Category Archives: literature

Gatsby, What Gatsby?

Slightly off topic from my usual blog posts, the below anti-film-review review comes from a recent visit to the Exeter Picturehouse. The University of Exeter has a great collaboration with this arty cinema in town, and runs a series of lectures for students, staff and members of the public before certain screenings.  The film IContinue reading “Gatsby, What Gatsby?”

Nussbaum’s remarks at Colgate University

Thanks to Andy Daddio for this brilliant photo. Truly the Daddio of Scholarly Photography! When it comes to a defence of the liberal arts in Higher Education, Martha Nussbaum is a matriarch. While some have criticised her universalism, and tendency towards vague aspiration, she nonetheless retains a dominant position in the field of debate. Dr Nussbaum hold a BA fromContinue reading “Nussbaum’s remarks at Colgate University”

Rousseau’s Emile: on Infancy

I made this quote bank of the first chapter of Rousseau’s Emile : “Infancy”. Feel free to use this wherever and whenever you want.  The first drafts of Emile did not include infancy, but as William Boyd observes in Emile for Today (Heineman 1975) that the inclusion of the chapter in the revised edition revealsContinue reading “Rousseau’s Emile: on Infancy”

Victorian Schools Bibliography

I’m looking into the Victorian Education system, and am particularly interested in the idea of using popular fiction, newspapers, TV, and film in order to understand the state of universities in the Nineteenth Century.I’m reading Reading Victorian Schoolrooms: Childhood Education in Nineteenth Century Fiction by Elizabeth Gargano as an example of the methodological application ofContinue reading “Victorian Schools Bibliography”

Franco Moretti Eat Your Heart Out

I’m writing an essay on The Life of Pi by Yann Martel in relation to the Booker Prize, and the position of the novel and the author in this network of commercial activity. I have been using lots of data to formulate my research – The Guardian has a great selection of infographic data onContinue reading “Franco Moretti Eat Your Heart Out”