If it has never occurred to you that Chaucer might have influenced Joyce as much as Homer then you should read more medieval literature – or listen to Helen Cooper (Cambridge). Even though Joyce decided to name his Ulysses after Homer’s classical Odyssey, Cooper argues, his true ‘poetic father’ in the English language was Chaucer,… Continue reading Shakespeare, Chaucer and Joyce: A Conference on Medieval and Early Modern Authorship
The ‘Monarchical Republic’ and its Critics
Patrick Collinson first set out his idea of ‘The Monarchical Republic of Queen Elizabeth I’ in a journal article in 1987. In this article he emphasised in particular two ways in which Elizabethan subjects conceived themselves as ‘citizens’ and displayed considerable self-governing capacities. First, there were Elizabeth’s Privy Councillors at the centre, who were hatching… Continue reading The ‘Monarchical Republic’ and its Critics
Conference: Medieval and Early Modern Authorship, 30 June-2 July
Swiss Association of Medieval and Early Modern English Studies Medieval and Early Modern Authorship 30 June – 2 July 2010, University of Geneva Authorship has come to the forefront of medieval and early modern English studies in recent years, as is shown by the wealth of important publications in this area. The objective of this conference is to… Continue reading Conference: Medieval and Early Modern Authorship, 30 June-2 July
Horace Walpole and Strawberry Hill at the V&A
The little blue-enamelled toothpick case left quite an impression. Not because it was so remarkably beautiful, but because it seemed so random, useless even – in a good way. Many of the items currently on display in the V&A’s exhibition on Horace Walpole and Strawberry Hill are of that quality, and that’s their attraction. There… Continue reading Horace Walpole and Strawberry Hill at the V&A
CFP: Durham C17th Conference – Ideals and Values
Durham University Centre for Seventeenth-Century Studies Elvet Riverside, New Elvet, Durham, DH1 3JT, England. Director: Professor Richard Maber Tel: 0191-334 3431 Fax: 0191-334 3421 e-mail: R.G.Maber@durham.ac.uk THIRTEENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE DURHAM CASTLE 19-22 JULY 2010 CALL FOR PAPERS Proposals are invited for the thirteenth Conference of the Durham Centre for Seventeenth-Century Studies, which will focus on… Continue reading CFP: Durham C17th Conference – Ideals and Values
The fun of deceiving your readers – and being found out
It must have been so much fun being a C17th wit hanging around your favourite tavern or coffee-house thinking up tall stories, scribbling them down and waiting to see how your readers reacted. Would they really believe that shepherds had found the remains of Moses his Tombe (1657) on Mount Nebo, or that Dutch sailors… Continue reading The fun of deceiving your readers – and being found out
‘The Paradox of Prosperity’ – Selling books in early modern Leiden
The booksellers of early modern Leiden prospered despite being regulated by a guild. In fact, they petitioned for and received permission to set up a guild as late as 1652 when other trades tried to get rid of the tight constraints such an institution imposed (p. 14). For, contrary to a widespread belief among economic… Continue reading ‘The Paradox of Prosperity’ – Selling books in early modern Leiden
Festive news
With Christmas approaching the news are definitely getting more festive by the minute. Just read an article in the Telegraph about a scientist who has studied the anatomy and physiology of angels and fairies and come to the surprising conclusion that they can’t fly. There’s research money put to good use here, as a fellow Twitter… Continue reading Festive news
Time to think
Higher education policy has become a hot topic in the European press with the ongoing financial crisis and the Bologna reforms putting pressure on university resources, academic staff and students. While the financial crisis means that more people are going into higher education because there are fewer jobs on the market (and some return to education… Continue reading Time to think
French Revolutionaries & English Republicans: A bridge to the Continent
As its subtitle announces Rachel Hammersley’s French Revolutionaries and English Republicans (Woodbridge, 2005) is a study of the Cordeliers Club in Paris between 1790-1794. It traces the Club’s radical policies and associated writings in the years following the rebellion of 1789 and its attempts to influence the National Assembly as it forged a new constitution… Continue reading French Revolutionaries & English Republicans: A bridge to the Continent
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