Slog - Comments on A Trip to the Swimming Pool That Killed Theodore Roethke http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed First, check out this awesome ink-and-paint portrait of the great Northwest poet Theodore Roethke, as depicted from the bottom of the swimming pool he died in, minutes after his death in 1963. The artist is the sublimely talented Tra Seltrow. Then, read Brendan Kiley's piece about going to find this very swimming pool, which is located right near where Kiley grew up on Bainbridge Island and, actually, isn't a swimming pool anymore... Roethke—who taught poetry at the University of Washington and was large, vivacious, and a heavy drinker—was by the pool with Mrs. Bloedel and her daughter one summer afternoon,... Copyright 2008 Fri, 02 Mar 2007 10:35:25 -0800 Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:37:06 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by Julia Uhhhh... Enjoy what? There is no picture as I write this.

]]> Julia http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652600 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652600 Arts Thu, 01 Mar 2007 17:51:57 -0800 Comment by Fnarf The image "http://www.thestranger.com/blog/files/2007/03/roethke-final.jpg" cannot be displayed, because it contains errors.

So saith Our Lord Firefox.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652612 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652612 Arts Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:14:53 -0800 Comment by monkey Was it a pool of milk?

]]> monkey http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652614 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652614 Arts Thu, 01 Mar 2007 18:16:21 -0800 Comment by Brad Really? Wow. I've been to Bloedel and have walked through the Zen garden. It's beautiful.

]]> Brad http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652706 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652706 Arts Thu, 01 Mar 2007 20:47:50 -0800 Comment by seattle98104 your picture does not show. fix it, dumbass.

]]> seattle98104 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652712 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652712 Arts Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:01:09 -0800 Comment by fixo @5 -- manners!

]]> fixo http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652724 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652724 Arts Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:39:14 -0800 Comment by christopher Frizzelle It works on Safari!

Stand by for technical assistance...

]]> christopher Frizzelle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652725 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652725 Arts Thu, 01 Mar 2007 21:45:37 -0800 Comment by kinaidos In the meantime:

From Thomas Townhip MI (Roethke was a michigander) - the Roethke park swimming pool. Seems like tempting fate to me.

http://www.thomastwp.org/Parks/campswin.jpg

And from the Columbia School of Law - a picture of Theodore Roethke himself:

http://www.columbia.edu/cu/law/sirr/img/roethke.jpg

He's pretty hot for poet who has been dead for almost 45 years.

]]> kinaidos http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652742 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652742 Arts Thu, 01 Mar 2007 22:26:15 -0800 Comment by kinaidos The zen garden at Bloedel:

http://www.historylink.org/db_images/wlt121.JPG

It doesn't look like a particularly good place to sit and read poetry. It does however look like a nice place to crochet a hat. Nothing short of meditation itself puts one quite so close to the dead as does needlework.

]]> kinaidos http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652752 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c652752 Arts Thu, 01 Mar 2007 22:48:38 -0800 Comment by seattle98104 @7.. yeah let me just load up safari here on my windowz work box... oh wait, can't.

How long will this technical blunder be allowed to live?

p.s. I don't even use the safari (aka shit) browser on my G5 tower or my Macbook, firefox IS god.

]]> seattle98104 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653289 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653289 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 08:18:09 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Well, the post has moved to the top, but the pic still contains errors. Byte order?

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653408 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653408 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 10:40:36 -0800 Comment by Levislade I'm wondering if the pic just worked on CF's computer, because it was on his computer and not the Internets. Just a thought. Either way, the suspense is killing me!

]]> Levislade http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653413 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653413 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 10:43:08 -0800 Comment by seattle98104 load this supposed "picture" in photoshop, or GIMP and save copy as jpg, or save for the web(as jpg), there is something corrupt in your image file, so re output it.

]]> seattle98104 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653418 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653418 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 10:48:58 -0800 Comment by Sean Sometimes I think you hipsters use shitty browsers like Safari and Opera just to fuck with web developers like me.

I understand that IE undermines your hipster credentials, so why can't you settle on a cool, high-quality, non-conformist Mozilla browser like Firefox? It would make the web a better place.

]]> Sean http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653419 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653419 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 10:52:36 -0800 Comment by Colin Just to test, I opened it up in Safari. It did in fact work, but I think I'd built the picture up in my mind... was not impressed.

]]> Colin http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653428 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653428 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:04:05 -0800 Comment by seattle98104 @14 for realz. I don't understand how you could own a mac, use safari, and not want punch your computer in the face. Safari is not standards compliant. Just because apple provides it, doesn't mean it ain't broke.

Get your ass some firefox.

p.s. thanks for fixing the image.. finally.

]]> seattle98104 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653429 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653429 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:04:51 -0800 Comment by Original Andrew kinaidos @ 8,

Whoa, you're right. He was quite a handsome dude back in the day.

Note to all you hotties out there: Please don't let yourselves go.

]]> Original Andrew http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653434 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653434 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:23:31 -0800 Comment by Fnarf Sorry, Original Andrew; for me it's too late.

]]> Fnarf http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653436 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653436 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 11:24:43 -0800 Comment by scharrera That reflecting pool is one of my most favorite places - and I had no idea that Roethke died there!
Time for a trip back with a new perspective...

]]> scharrera http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653561 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653561 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:23:25 -0800 Comment by elswinger Is that painting painted at the bottom of the pool where Bloedel drowned? That would be cool.

Oh, and Firefox rules.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653575 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/03/a_trip_to_the_swimming_pool_that_killed#c653575 Arts Fri, 02 Mar 2007 13:37:06 -0800