easily incorporated into the picture by using the area eigenvalue of two-sided punctures at the horizon.

There are several places where our arguments are not as stringent as they should be, and there are some open questions: The bulk quantum theory is not complete, and the quantum theory for the boundary Chern-Simons theory for the non-compact supergroup and at imaginary level is not known directly.   Moreover, we have not based our consideration on a theory of isolated horizons, since it has not been worked out yet for supergravity theories, as far as we know. Finally, the right-handed supersymmetry constraint has not been implemented in a direct way. Rather, our assumption is that it does not significantly reduce the number of surface states, as is assumed for the Hamilton constraint in the bosonic theory.

In addition, it would be interesting to extend the theory to extended supersymmetry, $\mathcal{N}>1$. We have a reasonably good understanding of how the bulk theory would look like for $\mathcal{N}=2$. Based on this it seems feasible to extend the entropy calculation to more physically realistic models with $\mathcal{N}=2$. Complementary to this, it would be very desirable to complete a calculation for BPS black holes as considered in string theory \cite{Strominger:1996sh,Behrndt:1996jn}.

Finally, it is very interesting to note that $\Osp{m}{n}_\mathbb{C}$ super Chern-Simons theories at complex level $k$ show up as boundary theories in string theory \cite{Mikhaylov:2014aoa}.  It would be great to better understand the possible connections to the present work in general, and in particular between the analytic continuation considered there and the one we used.

\begin{acknowledgements}
We would like to thank Lee Smolin for communications at an early stage of this work and in particular for his interest in application of loop quantum gravity methods to supersymmetric black holes which was part of the motivation of this work.
K.E. thanks the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes) for financial support. H.S. acknowledges the contribution of the COST Action CA18108.
\end{acknowledgements}

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Nestled in a quiet seaside village, with great weather all year long Hallidays Point is the perfect holiday destination. Just a 1.5 hour drive from New Castle, Halliday Point is the best place to explore the twin towns of Forster-Tuncurry and the Great Lakes.
Kids are well catered for here at Happy Hallidays Holiday Park, with activities planned daily during the school holiday season, sure to lighten the load and let the parents enjoy a holiday too.


It's summer time and that means it's the worst time to be a polar bear in the zoo. Heatwaves around the world are making life hard for captive polar bears, and zookeepers are struggling to keep the big beasts cool.
These hot bears are going to need some more freakin' ice.


text:
Influence of deprivation and rurality on patient-reported outcomes of men living with and beyond prostate cancer diagnosis in the UK: a population-based study
Smith, L orcid.org/0000-0002-4280-6323, Downing, A orcid.org/0000-0002-0335-7801, Norman, P orcid.org/0000-0002-6211-1625 et al. (12 more authors) (2020) Influence of deprivation and rurality on patient-reported outcomes of men living with and beyond prostate cancer diagnosis in the UK: a population-based study. Cancer Epidemiology, 69. 101830. ISSN 1877-7821
In the UK, inequalities exist in prostate cancer incidence, survival and treatment by area deprivation and rurality. This work aimed to identify variation in patient-reported outcomes of men with prostate cancer by area type.
A population-based survey of men 18–42 months after prostate cancer diagnosis (N = 35608) measured self-assessed health (SAH) using the EQ-5D and five functional domains using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC-26).
Mean SAH was higher for men in least deprived areas compared to most deprived (difference 6.3 (95 %CI 5.6–7.2)). SAH scores were lower for men in most urban areas compared to most rural (difference 2.4 (95 %CI 1.8–3.0)). Equivalent estimates in the general population reported a 13 point difference by deprivation and a 4 point difference by rurality. For each EPIC-26 domain, functional outcomes were better for men in the least deprived areas, with clinically meaningful differences observed for urinary incontinence and hormonal function. There were no clinically meaningful differences in EPIC-26 outcomes by rurality with less than a three point difference in scores for each domain between urban and rural areas.
In men 18–42 months post diagnosis of prostate cancer in the UK, impacts of area deprivation and rurality on self-assessed health related quality of life were not greater than would be expected in the general population. However, clinically meaningful differences were identified for some prostate functional outcomes (urinary and hormonal function) by deprivation. No impact by rurality of residence was identified.
Smith, L https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4280-6323
Downing, A https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0335-7801
Norman, P https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6211-1625
Wright, P https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6129-4143
Hounsome, L
Watson, E
Wagland, R
Selby, P
Kind, P https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2377-1652
Donnelly, DW
Butcher, H
Huws, D
McNair, E
Gavin, A
Glaser, AW
© 2020, Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This is an author produced version of an article published in Cancer Epidemiology. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy.
Prostate cancer; Deprivation; Rurality; Inequalities; Health-related quality of life; Functional outcomes
Published (online): 28 September 2020
The University of Leeds > Faculty of Environment (Leeds) > School of Geography (Leeds) > Centre for Spatial Analysis & Policy (Leeds)
The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Medicine (Leeds) > Leeds Institute of Cancer and Pathology (LICAP) > Clinical Cancer Research (Leeds)
The University of Leeds > Faculty of Medicine and Health (Leeds) > School of Medicine (Leeds) > Leeds Institute of Health Sciences (Leeds) > Academic Unit of Health Economics (Leeds)
Prostate Cancer UK PROMS
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2020.101830
Filename: Deprivation and RuralityCE_revisedClean.pdf
Licence: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0


I want to discuss how Manson has stated he is "meant to be chaos" yet has confessed to previously "not being in control" of his life.
To me these statements come across as contradictory and I don't understand where he is coming from?
I don't think it's contradictory in the sense that Manson is a lunatic and knows how to play his persona to a T. It's all a show!
No control can be chaotic sometimes.
Where's the contradiction? You can't control chaos.
When did he say the first thing, and when did he say the second? In this grindhouse film we call "life", the characters have arcs.


text:
Desmoid tumors (DTs), also referred to as aggressive fibromatosis or desmoid-type fibromatosis, are rare and often debilitating and disfiguring soft-tissue tumors characterized by a growth pattern that can aggressively invade surrounding healthy tissues, including joints, muscles, blood vessels, nerves and internal organs. While they can arise in any part of the body, the most common sites are the upper extremities (arm, forearm, and hand), lower extremities (girdle, thigh, leg, and foot), abdominal wall, thoracic areas, and head and neck. The severity of desmoid tumors and associated symptoms varies based on their size, location, and the aggressiveness of the growth pattern. Desmoid tumors can cause significant morbidities, including severe pain, disfigurement, internal bleeding, and debilitating loss of range of motion, and, in rare cases, desmoid tumors can be fatal.1
Desmoid tumors affect both children and adults, are most commonly diagnosed in young adults between 20-30 years of age, with a two-to-three-fold predominance in females.1,2 It is estimated that desmoid tumors affect 2 to 5 per million people worldwide, and that there are 1,000 to 1,500 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States.3,4 Historically, desmoid tumors were treated with surgical resection or, in severe cases, amputation, but even with these interventions, high rates of tumor regrowth have been documented.5 There are no therapies currently approved for the treatment of desmoid tumors.
Our Investigational Therapy
Nirogacestat is an investigational oral, small molecule, gamma-secretase inhibitor that has been investigated in 24 patients with desmoid tumors across Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials. SpringWorks is enrolling patients in the "DeFi" (Desmoid/Fibromatosis) trial, a Phase 3, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, global clinical trial in adults with progressing desmoid tumors.
In June 2018, the FDA granted Orphan Drug designation for nirogacestat for the treatment of desmoid tumors and in November 2018 the FDA granted Fast Track designation for nirogacestat for the treatment of adult patients with progressive, unresectable, recurrent or refractory desmoid tumors or deep fibromatosis.
Patient Foundation:
The mission of The Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation is to aggressively fund research to accelerate the development of improved therapies, and ultimately find a cure for desmoid tumors. The foundation collaborates with dedicated researchers and clinicians worldwide to improve the lives of patients through education, awareness, and support.
1 Gounder, M. M., Thomas, D. M., & Tap, W. D. (2017). Locally Aggressive Connective Tissue Tumors. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 36(2), 202-209. doi:10.1200/JCO.2017.75.8482.
2 Skubitz, K. M. (2017). Biology and Treatment of Aggressive Fibromatosis or Desmoid Tumor. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 92(6), 947-964. doi:10.1016/j.mayocp.2017.02.012
3 Reitamo, J J; Häyry, P; Nykyri, E; Saxén, E. (1982). The desmoid tumor. I. Incidence, sex-, age- and anatomical distribution in the Finnish population. American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 77(6), 665-673. doi: 10.1093/AJCP.77.6.665
4 van Broekhoven, D. L., Grünhagen, D. J., den Bakker, M. A., van Dalen, T., & Verhoef, C. (2015). Time trends in the incidence and treatment of extra-abdominal and abdominal aggressive fibromatosis: a population-based study. Annals of surgical oncology, 22(9), 2817–2823. doi:10.1245/s10434-015-4632-y
5 Scaramussa, F.S. & Castro, U. B. (2016). Desmoid Tumor in Hand: A Case Report. SM Journal of Orthopedics, 2(3),1036.


Upper Sapey is 6 miles from Bromyard, on the border of Worcestershire and Herefordshire, and is surrounded by some of the most scenic countryside the region has to offer. Upper Sapey is an excellent base from which to enjoy a network of local footpaths. There is a 13th century village pub offering food, a golf course and a cross country event centre which offers riding tuition.


text:
Are Brands Wasting Their Money On VR?
A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to (sort of) live out my fantasy of being an NFL quarterback. While attending Social Media Week NY, I came across a virtual reality (VR) football game; my time to become Tom Brady had finally arrived. I strapped on the headset I pretended was a helmet, put my hands through a pair of strangely shaped controllers, and stepped into the virtual huddle to command my team to victory.
One touchdown pass and many incompletions later, I re-entered reality with ambivalence. The game was fun, but unnatural. Due to the motion sensors' limitations, it felt like I was throwing darts, not a football. Still, despite its flaws, the potential was exciting.
Whenever you read about virtual reality, that word—"potential"—comes up a lot. Companies are clearly enthused about where the VR industry is headed. Some agencies are so excited by VR's potential that they are covering the costs for brands interested in creating VR content, according to Digiday.
But at this stage of virtual reality's evolution, is the technology a smart choice for brands looking for an immediate return on investment? Maybe not.
VR's soft arrival
Jeremy Bailenson, a professor of communication at Stanford and the founder and director of Virtual Human Interaction Lab, is not among those expecting VR to transform branded entertainment overnight. At the most basic level, the cost renders it a luxury many brands can't afford.
"Movies only have to account for the small window of space where you point the camera," Bailenson told Slate. "Video games are not infiite. But VR has to work from any distance, any angle, all the time, so the cost of making content is astronomical."
Unlike traditional storytelling formats with a single narrative for the audience to follow, VR puts the viewer in control. The immersive experience allows you to take in multiple arcs at the same time, which makes the job of the producer that much harder.
"It's a fundamental shift in how stories are told," said Ji Lee, creative lead at Facebook, during a VaynerMedia-hosted Social Media Week presentation. "You're swapping linear for 360-degree, spherical, multidimensional storytelling. And the user has a new role as participant."
In Lee's mind, there are two major hurdles currently holding back virtual reality: scalability and content. Despite mainstream devices like the Samsung Gear VR and Oculus Rift, the technology still lacks widespread adoption. And even for customers who can afford VR, the library of content is limited. Plus, much of what exists so far makes for a great initial viewing experience, but loses its "wow" factor thereafter.
"When the iPhone first came out, there was a lot of utility to the apps. You'd go back and use them over and over," said Zoey Taylor, business development at Framestore VR Studio. "With VR, you might put on a headset and use it for ten minutes in the morning, but people need a reason for repeated usage throughout the day."
Even with multiple narratives at play, you're not going to watch the same VR piece ad nauseum. And worse, much of the public isn't yet able to appreciate the wonders of VR at all.
"In the early days, people could read reviews, but they couldn't experience it themselves," said Christine Cattano, global head of VR, executive producer at Framestore. "The press would cover it, there would be good buzz, but in terms of the larger population, they couldn't actually know if it was good or bad. VR was being viewed in a vacuum."
It's tough for brands to swallow the costs of production knowing very few consumers will actually enjoy the end product. Only 6 percent of Americans were forecasted to own a VR headset in 2016, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics. And 93 percent of those in that small fraction owned cheaper smartphone models. While those numbers will improve this year, scale approaching any other mainstream media format remains years away.
But could there be an advantage in beating the pack—and reaping the rewards of the investment later?
Despite his hesitations, Bailenson believes VR does have some worthwhile applications in the present, though he limits those use cases to four categories. In the aforementioned Slate article, he describes those categories as follows:
"Expensive: If it would cost a lot to do something in real life, like visit the statue of David in Florence, Italy, it might make sense to do it virtually."
"Dangerous: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro might be the adventure of a lifetime, but it could also be your last. Several people die on its slopes every year."
"Impossible: You can't travel back in time, grow a third arm, or experience life as a person of a different race or gender. But VR can give you a surprisingly visceral taste of what it would be like if you could."
"Rare: You could go whale-watching a dozen times without seeing a humpback breach right next to your boat. Or you could do it once in VR."
For Framestore, early client investments in virtual reality have led to encouraging results. A mobile VR driving experience created for Volvo generated 28,000 app downloads and over 50,000 inquiries for more information, impressive totals even without a correlating dollar figure. Though sometimes, VR and ROI require a long-term mindset.
"When we first started working in VR, there were three goals for ROI: generating PR buzz, shifting a user's perception of the tech, and being the first mover in the space," said Cattano. "None of those have really changed, but I do think it's a mistake to look for an immediate fiscal return on an investment into innovation. It's more about, 'How do I prep myself for this field in the future so in five years we're not playing catch-up when it's a more ubiquitous medium?'"
Case in point: "The Field Trip to Mars," a one-off school bus built for Lockheed Martin to figuratively transport those on board to the Red Planet. The actual experience was limited to attendees at the USA Science & Engineering Festival, but the virtual field trip generated huge levels of worldwide press coverage and earned media. Framestore estimates that a year later, it still receives "15-20 inquires a day" about repurposing the idea.
"If you ask the question on behalf of the client, was it worth it for those 30 or so direct eyeballs, absolutely it was," Taylor said. "While you can't track the worth the way you would in traditional mediums we're more used to, you have to open your mind a bit to the value of creating a bespoke experience for your consumer."
Brands like Wayfair, an e-commerce company that sells home furnishings, are already starting to build a library of 3D scans of their products for anticipated future uses in the AR and VR realms. But is that the right move? On the one hand, a smart investment now can pay big dividends down the road. On the other, the "VR has potential one day" prediction is just that—a prediction. Since there is so little content out there, it's difficult to know if what seems like quality VR content today might be outdated tomorrow.
"There are no true barometers for quality at the moment," Taylor said. "It's tough to recognize 'high quality' VR. People can see the potential, but they don't have enough knowledge or comparisons yet to know what 'good' and 'bad' VR look like."
Part of that quality conversation is ensuring that projects actually make sense for the VR treatment. Even those in the industry admit it's not always the right tool for the job.
"We'll sometimes, to the detriment of winning work, decide not to repurpose material just for the sake of virtual [reality]," Cattano said. "We try to encourage the conversation to hit the right points: How will this tech provide value for you? How will it solve a business problem?"
At the end of the day, that mindset is what Cattano believes is most important in determining if virtual reality is a smart use of budget. The answer varies depending on the specific task at hand, and whether VR provides value a cheaper medium simply can't offer.
"We're maturing into a place where we can look at it and say, 'How does VR solve this problem uniquely?'" she said. "It has to be through the lens of what problem you're solving rather than the ROI you're generating, because ultimately, using VR to solve a specific problem is your ROI."
Virtual Companions Will Greet You In Hotels
Why Apple Abandoned Its XR Headset Dreams


text:
Q: why does as.matrix result in memory overload while running text mining in R I am doing a text analysis with R package tm.
My code is based on this link:
https://www.r-bloggers.com/text-mining-and-word-cloud-fundamentals-in-r-5-simple-steps-you-should-know/
The text-files I load are only 4800 kB. The text files are a 10% sample of the original files I want to analyze.
My code is:
library(tm)
library(wordcloud)
library(SnowballC)
library(textmineR)
library(RWeka)

blogssub <- readLines("10kblogs.txt")
newssub <- readLines("10knews.txt")
tweetssub <- readLines("10ktwitter.txt")

corpussubset <- c(blogssub,newssub,tweetssub)
cpsub <- corpussubset

cpsubclean <- VCorpus(VectorSource(cpsub))

# make ngrams
unigram<- function(x) NGramTokenizer(x, Weka_control(min=1, max=1))

options(mc.cores=1) #hangs if you dont include this option on Mac OS

tdmuni<- TermDocumentMatrix(cpsubclean, control=list(tokenize=unigram))

m <- as.matrix(tdmuni)
v <- sort(rowSums(m), decreasing=TRUE)
d <- data.frame(word = names(v),freq=v)

The code gives the following error:
"Cannot allocate vector of size 12.3 Gb"
The error is caused by line: m <- as.matrix(tdmuni)
Can it be the case that my code is not efficient in some way? I am suprised that such a huge vector is allocated of 12.3 Gb since the orginal textfiles are only 4800 kB.
Thanks a lot!

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