It has just been made explicitly clear (by rather implicit means) how much free time is about to be taken off my hands this coming week. I appear to have only 3 hours of class per week, plus a colloquium lecture or discussion (on alternate weeks), plus a 6-8 page essay (based on extensive readings) for each tutorial. Add the time it takes to navigate the Bodelian libraries and we're looking at 40 hour days, nine days a week needed to fit it all in. I AM SO EXCITED. The impending work means I will have, perhaps, a more abbreviated space in which I can blog, so I will now work on being succinct. Highlights of the past 24 hours:
First Coloquim Lecture: Coloquim lectures are delivered bi-weekly on broad themes relating to the Renaissance/Reformation/Englightenment. Today we got an introduction to the Renaissance from Dr. Crowe. Next Monday we are set to discuss the lecture and assigned reading in groups (hey great conners, guess what is the assigned reading? Pico's Oration on the Dignity of Man). In crude but accurate terms, this lecture blew my mind and made me want to study Renaissance exclusively and forever. Basically introduced the idea that artists, philosophers etc of the 15th and 16th centuries disposed of the medieval idea that art and thought should serve or support God, and instead the artist becomes creator and has a power structure crisis, since he has just proved God irrelevant. In a close-up of the almost-touching fingers of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, is it clear which finger belongs to God, and which to Adam? Yeah, apparently that was deliberate. Ok, there was a lot of waffle that I didn't understand, but very intriguing. It was like getting hit in the face and being so dazed, in a strangely pleasant, academic sort of way. The goal now is to get over the tingliness of the lecture, recover, and disect the content to figure out what so intrigued me at first. Dr. Crowe is amazingly brilliant whether I end up agreeing with him or not, I think. He did some research on Pico's life which resulted in them digging up his body to confirm Dr. Crowe's suspicion that he had been poisoned with arsenic. He had been.
Bodelian Library: Has every book published in England and UK since 1610. Over 12 million. A research library (set of libraries) only, you cannot borrow these books, indeed, I took a solemn verbal oath that I would not set fire to, damage or attempt to remove the books before I was allowed my card. There is a story that one of the Kings of England (Edward II?) was forcefully prevented from taking a book by a librarian. This anecdote to remind us of our lowly status as undergraduates: if the King himself could not take a book out, we certainly shouldn't attempt it. We were promised to be punished to the full extent of the law should we break our oaths, also assured our expulsion from the program. I was surprised the threat of anathema was left out, but on second thought, it was likely implied. Certainly more to come on the Bodelian, which is all sorts of haunted and magic etc.
News from Saint Peter's Dining Hall: Breakfast rocks. First time I managed to get to breakfast was this morning. They have lovely oranges and cereal and juice in pitchers all along the tables, and big teapots and coffeepots also. I suddenly really like English Breakfast tea, especially since I came into breakfast directly following a run in the cold rain and anything hot tasted like ambrosia. Also, Saint Peter's students are starting to trickle in for their start of term, all looking like J Crew models with their copies of Wuthering Heights propped up against juice pitchers. So far, so excellent.
Hopefully more later. I do really like blogging. It helps me remember. But if you don't hear from me, assume I'm in a pleasant academic coma somewhere in the remote recesses of the Bodleian, having overdosed on oranges from Spain and Pico's Dignity of Man.
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